The holidays have arrived in full force. It’s the season of gatherings, parties, decorating, baking, and overdoing it. Too much might look like eating that extra slice or two of pie, sampling the delicious homemade cookie platter your friend made, or saying “yes” to all the invites you receive. Overindulging could show up as having one drink too many or getting very little sleep. This adds to having little to no life balance during the holidays.

There is an Albert Einstein quote I’ve always loved. Every time I read it, I’d nod in agreement and think about how true it seemed. However, recently, when it appreared in my daily quote feed, it didn’t land as it always had. Einstein said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

To keep your balance on a bike, you do need to keep moving. If you don’t, well, we know what will happen. You’ll fall over. However, we need periods of motion and stillness to feel balance in life. Time to move and time to rest. So as much as I respect and admire Einstein, I don’t agree with his bike riding/life balance analogy.

You might choose to pedal through the holidays in perpetual motion. What I propose is something different. As you plan your season of gatherings, traveling, parties, and more, I invite you to build in some stillness and rest. What that looks and feels like for you will vary.

For me, it will include time for . . .

• Sleeping

• Thinking

• Staring out of the window

• Writing

• Meditating

• Sipping a hot cup of aromatic tea

• Dreaming

• Saying “no”

• Observing

• Reading

• Watching the candles flicker

• Stretching out on the sofa wrapped in a soft blanket

“Build in some stillness and rest.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Moments of quiet will be intermingled with activity. I will intentionally invite moments to pause, regroup, and recharge. This way, I’ll be able to fully embrace the joy of this season while balancing the need for stillness and fun.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season! How will you create more balance during this time of year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

There are numerous ways to describe our experience of time. We talk about wasting, spending, or investing time. We ponder the ways time moves slowly or quickly, depending on the situation. We think about not having enough time in the day or having too much time on our hands.  We consider the length of time projects take or procrastinate with the time we have. Yet, we know that every person has the same 24 hours each day to manage and live life.

With our time, we do all kinds of things like working, playing, sleeping, relaxing, stressing, organizing, traveling, relationship-building, meditating, gardening, walking, running, dancing, learning, loving, reflecting, worrying, creating, driving, eating, connecting, talking, writing, emailing, Zooming, and many other “ings.”

I came across a quote by Atomic Habits author, James Clear, who offers a direct perspective about time. He said, “Your life is purchased by where you spend your attention.”  How powerful is that? 

“Your life is purchased by where you spend your attention.”

— James Clear

When you look at where your time and attention go, it tells the story of your life. Where do you invest? If you did a time audit for the week and noted what you do each hour, what would you discover? For many of us, approximately one-third of our time is spent sleeping. What about the other two-thirds? There are a million discoveries to make by analyzing where your attention goes. You might be surprised.

Why does this matter? If you want more or less of something in your life, doing a time audit can help you figure out how to make a change. For example, if you feel overwhelmed by clutter, a time audit could help you understand why the clutter is stuck. Perhaps you have included worrying, but not actual decluttering into your days.

“Every person has the same 24 hours each day to manage and live life.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

One of the things I admire so much about my virtual organizing clients is their dedication to change. Each week they intentionally invest time with their organizing goals through our sessions and the independent work they do on their own. They are shifting their attention from collecting and piling to letting go and organizing.

What will your time audit reveal? Even if your balance is the way you want, an audit can still be illuminating. It gives you the confidence to keep doing what you are doing. But if things are not as you desire, do some investigating. I’m excited about the discoveries you will make. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

It started Sunday morning with bananas. Instead of focusing on the anxiety of all things COVID-19-related, I found inspiration in my next choice. As I entered the kitchen, I noticed the browning bananas sitting on top of the fruit bowl. They looked perfect for baking. The thing is, I haven’t baked in a while. Don't get me wrong. I love to bake, but I’ve been staying away from bread and sweet things these days. However, at that moment, the next thing I felt like doing was to make banana muffins. So I did, and added some dried sour cherries to the batter too (so delicious!)

Baking has always been fun and therapeutic, and this batch of muffins didn’t disappoint. I measured, mashed, mixed, and scooped. My spirits lifted as our home filled with the wafting, delicious scent coming from the oven.  And what fun is baking if you can’t share it? Together, my husband and I enjoyed the warm muffins and berry fruit salad breakfast.  We followed that with a nice long walk in the woods.

If I could, I would give you a banana muffin right now. Instead, I’ll share my recipe with you.

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Linda’s Banana Muffins

Oven: 400° | Yield: 12 muffins | Bake:  20-25 minutes

In a bowl, stir together and set aside:

1-3/4 cups flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground clove

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

In another bowl, mix together

1 beaten egg

¾ cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

In third bowl, mash

2 ripe bananas

Pour egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir. Stir in bananas. If desired, add 1/3 cup of dried sour cherries, dried cranberries, raisins, or chocolate morsels into the batter.

Grease cupcake pans with canola spray or butter. Fill cups one-half or more full. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes.

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My impromptu baking made me think about the week of adjustments we’ve all had. With an increase in closures, cancellations, working from home, and staying in place orders, we’ve experienced unprecedented disruptions and change this week. Teachers were getting accustomed to teaching online, restaurants were retooling for curbside pick-up only or closing temporarily, loved ones were getting ill, trying to get tested, or stressing over if they had been infected or infected others. People that had never worked from home were navigating how to do that.

Most of us were figuring out ways to cope and self-soothe in this anxiety-laden time. Collectively we were doing things like walking (a lot) meditating, practicing yoga, crocheting, organizing, puzzling (as in doing jigsaw puzzles) journaling, jogging, watching, reading, gardening, checking in with others, and sleeping.

I also noticed that collectively we got inspired and creative about the new reality. We started experimenting with doing things differently because life changed overnight. It’s been fascinating to observe and partake in. Especially with next being more uncertain than ever, making choices that foster happiness and calm is essential. It’s a crazy, scary time. Yet even with the tumult, we have opportunities to get inspired, be creative, to experiment, examine our priorities, and express gratitude.

Like many of you, I miss the physical presence of being with my family, friends, and clients. Social distancing and isolation have been challenging for many of us. However, there too, people are getting creative about staying socially engaged, despite the distancing. This past week I Face Timed, which I don’t usually do. Using Zoom, I video-chatted with family and friends, had virtual organizing sessions with clients, took yoga classes, had breakfast with a group of girlfriends, and hosted a virtual cocktail party (so much fun!)

What has been different for you this week? Have you felt more creative or been inspired by your next choice? My heart is with each of you as you navigate and find your way during this unprecedented time. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Be well. Stay healthy. I invite you to join the conversation.