It takes courage to move forward when you’re overwhelmed, unsure of where you’re headed, or confused about what to do next. However, as you bravely take that one tiny action in the face of uncertainty, this will propel your fresh start.

The beginning feels murky at best when you’re stuck and not moving anywhere. With movement, what is unknown quickly becomes visible. Amazingly, one step encourages more because it builds momentum.

Getting Unstuck

I discovered this beautiful John Muir quote. He said, “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” This brings forth many ideas. Taking a walk “into the forest” or anywhere offers an opportunity. Walking is movement in action. The physicality of motion goes beyond the benefits your body experiences. As arms swing, feet advance, and the breath deepens, you are filled with aliveness and energy. This movement encourages possibilities and a “can do” attitude.

If your walk happens to be in nature, there are additional benefits that surrounding yourself in a green environment brings. It can

• Reduce stress

• Boost mood

• Enhance creativity

• Increase concentration

• Improve sleep

Walking can get you unstuck. There is such significance in taking that first step and then another.

Letting Go

The next part of Muir’s phrase, “to lose my mind and find my soul,” illustrates other ideas. I connect losing “my mind” to letting go. Instead of focusing on negative, unhelpful thoughts or holding onto things and ideas that no longer serve you, release them. Be present.

Connect with something deeper within, your “soul.” Find the courage to let things unfold. See the wonder in what is here now.

I arranged a surprise birthday weekend for my husband a few weeks ago. What was the surprise? Our kiddos and their partners came home to celebrate and share several beautiful days together. One of the things we did was walk down our block, through the woods, and to the Croton River. I love walking, and doing this with my family made me happy!

Feeling supported in my hiking shoes, I noticed each step as my feet connected with the ground. Walking helped me release the to-dos and projects occupying real estate in my mind. I had several upcoming project deadlines that I was thinking about. I knew the work could wait. I was thrilled to have everyone home and have time with the crew. A thought adjustment was needed.

To do this, I focused on the sounds of my loved ones’ sweet voices. I watched them energetically walk as they meandered into different pairs and groupings. I felt their loving presence as we held hands and connected. Into the forest we went- walking, talking, laughing, listening, photographing, and watching.

“It takes courage to move forward when you’re overwhelmed.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Small Step

Choose your next tiny step to get you unstuck. Will you move your body to create momentum? Will you talk with a trusted friend or loved one to download your thoughts? Will you take one small step on your big project to bridge the gap between planning and action? What tiny, courageous step will you make to set your fresh start in motion?

If you feel stuck and overwhelmed or find it challenging to determine your next step, I’d love to help. Please email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or click here to schedule a Discovery Call. Let’s work together so things can flow.

This coming week is Thanksgiving. Are you ready? I’m not, but I will be by the time people arrive. I’m pacing myself. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Sure. I love preparing and eating yummy foods like cranberry sauce, turkey, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. As delicious as those foods are, I am most grateful for having our family and friends bring their warm, loving energy into our home. I can’t wait to welcome everyone!

Due to the pandemic, we didn’t have a big group (or any group) for the past few Thanksgivings. But this year, my husband and I are preparing for 24 guests. Full disclosure. After a few years off, I feel a bit out of practice. How are you feeling about hosting or attending a gathering? Are you nervous, anxious, or excited?

As I round the event week corner, I realize there are several things I need to acknowledge and prepare so I will be and feel ready. I hope these ideas will help you too.

5 Ways to Prepare Your Head, Heart, & Home for Thanksgiving

1. Let Go

A lot of things are happening right now for me. We’re upgrading our electricity at home, working on fixes for my sluggish computer, creating a new workshop, working with organizing clients, and thinking about Thanksgiving prep. Guess what? Especially with the disruptions in my environment from the renovation and computer challenges, my mental energy is low. As humans, we often find ourselves juggling multiple things. Does that feel familiar?

Right now, the best I can do is to let go. I’m not talking about ball-dropping. Instead, I’m referring to slightly lowering the expectation bar and not trying to control everything. That means- responding to emails in an appropriate but not immediate timeframe, suspending the worry loop, not scheduling more things this week, and not trying to do everything myself. My mantra these days is, “It’s going to be OK.”

