There are times each day that encourages me to pause and notice. These mindful moments prevent me from moving to that next step on my daily to-do list. They remind me that while it’s helpful to be productive and get stuff done, stopping for a gratitude or reflection break is essential too. Have you experienced this?

I have an Anna Quindlen quote displayed on my desk, which says, “I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” I extend this idea to the quality of my days. The next step often implies taking action that will further our project or goal. That’s essential. However, we can also interpret action to include reflecting, appreciating and noticing life’s treasures.

What made my next step be a stop and notice?  There were several things I’ll share with you. I’m curious about what you’ve been noticing lately, too.

3 Ways to Embrace Mindfulness

Next Step, Spring

It’s still officially winter, but signs of spring are all around. Some days I’ve gone coatless. And considering that only a few weeks ago, we were knee-deep in snow, and with freezing temperatures, a no-coat day feels pretty darn spectacular. But the spring sign that speaks, “spring is almost here,” more than any other, is when outside of our dining room window, the first purple crocus emerges from the earth. From the time our daughters were little, they were always on the lookout for the first crocus. I remember the joyous sounds of squealing and delight when they’d see it bloom. They’d rush to tell me in excited voices, “Look, look! The first crocus is out!!!” We’d run to the window together to appreciate the change. Then we’d go outside to take a closer look at this beautiful flower.

This past week, the purple crocus appeared. I felt just as excited and hopeful to see it as I have all of these years. I went outside to admire and appreciate its beauty and sign that spring is on its way. Life will once again begin to bloom.

Next Step, Hugs

Has anyone else seen the news articles that have been surfacing lately about how people isolated because of the pandemic are spending money to visit unique farms to hug cows? Yes, cows! This wellness trend of cow hugging or koe knuffelen, which originated in the Netherlands, has made its way to the United States. Apparently, cuddling a cow can increase our oxytocin levels, which is the hormone released in social bonding.

While my husband and I have been together during the pandemic and get to hug each other frequently, we have truly missed being with our children and embracing them. This past weekend, our daughter, Allison, visited us, and before the walking, talking, cooking, or eating, we stopped and hugged. It was the best next step ever! It’s not that I forgot. I was reminded how important and meaningful physical contact is to me. It’s the simple exchange of a hug or holding hands that express love, connection, and appreciation.

“Next can mean mindfully appreciating the moment.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Next Step, Inspiration

Walking is part of every day. I love getting outside to move and explore. I tend to be a creature of habit, which extends to my walking routes. I mix it up sometimes, but most frequently choose a path along the Hudson River. When Allison visited us, she wanted to explore another spot in Croton. We ended up at this hidden beach, which my husband and I had only been to one other time. Aside from the gorgeous east river views, the landscape was covered with driftwood, reeds, rocks, and shells in unusual patterns and colors. Visual inspiration was all around as we stopped to capture the images and as I paused to appreciate being together with Steve and Allison.

Your next step doesn’t have to equal accomplishment. Next can mean mindfully appreciating the moment. Was your next step a pause to notice? What has captured your attention recently? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

@2011 Photo by Steve SamuelsAn essential success secret is to reflect and appreciate your progress. If you’ve been working towards organizing your home, it’s important to pause along the way and acknowledge all the work you’ve done to create more order. If you’ve been moving towards a more comfortable life balance, stopping to review where you are enables you to recognize your growth.

One of my 2011 goals was to write more frequently and put out a new post every week. I’ve stayed close to that schedule and have focused on writing about a different aspect of organizing and life balance each month. To honor the idea of pausing to appreciate successes, I’ve collected for you my favorite 2011 posts. I am grateful for the wonderful community of readers and commentators. For those that wrote comments, your thoughts enriched the dialogue. Your ideas are always welcome and I encourage you to continue adding to the conversation.

Linda’s Favorite 2011 Posts:

Fresh Start:  5 Ways to Get A Fresh Start

Embrace Change:  Checking-in On Change

Next Step:  What’s Your Next Step?

Too Hard to Let Go:  My Tea Said, “Let Go!”

