When change happens around and within us, it can be challenging to feel settled or figure out the next steps. In the northeast, with winter ending and spring on its way, the weather can vary wildly from 70 degrees and sunny one day to 20 degrees with a snowstorm the next. Do I bundle up in my winter gear or walk outside with just a light jacket? These are easy decisions.

We have mask mandates lifting, people fleeing and fighting for their lives, and babies coming into the world as elders pass on. Inflation is higher than it’s been in decades. Gas prices jumped 40 cents a gallon in one week, and let’s not even talk about the supply chain.

It’s a tumultuous time. You might feel various things, from being paralyzed to being energized. One thing that brings me great hope is working with my virtual organizing clients. They are dedicated to making changes in their lives and working towards their goals. It’s inspiring to be part of their journey and provide ongoing support. 

Sensing that we could all use an infusion of hope, this week, I’m sharing a personal journal entry I wrote recently during a retreat led by my wonderful friend and colleague, Yota Schneider. After she guided us in a group meditation, we did a ‘free write,’ reflecting on what came up during the quiet. 

 Linda’s Journal Entry

Tonight I needed to rest. My body lay down, the room was dark, and the magnificently scented candle burned. Yet my mind was in motion. There were no particular ideas but simply a running pile of words like a treadmill of thoughts. I needed to rest. 

An earlier thought came into focus, planted by the question, “What was the last time you felt joy and were inspired?” The answer came in a moment.

It was this morning. Before breakfast, I looked out of the low ground-level dining room window. In the last few days, I noticed the greenery of the first crocuses emerging from the earth, but no flowers. However, this morning when I looked out, there she stood – a beautiful, happy, healthy purple crocus about to open.

It wasn’t enough to see it through the window. I needed to get close. I went out through the back door, feeling the warm air on my skin. It felt good, like spring air. I crouched down low, getting as close as possible to the crocus to welcome her back.

Joy flooded my being. Memories of the years of ‘crocus sightings’ with our children came rushing back. Every spring, we constantly looked for the appearance of the crocus. Whoever spotted it would announce to the family with exuberance, “Look, look! The first crocus is here!” We’d gather and rush outside to see and admire its beauty.

But it wasn’t just its beauty then, nor was it this morning. The crocus is hope. It’s the comfort in knowing life has a cycle, growth is continual, and a new season has or is about to arrive.

On that early March morning, joy and inspiration were palpable. My lovely purple friend joined us yet again, growing towards the sun. I snapped a photo and sent it to our kids so they too could enjoy this beautiful sign of spring and of hopeful things to come.

“The crocus is hope.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Finding next can be difficult when there is so much angst in our world near and far. Especially when life’s ups and downs are challenging, it can be helpful to revisit positive forces. Without hope, there is no next. My wish is you discover the small and big moments of joy and inspiration to hold close. Let them be your guide forward as you find next and feel more hopeful.

What brings you hope? How do you find next when life feels challenging? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Two of the most common reasons clients reach out to me for virtual organizing help are they feel stuck and overwhelmed. In those situations, paralysis and procrastination are often present. It can be challenging to find motivation, move forward, and take your next step. However, with this one solid strategy, you will make progress.

In The New York Times article by executive coach Brad Stulberg, “You’ve Done Self Care. You’ve Languished. Now Try This,” he focuses on the emotional effects of the pandemic. These include lacking motivation, feeling “blah,” being stuck, and feeling exhausted. Increasing self-care and reducing expectations haven’t been enough. 

As described by psychologist Adam Grant, the pandemic triggered languishing, “a sense of stagnation and emptiness … as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield.” Languishing can feel much like grief.

What happens when we introduce behavioral activation? Clinical psychologist Peter Lewinsohn developed this idea in the 1970s to help people with “depression, apathy and negative moods.” The underlying concept is that “action can create motivation.” 

This is something I regularly observe. We ruminate about what we want to accomplish, think about the piles of clutter, and stress about the best way to start organizing. We struggle to move past the thinking cycle. 

This is where action comes in. Clients often begin in an unclear, overwhelmed state at the start of a virtual organizing session. By the end of the one-hour session, they took action or identified a few small actionable next steps. We build from there- one action, one step, and one success at a time. Progress is made, motivation returns, and they keep moving ahead.

“While thinking is an integral part of progress, an action also needs to happen for movement to occur.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Don’t underestimate the power of one tiny action. We can easily stay in our heads and feel like we’re working on the challenge. At a point, we need to do more. While thinking is an integral part of progress, an action also needs to happen for movement to occur.

Pause a moment. Where do you feel stuck or overwhelmed? What is one little action next step you can take to move forward? Does taking action create more motivation? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The newest installment (v22) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my recent discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring change-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a beautiful, engaged group. I am grateful for your presence and wisdom.

I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced. What do you  find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Navigating Change

Change can be challenging, even for the most adventurous of us. If you are in the midst of transition or know someone who is Transitions – Making Sense of Life’s Changes, author and transition management consultant, William Bridges who died in 2013, provides an excellent guidebook on coping with change. Bridges explores strategies for embracing and the universal stages of transitions- Endings, The Neutral Zone, and The New Beginnings.He writes about, “…the difficult process of letting go of an old situation, of suffering the confusing nowhere of in-betweenness, and of launching forth again in a new situation.” He offers two powerful questions to ask whenever you are in transition– “What is it time to let go of in my own life right now?” and “What is standing backstage, in the wings of my life, waiting to make its entrance?” Bridges message is practical and hope-filled.

