Attending organizing conferences is one of the highlights of my year. I learn interesting things, dedicate time to professional growth, connect with dear colleagues, and meet new people.

I just got back from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization’s (ICD) conference in Atlanta. Colleagues came from all over the United States and around the world, including Canada, Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. We learned together from experts on decision-making, time management, ADHD, autism, hoarding disorder, aging, dementia, and more.

Earlier this month, I participated in a meditation and writing retreat led by my dear friend and life coach, Yota Schneider. She shared a quote from John O’Donohue that feels relevant to the ideas I’m about to share. He said, “Nothing opens up the mind like the glimpse of new possibility.”

It’s the “glimpse” of what is possible that fosters hope and encourages change for my virtual organizing clients. I hope what I’m about to share will also be relevant and helpful for you.

3 Helpful Things I Learned at the Organizing Conference That Can Benefit You

1. Decision-Making Takes Energy

Melissa Gratias and Linda Samuels

Getting and staying organized requires making lots of decisions. One of the conference sessions about the brain and decision-making was presented by productivity expert, colleague, and fellow blogger, Melissa Gratias, PhD. She said, “The more choices, the more cognitively taxing.”  

In another session on chronic disorganization and aging, Beth Nolan, PhD, a gerontology expert, also discussed decision-making. She mentioned that one way we can help our clients with decision-making is by “being aware of the energy it takes.” Decision fatigue can become even more pronounced when compensating for physical changes or conditions.

Making decisions is an integral part of most virtual organizing sessions. I provide support to my clients and consider their energy level as they:

• Weigh various options

• Choose what to keep or release

• Decide what step is next

• Select what to include or exclude from their schedules

2. Change Barriers Can Be Overcome

Linda Samuels and Cameron Gott

Change was another topic that surfaced throughout the conference. In the session on tools to help your ADHD clients with their organizing goals, presented by Executive ADHD Coach, trainer, podcast host, author, and friend, Cameron Gott, PCC, he spoke about change.

Cam said there are many barriers to change, especially when ADHD is in the mix. The “ADHD hard place” exists in the space between being aware of the issues and actualizing the change you seek. Some of these ‘change’ barriers include:

• Engaging in negative self-talk

• Having lots of rules

• Having difficulty prioritizing

• Being challenged with activating

• Experiencing a lack of focus

• Getting easily distracted

One of the tools Cam suggested is using curiosity to bring about change. However, curiosity can also act as a barrier to change. As a barrier, it can appear as:

• Doing endless research

• Going down rabbit holes

• Engaging in time sucks

However, Cam said you can reframe curiosity as a resource. He said, “Bring curiosity to a dilemma.” This will help you focus and take a more proactive approach.

While my virtual organizing clients desire change, they often face internal and external obstacles. However, with support and accountability, we work together to identify these challenges and try different ways to overcome them.

“Bring curiosity to a dilemma.”

— Cameron Gott, PCC

3. Connection is Essential

Carrie M. Lane

The last conference session, “Qualitative Research, Connective Labor & Professional Organizing,” was presented by Carrie Lane, PhD, an anthropologist and author of More Than Pretty Boxes – How the Rise of Professional Organizing Shows Us the Way We Work Isn’t Working.

“Connective labor,” which is “work that relies on empathy, human interaction, and mutual recognition,” was one of the ideas Carrie discussed. She referenced her friend’s book, The Last Human Job, written by Allison Pugh, a sociologist and author.

Carrie reminded us that “Our job as organizers requires the human connection – an intimate, nonjudgmental connection.”

While technology and AI keep advancing into our daily lives in many ways, nothing can replace human interaction and connection. I value the relationship I have with my clients. By building trust, showing compassion, and remaining nonjudgmental, I provide support as they work on growth and positive change.

Decision-Making, Change, Connection, and Virtual Organizing

There are many ways I support my virtual organizing clients. Are you struggling with making decisions, creating change, or feeling disconnected from others? What becomes possible when you get the help you need? Which ideas resonate most with you?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

How Can I Help?

Do you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disorganized? I’m here to help! Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – Local feel with a global reach.

Let’s talk. I’m easy to reach.

• Schedule a Discovery Call

• Fill out the Contact form

• Email me at linda@ohsorganized.com or

• Call 914-271-5673

Getting organized is possible, especially with support.