Too Much Clutter:  Release Mind Clutter

Too Little Time:  8 W’s of Time Management

Getting Motivated:  5 Motivation Tricks

Enlisting Help:  7 Ways to Help Self

Discovering Success Secrets:  Environment for Success

It’s your turn. What goal have you been working towards? Have you paused to reflect and acknowledge your accomplishments? Can you share one of your successes or challenges with us?

We spend a good part of our days thinking about what we have to do, want to do, or do. We spend even more time working on getting those things done. And then there are the moments or snapshots that mark time. Sometimes I can conjure up these images, and other times, I’m reminded of the moments from photos. These treasured photos help me remember both the mundane and significant moments that mark the passage of time.

As a parent, some of the significant family moments are things like the births of our children, first days of school, recitals, birthdays, graduations and all the “big” events in between. We know these moments define change. Then there are the beautiful non-event moments that get captured like your child smiling in delight or holding their Daddy’s hand.

“Our time is partly in the planning, but mostly in the moments that make us stop and realize how precious time is.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

As our youngest daughter just went to her senior prom, you can imagine the volume of photos that were taken of her and her friends. The paparazzi of parents gathered together with their cameras to capture this significant moment in their sons’ and daughters’ lives. Some were teary eyed as they watched their “babies” all grown up in their prom attire. Some talked in disbelief wondering, “Where did the time go?”

Photos were taken and our kids went off. The parents remained with instantaneous digital pictures preserving the memory.

As I looked at the prom photos, I thought about other times of “dressing-up.” Our daughters loved putting on costumes whether is was Halloween or not. They’d appear as ballerinas, fairies, princesses or other characters. Hours were spent selecting costumes and playing pretend. Perhaps things haven’t changed so much. They are still dressing up, but differently from when they were little girls.

Our time is partly in the planning, but mostly in the moments that make us stop and realize how precious time is. So, even if you are in the midst of a frenzy of lists to complete and places to go, take some time to stop and appreciate the moment you are in. It all goes way too fast.

What are you appreciating right now?

Yesterday marked the first day of spring. And oh what a magnificent day it was! I had a mongo list of things left to do from the previous day, and figured I’d have all day Saturday to check things off. I woke up with good intentions of getting things done. However, the day unfolded differently than I planned.

After breakfast, I looked outside, just to smell the air and appreciate spring’s arrival. There sat the pansies I purchased the day before, waiting to be planted. It was so gorgeous out, that the thought of working inside at my computer seemed ridiculous. So, I grabbed my gardening tools and decided that the next thing I’d do was to plant the flowers. What a great sensation it was to dig in the dirt, touch the plants, submerse them in the soil and water them!

Being outside in the warm sun, getting dirty and smelling the earth made me feel connected to all the other gardeners and growers. I thought about my grandmother who loved to garden and took such pleasure in her flowers and vegetables. When I’d visit her, she’d give me a big bear hug, firmly take my hand and say, “Come! Let me show you the garden.” We’d go out back and with such joy we’d walk through her garden. She had me touch, smell and see all that was blooming.

After planting the pansies and stepping back to appreciate their vibrant colors and whimsy, I went back inside to do some work. It was hard to concentrate after enjoying the spring air. I worked for a bit until it was time for lunch. This presented another opportunity to be outside. So, I gathered up my food and positioned myself in the sun. This had a calming effect. Things were mostly quiet except for the chirping of birds and distant buzzing of a power saw. After eating, I just sat and wrote. The calm I felt reminded me of similar feelings experienced on vacations. I was relaxed and didn’t want to move.

The rest of the day had a loose feel to it. You may have already guessed it, but I abandoned “the list” yesterday. I decided that my next step was to simply savor the magnificent day. Work could wait because the day was too good to ignore. Spring had arrived and I opted to delight in it. The choice gave me time to plant our flowers, write while sitting in the sun, and enjoy a walk and ice cream with my daughter.

So today is another gorgeous day! My big list is still before me. I will choose the next thing on it to accomplish and then stick my head outside. Who knows where that might take me?