We live in times where bigger and more are frequently sought goals. Perhaps the desire for big has become so deeply ingrained that it flavors decisions and attitudes. We seek larger spaces, collect more stuff, and fill our carts and plates, so they overflow. In some scenarios, this might be useful. However, if we let go and shift towards little, some incredible things happen.

Perhaps it’s the effects of the pandemic or being a Professional Organizer for almost 30 years, but I have discovered a renewed appreciation for the art of smaller and less. Just to clarify, I love the word abundance. However, we can feel full without having more or becoming overwhelmed. In the quietness of little, we have the space to truly understand its gifts.

Recently, I had some experiences which brought this idea into focus. 

3 Ways to Let Go of Big & Joyfully Experience Powerful Benefits of Little

1. Little Garden

Like many, I planted my first vegetable garden at the start of the pandemic. However, unlike some of my friends and neighbors, I wasn’t a confident gardener. So I opted to do it in a small, manageable way by keeping my ‘garden’ contained and little. In our greenhouse, I put three pots of varying sizes.

This spring is my third year, and I planted lettuce, basil, and mint. Because there were so few pots, it was easy to do. And it’s simple to maintain. Each time I water and mist them, I am delighted as I watch them grow and thrive. They are happy-looking plants and it feels good to care for them.

It would be too time-consuming to have a more extensive garden to tend, and I doubt I’d appreciate each plant as much. That’s just me. By letting go of big and opting for my little garden, I can provide freshness for our meals, enjoy the nurturing process, and do it joyfully.

2. Little Group

Gatherings with family and friends happened this past weekend for Passover, Easter, or Ramadan. After two years of not getting together because of the pandemic, we were excited to be in person again. However, with COVID still present and surging, it impacted many gatherings where hosts or guests canceled last minute. It happened to us, and several of our guests couldn’t make it because of COVID.

My husband and I made our Passover seder hosting plans over a month ago. In the past, we’ve had close to 40 guests. This year, we let go of having a larger group and went smaller. This was partly because of the pandemic and because it’s more challenging to host a bigger group. Frankly, I was out of practice. We ended up with 15 people, which was a great size. It was enjoyable because I got to talk with everyone, sit calmly and eat, see people interacting, and have enough space to move about. 

By going small, I appreciated the gathering even more.

“In the quietness of little, we have the space to truly understand its gifts.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

3. Little Habits

When I work with clients to help them reach their organizing goals, we often focus on adopting new daily habits by taking tiny steps to get there. When we break things down into small, doable steps, it is less overwhelming.

Like my clients, I’ve made many intentional changes in my life. When we’re working on that tiny step or small habit change, it seems like nothing is happening. But in time, we notice and feel the positive shifts.

The practice of tiny movements and choices creates incredible results. Some of the small daily habits I’ve made include meditation and journaling, walking in nature, eating nutritiously, hydrating, and getting enough sleep. Did I make all of those changes at once? Definitely not. Each habit began in little ways. For example, I eventually increased to walking 10,000 steps per day. But it took time to get there- literally one small step at a time. I let go of focusing on the big goals to reach the little goals along the way.

The benefits of my small habit changes are palpable. Because they have a low barrier to entry, it’s easier to be consistent and continue building from there.

Have you experienced the benefits of letting go of big to experience the joy of little? Does this idea resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I invite you to join the conversation.

It’s fascinating how big changes are made. They start with small, almost unnoticeable habit shifts. On your journey to be free of clutter, you donate a bag of rarely worn clothes or edit and clear the pile of unsorted mail from your kitchen counter. These tiny, single actions can bring about significant changes when consistency and support are added to your effort. 

The other aspect of making meaningful changes is the need for time and mental energy to make them happen. When you’re preoccupied, running as fast as you can to keep up, or emotionally exhausted, change is the last thing on your mind. You can’t stop your life to make a change. Instead, to integrate new habits, it’s essential to create space in your life for prioritizing the change you desire. 

In the last several years, I’ve experienced many emotional energy pulls. These included taking care of my mom with dementia, saying my final good-byes to her last March, grieving, navigating the pandemic’s effects on my organizing business, and preparing for and having our youngest daughter’s wedding at our home during the pandemic. Despite these emotional highs and lows, I’ve found focused intervals to bring about changes in my life. Admittedly, many of these changes came into being when I had more mental energy to give them.

