On my recent walks this week, I noticed more leaves changing colors. The luminous sun embraced the intensely colored foliage and highlighted the shifts in the fall palette. Frequently, I paused to fully appreciate the beauty. I saw the brilliant warm reds, oranges, and yellows juxtaposed with the cooler greens. I felt the gentle, refreshing breeze on my face as I heard the rustling of the leaves above. During the later part of the holiday season, a commonly overheard phrase is “winter wonderland.” Today feels like a fall fantasy ripe with possibilities. Are you feeling motivated? Are you sensing a change? What is possible?

I look forward to the intimate monthly virtual gatherings led by my wonderful friend and incredible Life Coach, Yota Schneider. At the retreat, we meditate, journal, and share our thoughts. She selects a theme each time, and this month was The Season of Change. During the gathering, she told us about Chris Bianco, an “inspiring pizza man from the Bronx,” and his philosophy on life. He sees life as a “petri dish of possibilities.” What a concept and approach to living!

While we typically think of a petri dish in a scientific context where microorganism cultures are developed in a small shallow container, there is another definition. Something that fosters development or innovation can be a petri dish too. A petri dish of possibilities supports a growth mindset. You’re not a stuck, fixed being. You can stretch, create, change, and imagine.

Have you ever felt stuck? If so, you’re not alone. We all get stuck at times. There can be many reasons why or when that happens. Often our thoughts keep us fixated on a single idea, and we have difficulty changing the script. What if you integrated the “petri dish of possibilities” into your consciousness? Would that open up your thinking?

At times having too many options creates paralysis. When numerous choices make you feel stuck, the ‘petri dish’ phrase isn’t a great choice. However, in many situations, it is a useful concept to engage.

“Life is a petri dish of possibilities.”

— Chris Bianco

The phrases you repeat in your mind can change the trajectory of where you’re going. Are these affirmations helpful?

• I am moving forward.

• I am no longer stuck.

• I am making a choice.

• I am taking action.

• If my action isn’t effective, I will experiment with something else.

• I will embrace what’s possible.

• I see a petri dish of possibilities.

It’s fall. Change is all around. Are you thinking about what’s possible? Which ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

We do things that demotivate us. We often don’t recognize how certain activities, behaviors, or thoughts prevent us from living the life we truly want. Have you ever gotten lost down the social media scrolling rabbit hole? Instead of being uplifted and raring to go, you end up feeling deflated or anxious. Do you spend so much time watching the news about the latest climate disasters, global health emergencies, wars, political unrest, mass shootings, and economic crises that you want to retreat and do nothing?

It can be challenging to access motivation when you’re constantly feeding your fear and stress responses. How can you find a healthy balance?

Recently, I read something my brother, Tod, posted on Facebook. He shared Jane Coaston’s The New York Times article, “Try to Resist the Call of the Doomers.” Before reading the piece, I hadn’t heard of Doomerism, which Coaston says “…is hotter right now than the street outside my apartment, and that street is pretty damn hot.”

Coaston describes Doomerism as “a new religion of profound pessimism...luxuriates in the awful…[and] everything is another harbinger of calamity.”

What effect does Doomerism have on your motivation? Coaston writes, “If you want people to do something, they need to be motivated- and impending doom doesn’t seem to do it.” So what can you do? Coaston’s proposition is surprising and hopeful. She believes “the best way to spur action is to begin from a place of optimism – a belief that the thing you want really is possible.”

How powerful is that? When you focus on optimism and possibilities, you have the energy and belief to move forward. It doesn’t mean you ignore everything going on in the world. However, you create a space where growth and positive outcomes are viable, and motivation thrives.

“... the best way to spur action is to begin from a place of optimism - a belief that the thing you want really is possible.”

— Jane Coaston

I’m reminded of my dad, the eternal optimist; even though he had a difficult childhood, he lived through the Depression and World War II. He always viewed the glass as half full, saw the best in people, and believed things would turn out OK. I frequently sought his guidance and advice. He’d listen, discuss when I was in doubt, and then send me off with three powerful words- “Go for it!” It didn’t get more hopeful than that. After our conversations, I had more belief in myself and agency in my ability to bring about positive change.

So on those days when the doomers’ noise is at full volume, turn up your optimism. Focus on what is possible. Surround yourself with images, stories, and people that will lift you up and cheer you on. Build a solid positive foundation to grow from. This will nourish your motivation and belief that what you seek can happen. Even in the darkness, life offers an abundance of light. Focus your lens in that direction.

Has your motivation been negatively influenced by Doomerism? What helps you restore your motivation? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

It can feel challenging to get motivated when you’re experiencing a transition and even when you’re not. Overwhelm, or exhaustion can take over. When it does, do you find it difficult to access your motivation for things like organizing your home, making plans, writing a blog post, reaching out for help, or handling routine tasks? Does that sound familiar? No one is motivated 100% of the time. But that can be problematic when it’s getting in the way of focusing on things you want and need to do.

There are many ways to get motivated, but for today, I’ll keep it simple with this one helpful secret so as not to add to your overwhelm. OK. It’s no longer a secret because I’m about to share it with you.

I came across a quote from writer Anne Lamott relevant to the how to get motivated challenge many of you encounter. Anne said . . .

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

— Anne Lamott

Let’s take a breath and digest this. When stressed, overwhelmed, and fuzzy-brained, instead of taking a beneficial break, we often do the opposite and continue pushing beyond depleted. How does that work for you?

I’ve noticed that while it seems like a good idea at the time to “just finish one more thing” or “push past my fatigue,” that’s a much more challenging way to go. When you overextend regularly, you can experience the law of diminishing returns, which works against being motivated, productive, and happy.

Instead, just stop. Yes. I said stop. As Anne suggests, things (and you) will work better when you unplug for even a few minutes.

What could this mean for you? What would a brief stop to unplug look like? It’s worth coming up with your own list of possibilities. You can pull it out of your back pocket when your motivation diminishes.

My unplugging to get motivated list includes:

• Dipping my toes in the Croton River

• Listening to the trickling water sounds in our birdbath fountain

• Watching the leaves ‘wave’ as the wind blows

• Taking a walk in the woods

• Sipping leisurely a glass of iced tea

• Lying down with my shoes off and eyes closed for 15 minutes

• Looking at the gorgeous colors of the beautiful summer blooms

• Stepping away from my tech tools

• Meditating

• Sweeping the front path

• Sitting outside while eating a slice of juicy watermelon

• Doing some slow, intentional breathing

After engaging in one of these nurturing, restorative activities for a brief time, I feel energized and ready for the next. And for a super dose of motivation, try grouping several of your preferred items back-to-back. Before writing this post, I walked in the woods, dipped my toes in the river, and meditated. Afterward, I was motivated, rested, and ready to write.

Are you struggling with getting motivated? What would unplugging for a few minutes or more do for you? What would that look like? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

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.