What can you let go of?

2. Take Care

As things have gotten more hectic, I’ve noticed that some of the great habits I built this year have slipped. I still walk, but those 10,000 steps a day are more elusive to hit. My goal to only eat a sweet treat once or twice weekly has been broken. Don’t judge. Instead of getting mad at myself, I’m extending some grace and focusing on the self-care pieces I am doing.

These include meditating daily, logging my food, getting adequate sleep, drinking enough liquid, eating healthy food, journaling, and staying in touch with family and friends.

I recognize there will be time to refocus on resetting the good habits I’ve let slide. But now, I’m offering myself a gentler perspective. I’m doing what I can while factoring my extra stress. My reminder is, “Be kind to yourself.”

3. Work the Lists

Are you a list maker? I am. Lists provide a great source of relief because they help me stay focused on what’s most important, provide a road map to organize a big event or project, and give me satisfaction (yay, endorphin ping!) when I cross an item off. Done feels great!

While I haven’t accomplished most of my Thanksgiving tasks yet, I updated my three lists to help me organize for the week. Reviewing and updating was confidence-boosting. My lists include:

• Thanksgiving List – High-level plan including guests, what’s being served, who’s bringing what, and tasks.

• Thanksgiving Shopping List – Details the dates, stores to shop, and specific items to purchase.

• Thanksgiving To Do Plan – Organizes tasks by day. For example, today includes updating Thanksgiving lists (done,) writing a blog post (will be done by the time you’re reading this,) and assessing paper goods.

Talking about working the lists, my husband and I have been tag-teaming it for decades. We’ve hosted hundreds of gatherings and events. Guess what? Steve has his own lists, which are more detailed than mine. Do you prefer sticky notes organized on a wall, electronic lists, bullet journals, or lined notebook paper? What’s important is creating an effective way to track and organize your tasks. Use what works for you.

What list-making method do you like?

“It’s going to be OK.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

4. Ask for Help

Thank goodness we are in this world together. It’s important to acknowledge when you need help. For instance, as much as I’d love to rewire our house myself (not really), it’s not my skill set. I am grateful for our electrician, who is the expert and knows how to get this done. With my computer, I tried using Apple support. But after two frustrating weeks of troubleshooting with no success, I finally hired an onsite tech person to diagnose and fix the problems. My computer runs better and faster, and I have concrete next steps. In addition, I have a complete understanding of what was going on.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, Steve and I do most of the prep work. However, there are many opportunities to enlist help. I’m so grateful our kids are arriving early to help with table set-up, cooking, errands, and more. Some guests have offered to bring food, which I gratefully accept. On the day of, others will offer to set up food, clear dishes, refill the ice bucket, serve food, or move furniture around. I won’t be shy about asking for or accepting help. It takes a village, folks.

What help do you need now?

5. Feel the Joy

Laughter, love, and smiling faces. Hugs, conversations, and unforgettable moments. Getting caught up in the stress and pressure of doing and preparing is so easy. While it will take focus and effort to create our Thanksgiving gathering, I don’t want to get so stressed out that I miss the joy of being with loved ones. I am committed to finding all the joy opportunities- baking pies, setting the table, sweeping the front path, hugging my loved ones, gathering around the table for a meal, watching people enjoy each other’s company, and feeling a house full of love.

What joyful moments are you anticipating?

From my heart to yours, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. What can you do today to reduce stress and increase joy? Which ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The newest release (v37) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature has my latest finds, which inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. These unique, inspiring, possibility-thinking discoveries reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are a generous, communicative, and engaged group. I am deeply grateful for your ongoing presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced.

What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? – 5 Best Possibility-Thinking Discoveries

1. Interesting Workshop – Conquering Clutter Possibilities

Are you overwhelmed by clutter? If so, you’re not alone. One in four people have challenges with clutter, which can affect their anxiety levels, relationships, sleep, and ability to focus. Help is here.

I’m so excited to offer a lively one-hour online workshop – How to Conquer Clutter, on October 20th @7:00-8:00pm EST. You’ll discover where clutter comes from, why it’s so hard to let go, and what you can do about it. Come away with energizing possibilities, manageable clutter-reducing strategies, and powerful insights. Register now!