2. Interesting Product – Cultivating Change

One of the essentials for cultivating change is to develop better awareness about our present experience. In this delightful and well-organized box of Mindfulness Cards created by author and founder of Mindfulness Everywhere, Rohan Gunatillake encourages users to create “small meaningful moments of mindfulness throughout the day, making it easy and fun to bring you back to the here and now.”  The cards are grouped into four categories- Rest & Balance, Curiosity & Joy, Insight & Awareness, and Kindness. Practicing mindfulness can bring about the remarkable, unexpected changes.

3. Interesting Tech  – Focusing Change

Change the way you focus, relax, meditate, recharge, and sleep with AI composed music to enhance your experiences. The Brain.fm app, available on iOS and Android platforms, plays music designed for your brain to influence cognitive states in positive ways. Specifically composed pieces include the promise to help you focus better to get more work done with fewer distractions, calm your mind from your ongoing chatter, or have a more peaceful night’s sleep. The developers have continuing collaborations with auditory neuroscientists to research the efficacy of their findings. How exciting that positive change can be delivered through your headphones!

4. Interesting List – Organizing Change

Sometimes a bit of humor can go a long way in motivating us to change. I hope that no one takes offense to Knock Knock’s irreverent twist on the traditional to-do list with the Make Shit Happen pad. Setting goals, especially big ones can be a challenge. With this spaciously sized list, you are encouraged to think big and then go small with next steps. If you’re looking to improve your organizational skills and change the way you manage your time, this list could help.

5. Interesting Thought – Directing Change

Change is almost always unsettling. We’re traveling from a known to an unknown destination. We might be riding way outside of our comfort zone as we stretch ourselves to grow and experiment. The path is rocky and unclear. Yet is because of our struggle, those times of challenge, and uncertainty that we find our way forward.

What are your exciting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!

As a professional organizer and coach, my work centers around helping people facilitate the changes they want in their lives. Change doesn’t just happen in one quick moment. It takes time, contemplation, and bravery to get to the point of action. It’s at that time when I’m usually contacted. My clients’ desire for change related to organizing issues has been percolating for some time. They got to a certain point on their own, and they want my help to continue. They might feel overwhelmed, stuck, afraid, or unsure of how to get from where they are to where they’d like to be.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with many new and long-time clients. While each person and their situation are different, there are certain similarities with how we work together. Understanding these could be useful for you as you pursue the changes you seek.

So where do we start? . . .

1. Acknowledge Thoughts and Feelings

When we face things that are challenging for us, we think and feel a variety of ways. We might feel like we’re going to fail, especially if we’ve had a history of unsuccessful attempts. We might feel anxious that we are beyond help. We might feel scared to let go of stuff, thoughts, and feelings even if they are no longer serving us well. We might feel overwhelmed because there’s so much to do and we can’t imagine that we will ever get everything done. We might be ruminating about the negative comments other people have said to us. We might be generating our own negative thoughts and beating ourselves up for what we didn’t do in the past.

Guess what? This is all completely normal. It’s helpful to say these things out loud and just let them land. It’s OK. It’s part of the process. We all come to the table with “stuff.” We bring positive and negative stuff.

We give space for these thoughts and feelings to be heard. We acknowledge them without dwelling on them. I listen for the forward-moving ideas to help us shift the energy and perspective to the next stage.

2. Get Clarity

Notice that we’re still talking here. This is an essential part of the change (and organizing) process. We’re in the curiosity and discovery phase. I keep listening and asking questions. We’re learning new things that will inform what happens next. We’re digging down to what the client wants to accomplish in a more significant way and also during that particular session. We talk about expectations and outcomes. We get on the same page with where we are heading. We’re building trust.

3. Prepare Tools

Once we’ve discussed thoughts, expectations, and direction, we gather the tools necessary to do the work. If needed, we set up recycling, trash, donation and shredding bins or bags. We gather markers, tape, sticky notes, folders, or a pad of paper for making notes. We make the supplies easily accessible, so they’ll enhance the flow of the action phase. It’s OK if along the way you need to grab additional items. That can happen. We don’t always anticipate everything in advance. Organizing is a fluid process. However, if you can begin with the basics as you set-up, it will make the decision-making process more efficient.

4. Dive In

It’s time. We talked. We outfitted the physical space with the tools we’ll need. Now it’s time to make decisions that align with the changes you want. Where you start isn’t as important as the questions that get asked. What stays? What goes? What is useful? What has overstayed its welcome? It helps to set a few decision-making boundaries. These can expand as you work. For instance, you might decide that all of the empty shopping bags can go without looking at each one. You might opt to recycle magazines that are older than two years without looking at every issue or page. You might decide that small size clothes that no longer fit can be donated without trying on each piece. These types of parameters help things move along more quickly. It allows you to make some global decisions without having to look at every, single thing.

5. Check-In

Guess what? Making decisions can be exhausting and emotionally draining. Check-in occasionally is important. I watch for decision-fatigue. When the quality of the choices start to deteriorate (as in keeping everything or letting go of everything), the client is probably experiencing decision-fatigue. At this point, I’ll suggest a short break. Maybe they need some fresh air, a quick stretch, a snack, a cup of coffee, or bio break. It’s also an excellent time to assess where we are, check on our timing, and see how they’re doing overall.

There are other aspects of changing and the organizing process such as reviewing and relishing in your accomplishments and determining next steps. However, they aren’t as relevant to getting started, so I’m not going to elaborate on those now.

Change can be energizing, but starting can be scary. Some of the ideas that I shared can help you move past the challenges so that you can create the changes that you want. If you’re having difficulty on your own, reaching out for help when you’re stuck, afraid, or overwhelmed is an excellent choice to make. 

When fear inhibits the change process, where do you begin? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!