Mindfulness practice is visible in several ways. There is the formal practice of mindfulness meditation and the informal practice of living mindfully. I engage in both daily, but not 100% of the time. Practicing mindfulness is being in the present moment with awareness of what you’re doing, feeling, or sensing without judgment. That can include focusing on the breath moving in and out of your body, returning your keys to their designated ‘home,’ noticing the leaves turning bright red as the season shifts, or feeling the tightness in your belly as you return to the office after working from home for the past 18 months. The body and mind constantly give us cues and opportunities to practice mindfulness and bring us back to the present moment.

Recently I found mindfulness cues and inspiration from an unlikely source- my cordless phone. Yes. I still have a landline. The messages displayed on the front of the telephone describe its status. While they serve a specific purpose in letting me know what my phone is doing, the words triggered ideas connected to mindfulness practices. As you continue reading, notice which cues and concepts resonate with you.

4 Mindfulness Cues I Discovered on My Phone

1. “Fully charged”

What does it mean to be “fully charged?” Are you ready for your day? Are you focused, aware, and living in this moment? In a mindfulness context, consider this as a reminder to be present. Be like that red “You Are Here” marker on a map. You are not ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. Your feet are firmly planted on the ground and you are here now. You are available and present.

2. “Missed call”

I mentioned earlier how I engage in daily mindfulness practice, but not 100% of the time. A “missed call” indicates you weren’t available when someone reached out. The person chose not to leave a message. Does that sound familiar? I equate the “missed call” to how our mind tends to wander, which is normal. Being aware when you’ve strayed brings you back to the present moment to engage more fully in your life. A mindful presence will improve your relationships, work, and pursuits.

“A mindful presence will improve your relationships, work, and pursuits.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. “Voice message”

Unlike the missed call, which has no message attached, the “voice message” includes information requiring a response or action. Considering mindfulness, what words do you tell yourself? Are they uplifting or self-deprecating? Is it time to record a new message? Use the “voice message” cue as a mindfulness check-in and a way to support your best self.

4. “Charging”

When we’re distracted, over-extended, and overwhelmed, it’s easy to skip the basics. We’re so entrenched with doing that we forget about our needs. In this stressed state, it’s more challenging to incorporate mindfulness. We eliminate the importance of renewal or “charging.” Our electronics need to be juiced up, or they stop working. Our minds and bodies need rejuvenation, too, or we’ll cease to function well. Let the “charging” cue be your self-care reminder. What helps you refocus and relax? For me, sleep is essential. But I also like to journal, meditate, do yoga, read, sit in the sun, be or talk with loved ones, watch movies, and walk by the water and woods. What will you include in your mindfulness charging station?

Just like my phone, many of our devices display messages. Usually, we take them at face value, which is how they were designed to function. But it’s fun to find inspiration and extend their meaning to create more mindfulness in our lives. Which ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Motivation is a funny thing. It can appear in full strength, seemingly out of nowhere. Or, it can be so hard to find that you think it is lost forever. As my husband recently said, this season’s mood can feel like the “lazy days of summer.” Perhaps you’re experiencing the desire to not do, not strive, but instead relax, enjoy, and stop accomplishing. You might want to enjoy BBQ time with friends and family, swimming in water bodies, or exploring new places. All of that is perfectly normal, especially after the year we’ve had. But if you are struggling with getting motivated and want to activate, I have some ideas to share with you. 

There have been several situations I’ve either experienced or observed where the motivation juices were stirred. Maybe one of these will resonate with you. The next time you’re in need, you’ll be able to tap into one of these strategies to help.

3 Helpful Ways to Increase Your Motivation

1. There’s Nothing Like a Deadline

Allison Samuels, Maker - Two Tree Studios

Are you more motivated to complete something if you are under pressure because of a deadline? I’m not advocating waiting until the last minute, but I have seen and experienced how a deadline imposed by the self or others can motivate us to get stuff done. Last week our daughter, Allison, had a gallery show opening at Room 68 in Provincetown with her beautiful “transformed objects.” While she worked on designing and conceptualizing the pieces for a while, the big push to complete them came close to the delivery date. One of the finishes she uses involves burning the wood, which creates a gorgeous black finish. It was as if the fire that brought the pieces into their final stages also lit her motivation to create them.