In the northeast, the leaves are changing, and it’s a season of transition. Is fall the unofficial moving season? It seems so, especially since many of my clients and kiddos are in the process of moving, downsizing, right-sizing, or transitioning.

Moving involves many decisions and plans, which can be overwhelming. The good news is you don’t have to do it alone. Reduce your stress and enjoy the benefits of getting help from a virtual professional organizer like me.

Depending on your stage in the moving process, motivation can vary significantly. For example, if you're moving within a month because your lease is ending or your house was just sold, the limited time creates pressure that boosts motivation. However, if you're planning to move years from now or moved several years ago but haven't fully unpacked or settled, your motivation might feel important but less urgent.

No matter what stage of moving you’re in—pre-move, during, or post-move—having the right support makes an enormous difference. Whether you hire a professional organizer or ask family and friends for help, creating your team will help things go more smoothly and reduce stress.

Because you know what they say—moving is one of the top ten most stressful things we do in life.

• In a 2020 survey by OnePoll for North American Van Lines, 64% of respondents said that their recent move was one of the most stressful experiences they ever had.

• In a 2022 Move.org survey, 38% of respondents said moving was more stressful than parting with a significant other.

• In a 2025 survey by HireAHelper, 29% of participants said they’d rather get a divorce than move again. 55% of participants rated moving as highly stressful.

5 Ways a Virtual Professional Organizer Helps You Navigate a Move

1. Clarify Your Why

Your reasons for moving might seem obvious. However, an organizer can help you clarify these reasons and keep them relevant as you make decisions. There are many choices to consider, and decision fatigue can set in. Keeping your ‘why’ visible helps you stay focused, encourages the right actions, and boosts your motivation. 

Maybe your why is to:

• Simplify life—own less, manage less, and reduce your financial obligations.

• Consider the future—downsize and organize your belongings now so your family won’t have the burden of doing it after you’re gone.

• Get more space—Your current living situation is too cramped, and you need extra room for your growing family.

• Relocate temporarily—A family or work situation requires you to move, even if it’s not an ideal scenario.

• Reimagine life—You’ve experienced a major life change, like losing a loved one, starting a new job, becoming an empty nester, or retiring. Now you want a fresh start in a new place.

2. Establish Timeline and Pace

As an organizer, I enter someone’s life at a particular moment in time. Sometimes, I’m contacted well in advance of a move, giving enough time to plan and edit. Other times, I engaged right before or after a move. Every scenario requires a different timeline to help someone go from where they are to where they want to be.

Working together, we can create a schedule, even a loose one, to put a reality check on what’s possible to accomplish within a certain timeframe. Many considerations will affect your timing, including:

• Budget

• Urgency

• Time available to focus on the project

• Life demands more than just moving

• Support team you have or need to assemble

Pacing is just as essential as understanding the overall timeline. If you're years away from moving, you can proceed at a slower, steady pace. However, if you're moving this month, the pace needs to be much faster. You might need extra help to finish your move.

3. Edit and Organize Your Stuff

Even if you don’t see yourself as a ‘collector,’ you probably have plenty of things to edit before and even after your move. You know how it goes, right? As humans, we accumulate a lot of stuff. And if you’ve been in your home for a long time, you likely have even more stuff.

Enlisting help from a virtual professional organizer during the editing phase is invaluable. I can support that process in various ways, including:

• Asking good questions

• Weighing your options

• Providing focus as you sort through your things

• Establishing decision-making parameters

• Sharing letting go strategies

• Helping determine which category something belongs to: Keep, Toss, Donate, Sell, Route to storage, or Give to a specific person

While it’s best to edit your belongings before moving, that’s not always possible. Letting go often continues after the move, even if you edited beforehand. If you’ve already moved, I can help you with ongoing editing, decluttering, refining, space planning, organizing, and deciding about the last 10% of items that haven’t been unpacked.

“Even if you don’t see yourself as a ‘collector,’ you probably have plenty of things to edit before and even after your move.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

4. Have Access to Trusted Resources

Throughout every stage of a move, you’ll need various resources for donating, selling, recycling, or disposing of items. You might also need referrals for vendors like movers, junk haulers, or suggestions for organizing products.

With over 30 years in the organizing industry, I’ve gathered hundreds of resources to share with my clients. I also have a network of industry colleagues who generously share their resources whenever I need a referral for something or someone I don’t already have.