2. Interesting Perspective – Reframing Possibilities

I frequently hum and sing. The funny thing is I don’t realize I’m doing it. In addition, I often unknowingly sing the incorrect lyrics. Recently, I learned a word for that. Mondegreen is a misheard word, phrase, saying, lyric, or slogan that makes sense in your head, but is entirely incorrect. Check out this infographic with some commonly miss-sung lyrics for a good laugh.

What does mondegreen have to do with possibility thinking? Let’s revisit the mondegreen definition of words, which make “sense in your head, but…are entirely incorrect.” How often have you repeated a negative message to yourself that is no longer true? You get stuck in old thought patterns or beliefs and forget to change the script. Clients often share these negative messages with me, which sometimes were ingrained since childhood.  A parent might have said, “You are like a tornado leaving stuff everywhere you go.” However, they learned organizational strategies over time and are no longer “messy” or “disorganized” kids. They didn’t adjust the lyrics.

Singing the wrong words to songs is harmless, but repeating negative, untrue messages about yourself is damaging. What possibilities become visible when you change the script?

“When you imagine possibilities, your thinking becomes open and expansive. ”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

3. Interesting Read – Grounding Possibilities

In The Practice of Groundedness – A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds – Not Crushes – Your Soul, author, researcher, and coach Brad Stulberg rejects conventional measures of success, which he says do not support long-term happiness. As an alternative to feeling like “you are never enough” or having “a compulsion to keep chasing the next thing,” Stulberg draws from modern science and lessons from ancient wisdom traditions to encourage the cultivation of habits and practices to live a more grounded life.

Stulberg says, “Groundedness is unwavering internal strength and self-confidence that sustains you through ups and downs.” His six principles of groundedness are acceptance, presence, patience, vulnerability, community, and movement. Sharing specific practices and new ways of thinking, Stulberg inspires us to choose “acceptance over delusion and wishful thinking…presence over distraction…patience over speed…vulnerability over invincibility…community over isolation…movement over sitting still.” How will grounding yourself influence what’s possible?

4. Interesting Product – Capturing Possibilities

Have you noticed when you shower, ideas, to-dos, and possibilities start to flow? The relaxing effect of water stimulates your thoughts. Do you easily forget those brilliant ideas you had in the shower? It used to happen to me, but not anymore. One of my favorite products is AquaNotes waterproof notepad. Their tagline says, “Never let another great idea go down the drain!” When a shower-inspired thought pops into my head, I make a note on the pad with their special pencil. Post-shower, I transfer the idea to the appropriate list. The notepad is also an excellent place to exchange messages with my husband.

5. Interesting Thought – Welcoming Possibilities

When you imagine possibilities, your mind goes into an open, expansive growth mode. When you say the word problem, your thoughts constrict and bring a negative focus to the situation. You can get stuck in the problem’s details. Challenges definitely exist. However, if you shift your thinking towards possibilities, you will find a more productive, positive path when you encounter issues.

Do you have an interesting possibility-thinking discovery? Which of these resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Positive anticipation is a beautiful thing. When we look forward to doing things that bring us joy, we increase our happiness quotient. When we spend time engaging in favorite activities and being around people that we love, it energizes and rejuvenates us. Every summer for the past eight years, I’ve gone on a beach getaway with three of my girlfriends. It’s something I look forward to all year long. I just returned from this wonderful time away and can still feel the warmth from not only the sun but also from hanging out with my friends.

It’s a low-keyed weekend. We spend as much time as possible at the beach reading, talking, sunbathing, and jumping the ocean waves. This year perhaps more than any other, I noticed how I allowed myself just to be. While I brought a book and my journal, I spent less time reading and writing than I usually do. Instead, I felt content to sit in my beach chair, feet wiggling in the sand, sun warming my body, listening to the sounds around me, taking in the ocean scents, and getting up every so often to immerse myself in the sea.

I needed to be. No agenda. I needed time without the pressure to do and accomplish. I needed the time to reflect, relax, and renew. All thoughts of future plans, to-dos, and lists were suspended for those few days. Time felt slower and luxurious.

How do you like to pause and spend your break time? What renews you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!