Motivation Takeaway:  If you’re having trouble activating, set a deadline. It might just be the fire you need to complete your project.

2. The Thrill of the Hunt

Lyle Puente, Chef - Put Some Meat On Your Bones

A few weeks ago was Father’s Day. One of the gifts I gave my husband was a date. An article we read and loved in Westchester Magazine about the best local food trucks inspired the gift. We picked a time to go, chose Steve’s favorite food truck, and ate a delicious lunch. Talk about seeing motivation in action. I watched as he deep dove into the article and created a list of his top four favorites with pros, cons, contact info, and more. He then reached out by email to confirm if they were open and where they were located. We took a walk first and hoped that someone would respond to his inquiry. We decided that even if no one got back to us, we’d chance it and hunt for one of the food trucks. His number one choice, Put Some Meat on Your Bones, owned by chef Lyle Puente, confirmed his location and hours. We were delighted, hungry, and motivated to drive to the truck. Those were the most delicious grilled cheese sandwiches we ever ate! 

Motivation Takeaway:  If your motivation is waning, consider how anticipation about trying something new can work its magic.

“If your motivation is waning, consider how anticipation about trying something new can work its magic.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Clear the Decks Before Putting Your Luggage in the Car

Ocean Grove, NJ

I mentioned how summer is a prime vacation season. Especially because of the stay-in-place orders we experienced this past year, people want to travel. While vacations can be relaxing or enervating, they usually bring a much-needed break and change of scenery. But before we can experience those wonderful benefits, we need to prepare. There is planning, researching, reserving, list-making, organizing, doing laundry, holding mail, packing, and wrapping up last-minute projects. We can energize and accomplish even more when we attach it to this travel motivation. 

We have a few mini-vacations this summer, including going to the Catskills, the Cape, and the Jersey Shore. Before I go away, I like the house to be clean and organized. I call this clearing the decks. Pillows are fluffed, rooms get quick-cleaned, trash and recycling go out, desk papers are filed, bills are paid, electronics get unplugged, and the fridge contents are edited. Things get returned to their spots. Loose ends are tied up, which helps me let go physically, emotionally and enjoy the time away. This extra prep makes our place welcome-home-ready. After being away for a few nights or more, there’s nothing better than returning to a calm, relaxing home.

Motivation Takeaway:  If you’re finding it challenging to bring organization and calm to your living space, harness the motivational energy that comes with vacation prep to help you get there.

Are you feeling challenged motivationally? What helps you get motivated? Did one of these strategies resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Clutter can creep into our lives and consume valuable energy. It can show up physically as paper piles on desks or kitchen counters, clothing flowing out of closets and drawers, or bins full of toys the kids no longer play with. There is also mind clutter, which can consume your thoughts. Physical clutter and mind clutter are closely connected. Have you ever noticed how challenging it is to think, be productive, or relax when your physical environment feels cluttered?

In the same way that I begin writing with a blank page, I engage more successfully in daily life when my space is clear with few distractions. For example, when I’m about to cook, I prefer the kitchen to be clean with uncluttered surfaces and an empty sink. When I work on a project like writing or developing a workshop, I focus better when my desk is clear of paper scraps and other projects. At night, I sleep better, getting into a made bed with clean sheets. Being in a clear, uncluttered place can be energizing or relaxing. 

However, when our mind clutter is dominating the internal conversation, what can you do? There are five effective strategies I regularly use for calming mind clutter. Some of these simultaneously address physical clutter.

5 Useful Strategies to Calm Your Mind Clutter

1. Get Out!

Yes. You guessed it. To clear the mind, getting outside for a walk is highly effective. Even a small dose of fresh air, be it five, ten, or sixty minutes, can do wonders for the cluttered mind. It’s even more beneficial if you can walk in nature. The fragrances of spring are intoxicating- lilacs and Lily of the Valley scent the air.

2. Free Write

Grab a pen and your favorite journal or pad of paper, then download the swirl of thoughts onto paper. Don’t worry about editing or organizing your thoughts in any way. Just allow them to flow. You might be surprised what comes out. Writing is an excellent way to unclutter the mind. 