5. Collaborate with a Thought Partner

Moving can feel like a huge jumble of puzzle pieces. Although the pieces will eventually fit together to create a new, beautiful picture, it currently feels chaotic and overwhelming. Moves and related tasks can be emotionally draining.

However, working with a thought partner helps you make sense of those pieces more quickly and feel supported throughout the process.

A thought partner can help you:

• Get unstuck

• Reduce overwhelm

• Identify your next step

• Brainstorm solutions to obstacles

• Develop checklists

• Encourage action

• Discuss your choices and options

• Provide accountability

• Boost motivation

Can You Benefit from Virtual Organizing Help?

While physical tasks like packing and unpacking are not things I assist with as a virtual professional organizer, there are many other areas, as discussed, that I can help with.

Location isn’t a barrier. Virtual organizing lets me work globally. Even though I’m based in New York, I can help whether you’re in California, Canada, or somewhere else.

Virtual organizing sessions are focused and short, lasting 60 to 90 minutes each. We’ll work together on your goals, then you’ll have time afterward to work independently, with ongoing support to repeat that process.

Are you moving right now? If so, how can you benefit from enlisting help from a virtual professional organizer? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

How Can I Help?

Do you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disorganized? I’m here to help! Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – Local feel with a global reach.

Let’s talk. I’m easy to reach.

• Schedule a Discovery Call

• Fill out the Contact form

• Email me at linda@ohsorganized.com or

• Call 914-271-5673

Getting organized is possible, especially with support.

What becomes possible when you get organized enough? Will you suffer less? Will your mental health and well-being improve due to better organization and flow?

For over 30 years, I have been a professional organizer, helping overwhelmed individuals challenged by disorganization get unstuck and organized.

I’ve observed a direct correlation between disorganization and distress. Creating order in the areas within your control significantly improves your external and internal state of being.

Recently, I had the joy of speaking with John Burton, a singer, songwriter, author, and host of the Home From Here podcast. John is fascinated by the intersection of organization and mental health, and he invited me to talk about that and much more on his show.

I invite you to listen to the podcast, episode 193, to hear the entire conversation. You might even discover a few surprising personal details, such as how I start my day, what my household was like growing up, and my favorite color. Although, I bet you can guess that last one even without listening to the podcast. You all know me so well.

Read about these three ideas I featured from our conversation about organization and well-being, and enjoy the podcast, too.

Home From Here - Episode 193 - John Burton with guest Linda Samuels

3 Ways Getting Organized Reduces Suffering and Improves Your Well-Being

1. “Organization made me feel better.”

John Burton, Home From Here podcast host with Linda Samuels - Episode 193

John noticed that organizing specific areas of his life made him feel better. You can learn more about his mental health journey from our conversation. One of the things he mentioned was how life-changing it was to organize his time and habits, especially his morning routine. As John experienced, better organization enhanced his day’s flow and well-being. He “felt better.”

Many of my clients have mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and OCD. The organizing piece has been elusive. Often, the external chaos reflects what’s happening internally. Through our work, I see a positive shift as we remove the disorganization blockages, create manageable systems, and focus on being “organized enough.” It’s not about perfection but about organizing in a way that helps you live with more ease.

What will be possible as you feel better?

2. “If I could only get it all done, life would be perfect.”

John asked me about the “trick” to time management. There are many different philosophies about managing yourself and your time, and there isn’t one definitive trick. However, I’ll share two significant principles of time management.

The first thing to understand about time management is acknowledging that you’ll never get it all done. And just so you know, I say those words as someone who is highly optimistic. People often think life would be perfect if you could “only get it all done.”

Whether your to-do list is in your head, on paper, or on an electronic list, as soon as you cross off a completed task, a new item appears. That’s the human condition. If you’re alive, you will have things to get done.

Even when your list is overflowing, I encourage you to embrace opportunities for joy and delight and let go of perfection. As John said, “If you can accept imperfection, stress goes way down.”

The second time management concept is about clarifying your priorities. Focus on aligning your priorities with what you spend time on. In addition, not all tasks will be related to things you’re passionate about. There are life management responsibilities like doing laundry, getting groceries, showering, or paying bills. Those might not excite you, but they are a necessary part of living.