Coincidentally, the three anchors/words, which rhyme, kept me motivated and focused on my desired changes. They are Zoom, Noom, and Room.

While these specific ideas might not be on your change radar, I encourage you to consider which words are. Which anchors will help you pursue the changes you seek? How will you make the space and time for change to flourish?

3 Hopeful Ideas Motivated Big Changes in My Life Which Can Help You Too

1. Zoom

Communication, relationships, and community are some of my treasured values. When the pandemic arrived, many communication networks halted. Most in-person contact was suspended. I couldn’t visit with family, friends, colleagues, or clients. Sure I still had the phone, text, and email, but physical contact was limited and non-existent for extended periods.

Using Zoom became an incredible go-to tool that helped me slowly change and think about how I interacted, did business, and stayed socially active. I’m guessing that many of you are Zoomed-out, but for me, Zoom continues to be a viable way for navigating life and keeping connected with people. 

I embraced communication changes and used Zoom to-

• Have bimonthly family meetings aka ‘SamFam Zoom’

• Host parties and gatherings for cocktails, New Year’s Eve, and Thanksgiving

• Attend comedy events, yoga class, Shivas, Seders, religious services, retreats, cook-offs, bonfires, and breakfasts

• Enjoy virtual ‘coffee dates’ with family and friends

• Continue my professional development

• Add to my certifications becoming a Certified Virtual Professional Organizer (CVPO™)

• Engage in organizing conferences, business meetings, and networking

• Present organizing workshops

• Pivot my business and help clients through virtual organizing

Zoom provided a channel to nurture and develop relationships, shift my organizing business, learn, and teach. While most in-person activities are now possible as many pandemic restrictions lift, Zoom still remains a viable way for me to stay connected. The platform allowed me to be flexible during these last few years, quickly embrace change, and support what I value most.

2.  Noom

Being healthy is a top priority for me. While I had some healthy practices like meditating daily and eating lots of fruits and vegetables, I wanted to change other habits. For what seems like a bazillion years, one of my goals has been to ‘lose 10 pounds.’ I’ve never been a dieter and didn’t like the idea of going on a diet. Instead, about five years ago, I saw a tremendously helpful nutritionist. She gave me a better understanding of what foods and portions were best for me. Over eight months, I lost 15 pounds. But then, in time, I gained it back and more.  The ongoing support was vital, and the difference was noticeable when I stopped seeing her.

Do you remember how I spoke about having the time and mental energy to bring about change? It takes focused effort to make eating and other lifestyle changes. When my mom died, I was emotionally exhausted. It took me months to get my energy back. When it returned, I felt ready to refocus on my health and make some changes.

In September, I signed up for Noom. It’s a weight loss app with a psychology-based approach to “help you change not just how you eat, but how you think.” It’s well-designed and simple to use. The app with built-in accountability helps me keep daily food logs, understand my calorie budget, track water intake, daily exercise, and weight. You are assigned a personal Coach and receive short articles every day, which encourage, motivate, and explain the psychology of habits.

While I’m still working towards my target goal, in five months, I have lost 18.5 pounds, I’m drinking 9 glasses of water a day, and walking an average of 10,000 steps a day. There have been other changes such as losing many inches around my body, clothing fitting better, feeling more energetic, learning new skills, and knowing I have a doable life-changing plan that’s working.

A bonus surprise was my husband signed up for Noom with me. He’s made incredible changes, and I’m so proud of him. We support one another, which is invaluable.

With any significant life change, it’s essential to have ongoing support, whether an app, person, Coach or all of those. If you’re curious about Noom, click here to learn more.

What do you need to bring about the habit changes you desire?

“Big changes start with small actions.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Room

This last idea is about creating both physical and mental space in your life to feel calm, have room to think, and live with less stress. These changes were worth pursuing, and I have worked years to get there. For me, there is the physical manifestation, which comes in the form of an uncluttered home filled with colors, textures, and scents that soothe and delight. 