“Writing is an excellent way to unclutter the mind.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Just Meditate
Practicing mindfulness meditation is a gentle way to work with a full mind. The idea isn’t to empty your mind during the practice. The quiet allows a place to let thoughts float by without judging or engaging in the content. You can also experiment with focusing on the breath while meditating. This will calm the mind and switch you into the rest and digest mode.

4. Shred It!

Shredding paper is so cathartic. As you release and shred physical piles and files, the mind unclutters too. The physical act of releasing enables the mind to also let go. Shredding is one way to unclutter. Any type of letting go of physical objects that have overstayed their welcome work wonders in releasing your mind clutter.

5. Take Care

Having jumbled thoughts can be connected to sleeping too few hours, not eating nutritiously, or ignoring self-care. When was the last time you took care of yourself? What did that look like? It’s not selfish to take a bubble bath or extra long shower, get a massage or pedicure, or sleep for eight hours. Relaxation time is essential to reducing mind clutter.

When your mind is cluttered, what strategy is most effective for you? I would love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Have ever tried to change a habit like putting your keys in a designated spot, being punctual, eating more vegetables, cutting out sweets, reducing your digital device dependency, or pausing before saying “yes” to requests? If so, you know how hard a habit change can be. You often start out determined and mindful, yet can get quickly derailed when you’re stressed, discouraged, or distracted.  I’ve personally experienced the trials and tribulations around my own habit changes. As a professional organizer, I support my clients’ change of habits, environments, and transitions during their getting organized journeys and see firsthand how much effort lasting change takes.

When you practice and repeat the behavior you desire, it becomes a habit. Most experts agree that simple habit changes generally take 21 days to establish, while more challenging ones such as weight loss or mindfulness practice can take at least six months.

 A while ago, I took a habit change course from the insightful psychologist and author, Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. He is co-founder of the Center for Mindful Living in Los Angeles. I appreciate his direct approach. In the seminar, he described six habits that lead to lasting change, which I will share with you. 

6 Helpful Habits That Will Boost Lasting Change

1. Relax

When you are relaxed, your focus, learning, thinking, and decision-making improves. These conditions create an environment that is conducive to lasting change. Develop awareness around feeling relaxed. Notice when you brace. Does it happen at specific times of the day or when you are around certain people? When you find yourself bracing, soften your body. In turn, it will relax and soften your brain.

2. Mindfulness & Focus

Practicing mindfulness reduces mind busyness, improves the clarity of thoughts, and increases productivity and the ability to focus. One way to practice mindfulness is to single-task. If you are doing an email, just email. If you are eating, just eat. If you are exercising, only exercise. Developing mindful awareness will be a benefit to the changes you seek.

3. Trust in Yourself

Self-compassion and forgiveness grow your emotional intelligence. When you trust yourself, it will quiet your inner critic, improve your sense of self-worth, and increase your resilience when you encounter obstacles. Take self-compassion breaks. Understand what you need to self-soothe. Forgive yourself for regressions, remain curious, and invite yourself to begin again. The route to new habits is not a straight path.

4. Savor

Positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and awe increase resiliency during challenging moments, improve physical health and increase happiness. Take joy breaks by savoring the good moments. Practice gratitude by making a daily list of things like the health of your family, lying down in your cozy bed, feeling the sun warm your body, or thinking about the loved ones in your life. Practice relational joy, which is witnessing other people experiencing good moments. Mentally send encouraging thoughts to them.

5. Accept Change

There will be ups and downs when it comes to change. Accepting the undulating pattern will help you get unstuck sooner, be more grateful at the highs, and more graceful at the lows. Stay present-focused. Get perspective on what matters right now. This will help you align actions with intentions.

6. Connect

Feeling connected is often the missing piece to sustaining change. When you are connected to others, you will feel naturally inspired to change, receive more support and accountability for your habits, and learn from others. A coach, mentor, family, or friend can be in your connection circle. Increase your sense of connection and positive emotions through journaling or doing loving-kindness meditation. When you visualize the link you have with others, you actually feel the connection. Do a relationship inventory. Think about the top ten people you are in contact with most frequently and rate them from one to ten. Ask, “Does this person inspire me to make positive changes in my life?”

The hidden success driver to make lasting change comes from not going it alone. Seek regular, ongoing guidance and accountability from a group, coach, family member, or friend. What helps you create positive habits? Do any of these ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to leave a comment and join the conversation.