Does all or most of your time go to life maintenance? Is little to no time reserved for your passions or priorities? If so, looking at where your time is going and making some adjustments is helpful.

What becomes possible when your priorities are clarified?

“If you can accept imperfection, stress goes way down.”

— John Burton

3. “I can see a path forward.”

John and I discussed virtual organizing and how I typically have 60-minute Zoom sessions with my clients. My goal is to help them get unstuck enough to take action, make progress, and feel better.

At the beginning of a session, clients might feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or hopeless. By the end of the hour, they’ve experienced progress (a physical change, perspective shift, or new system) and can see possibilities.

We take baby steps that boost confidence and agency. Progress happens during and between the organizing sessions. Clients learn organizational skills and how to integrate them into their busy lives.

 What will be possible as you clear your path?

What is Possible?

Toward the end of our conversation, John said he was “struck” by “the amount of reducing suffering” I’m doing.

Life has hiccups and stress. I am passionate about helping my clients get unstuck, make progress, live with more ease, and feel better. Getting organized enough, letting go of perfection, shifting perspectives, and focusing on priorities can make a significant difference. What is possible for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Are you ready to get unstuck, organize, and improve your well-being? If so, I’m here to help. Please schedule a Discovery Call, email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, or call 914-271-5673. Turning possibilities into reality is achievable, especially with support.

What do tea bags, Elfa drawers, and virtual organizing have in common? The tea bags represent what needs organizing. The Elfa drawers embody an organizing solution. Virtual organizing is the bridge that transports you from where you are to where you want to be.

One benefit of the ‘bridge’ (virtual organizing) is the traveling-the-road aspect. In the time it takes to move from one place to another, you get to:

• Rethink what’s working and what isn’t

• Clarify your goal

• Open your mind to alternate solutions

• Think creatively

• Discover alternate possibilities

• Identify what’s holding you back

• Mentally prepare to take action

• Brainstorm with a professional who is 100% focused on your success

In essence, virtual organizing affords you the time and space to think through your organizational challenges and solutions. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong about diving into the action piece. However, designating time to discuss, reflect, and clarify can enrich and empower your organizing outcomes.

Virtual Organizing Benefits in Real Life (IRL)

For example, a client might need one or more sessions to discuss their challenges with letting go of sentimental or aspirational clothing. It’s valuable to tease out the thought patterns and potential obstacles. They take time to consider and sit with those ideas before taking action.

Sometimes, they move forward on their own. Yet, often, they find it helpful to devote some virtual organizing sessions to work with me on active editing, decision-making, and letting go. That means we’re not only talking about it, but they are doing the physical work as I support them through the process.

Releasing Stuck Energy

I’ve observed something fascinating for myself and my clients. When you begin editing, letting go, and clearing a space, it creates a path for new solutions and ideas. When things remain status quo, the energy in a space and your thinking can get stuck. But once you stir the pot, incredible changes happen.

“Virtual organizing is the bridge that transports you from where you are to where you want to be.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

An Unexpected Project Outcome

One of the recent projects I’ve been working on is redoing our guest bedroom, which was our daughters’ bedroom. Renovating it has been on my ‘want to do’ list for many years. Finally, its time arrived. I will share more about that exciting transformation in the coming weeks.

However, for now, I’ll tell you about an unexpected outcome. One of the unanticipated side benefits came when we emptied the room to prepare for painting it. I removed the small Elfa drawer unit and temporarily placed it in the pantry. I wasn’t sure if we’d put it back into the bedroom post-renovation. After a few days of observing the cabinet in this other location, I decided to make it pantry-worthy.

I removed the games and playing cards and repurposed the cabinet for tea, spices, and food-related items. I also found these fabulous Container Store Elfa drawer dividers, which keep the items in the drawers organized and in place. It makes me giggle whenever I open the drawer and see those dividers. I love the reimagined cabinet!

If I hadn’t been willing to disrupt one space, I might not have improved another. Like my clients, I gave myself time and the opportunity to think through my organizing systems, get creative, and try something new.

Disrupting a space has value, as does having a thought and accountability partner to help you navigate to the other side of the bridge.

Virtual Organizing is an Empowering Path

What have you disrupted lately? What benefit have you received from your virtual organizing sessions? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Do you want help getting unstuck, planning, or creating new organizing systems? If so, I’m ready to help. Please email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Moving forward is possible, especially with support.