One of the goals I worked on last summer into fall, inspired by our vacation staying in a tiny house, was my ‘live with less’ project. While I had lots of stuff, I recognized I didn’t need or want it all. I started randomly going through drawers, closets, and files to let go of unnecessary things. It was cathartic and surprising how much stuff exited. I don’t miss anything.

The other part of ‘room’ is making space for your mental well-being. For me, that’s having quiet time, finding cozy spots to write, journal, or read, spending time in nature, exploring and photographing, meditating, or doing yoga. It’s making room for self-care and carving out time to feed my soul.

Especially with all that has happened in the world and the ongoing challenges, making time to replenish yourself is critical. It’s all too easy to get derailed by a crisis near or far. Our bodies are not designed to sustain continual stress.

What would it take to make room for you? What changes will help make room and space for your physical and emotional well-being?

Big changes start with small actions. What will be your anchors for change? What will provide motivation and support for the changes you desire? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

As the cold freeze of winter chases the second month of this New Year, are you actively pursuing the changes you want to make in your life? Or, are you in the research and planning phase? Maybe change is the farthest thing from your mind. I’ve noticed during my latest conversations how people are at different ‘change’ points. Some have committed to specific changes, others are pondering change, and some want no change. Where are you right now on the change spectrum?

Recently I discovered three inspiring ideas. I considered them concerning these ‘change’ conversations. Especially if you are in the midst of change or trying to decide what changes you want to pursue, one of these concepts could help you clarify your direction or encourage a perspective shift. 

3 New Trends Will Inspire You to Make Remarkable Changes

1. The Big Quit

Life has changed in numerous ways. The last two-plus years of the global pandemic affected how we live, think and respond. The pandemic has influenced “the great resignation” or “the big quit,” where millions of employees from all industries are leaving their companies in droves. They no longer want to continue as they had, which was not working for them. Instead, they’ve gone for more significant opportunities, higher pay, and better scheduling flexibility. Enough was enough.

How does “the big quit” relate to you? Use this mantra to ask questions to encourage change in your life.

• What are you currently doing that is not serving you well?

• What do you need to “quit?”

• Is your home environment cluttered and draining your physical and emotional energy?

• Do you have ineffective systems that don’t support who you are and what you’re doing?

• Which unhelpful habits are preventing you from living your best life? 

• What do you want to stop doing that no longer works for you?

• What do you want to “quit” to transform your life?

2. Resilience Hubs

According to Google, the word used most to describe 2021 was “exhausting.” It’s no surprise since we’ve had to navigate the pandemic for another year. We’ve experienced loss, working differently, and shifting COVID protocols. We’ve had to balance work and family life with continually changing rules and a mutating virus (now Omicron BA.2). And as if this weren’t enough, we’ve experienced political unrest, inflation, and unprecedented uncertainty. I’m exhausted just thinking about all of this. What is the antidote to fatigue?

Recently, I heard about “Resilience Hubs.” These are trusted physical spaces, typically located in urban areas, established to support communities during regular times and disasters. With local government and residents as their leaders, these hubs have better communication and can more easily pivot to provide the resources the community and its members need to thrive.

As you pursue the changes you want for this year, consider creating your own personal resilience hub. What do you need to replenish your reserves after the exhaustion from the last few years? My resilience hub includes:

• Meditating daily

• Walking in nature

• Doing yoga

• Practicing mindfulness

• Spending time with friends and family

• Getting enough sleep

• Letting go of things that drain my energy

What will you include in your resilience hub?

“Which unhelpful habits are preventing you from living your best life?”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. The Magic Question

Zoe Chance, Yale University professor and author of Influence Is Your Superpower, was interviewed on NPR this month. During the conversation, I was especially intrigued when host Leila Fadel asked her to elaborate on a section in her book about the magic question. Magic question? I couldn’t wait to hear what it was. Are you thinking the same thing?

The magic question: What would it take?

As Zoe explains, “The magic question is magic because…it’s respectful…you get creative and surprising answers that you would never have expected. And…when they tell you, here’s the roadmap to success, they are implicitly committing to supporting that outcome.”

Change is hard. Often it’s a challenge because we get in our own way with excuses, doubt, or fear. But if we activate some magic, in the form of this magic question, what becomes possible? As you navigate your path of change, ask, what would it take to:

• have an organized, decluttered home?

• have a workspace that helped me focus and supported my needs?

• have time to work and relax?

• have  . . . ?

I hope that with some new tools or phrases at the ready, you will be inspired to pursue the change you desire. Did one of these ideas resonate with you? Did you discover something today to help? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

As always, if you want help on your change path, I’m an email or phone call away. Reach out at any time to schedule your virtual organizing session. Find me at linda@ohsoorganized.com or 914-271-5673. I’m ready to help facilitate the change you desire.

There are numerous sources you can use to create a vision for your New Year. Several weeks ago, I wrote about five ways to make the most of your fresh start. One idea was to select a Word of the Year, providing you with an overarching theme to bring clarity and focus to your year. Some 2022 word choices from my friends and colleagues include intentional, shine, slower, purpose, alignment, determination, consistency, integrity, growth, present, soar, and focus. Have you selected a 2022 word? My 2022 word is flourishing.

Choosing one word can be helpful, along with other possibilities. This past week, I had the opportunity to experiment with compiling one simple visual, a vision board, which incorporated all of my ideas onto a single page. I accomplished this by having some uninterrupted time and writing in my journal. I also participated in an evening retreat led by my friend and life coach Yota Schneider and a vision board creating session led by Executive Mom Nest founder Marcy Stout.

I hope you discover something in my process that will be helpful for you. 

3 Quick Ways to Create Your Vision for a Powerful Fresh Start

1. Ponder/Wander Time

When we think about creating a vision, plans, or goals, the keyword is ‘think.’ It’s essential to secure some quiet, undisturbed time for your mind to settle enough to feel and hear your heart and thoughts. I use meditation, yoga, walking, and showering as ways to calm my body and mind. In a relaxed state, my ideas flow. Even if I’m not ready to write or discuss them, ponderings begin percolating.

During Yota’s The Way Ahead retreat, I meditated, wrote, and discussed. When our evening together ended, I left with the confidence to take the time and space to create my path forward. Calm, patience, and curiosity will guide me.

2. Journaling Time

Throughout the year, I write in my personal and meditation journals. The meditation journal has daily entries, is typically about my thoughts on the meditations, and sometimes includes life challenges, successes, or discoveries. Writing in my personal journal is less frequent, but the entries are more extensive. They capture significant happenings, feelings, and thoughts throughout my year.

To prepare more thoroughly for 2022, I will reread my 2021 journal entries. I’ll be on the hunt for lessons and ah-has that will help me make sense of this past year and identify ideas I might want to work on or bring forward for this current year. 

“The quiet focus of other people working was magical.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Vision Board Time

I’ve never been a vision board maker, which is sort of funny, being how visually oriented I am. However, this year, I was encouraged to make one during an Executive Mom Nest meeting. We had a choice of going to one of three Zoom breakout rooms. I selected the “Shhhh” room to work on our vision boards while everyone was muted. 

What a productive 45-minutes! I had no expectations but came prepared with some blank paper, markers, highlighter pens, my personal journal, and an idea to somehow capture the essence of what I envisioned for 2022. 

The quiet focus of other people working was magical. I kicked into hyper-focus mode and created a vision board, which included the following elements:

• The year

• My word of the year and a definition

• My intention/guiding principle for the year

• Lessons/discoveries/ah-has from 2021 – I didn’t list the actual discoveries. Instead, I wrote down the sources I wanted to review and created a second page to capture the information.

• Three significant areas I want to focus on (Well-Being, Relationships, Professional) along with goals for each area

While I still need to do my 2021 deep dive, with this vision board in view, I feel clear about my big picture and confident with the changes I’ve already set into motion. Instead of feeling confused, I feel excited and motivated to reflect and plan.

Have you created a vision board? What was your experience like? How did it influence your year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

If you’re feeling stuck with creating your vision for the New Year, I’m here to help. Let’s schedule a virtual organizing session to make your 2022 the best year ever. Email or call me at linda@ohsoorganized.com or 914-271-5673.