This is the newest release (v41) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature has my latest finds that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. These unique, inspiring, motivation-related discoveries reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are a passionate, generous, 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 MOTIVATION Discoveries

1. Interesting Read – Motivation and Words

The Words We Choose – Your Guide to How and Why Words Matter, author, speaker, and coach Terre Short encourages you to use words authentic to your values and intentions. Through stories, reflections, and activities, Short supports healthy communication, influence, and engagement with words that connect us to ourselves, loved ones, people at work, our written word, and more.

Short says, “You can transform your communication through the power of your words.” Explaining how we speak an average of 16,000 words every day, which “represents a lot of daily word choices...Our daily experiences are shaped by words spoken to and by us. What impact did your words have today?”

If you are motivated to strengthen your relationships, become more emotionally intelligent, improve how you talk to yourself, and align your words, values, and intentions, this book is for you.

2. Interesting Product – Motivation and Labeling

A common organizing principle is to label your stuff. Why? It helps you know at a glance what a box, drawer, or file contains without extensive searching. Having things labeled increases motivation to establish “homes” for your belongings. This makes them easier to retrieve and return.

BoxBrain brings new meaning to labeling. They created “smart labels for smart living.” Their water-resistant labels help you organize your life, especially when packing, unpacking, and storing your things. The labels are color-coded with a QR code connected to their app.

I love BoxBrain’s simple 3-step process:

1. Grab Some Labels – There are 3 sizes and 5 colors.

2. Slap ‘Em On Your Stuff – Label your boxes with the color-coded labels. For example, use blue labels for kitchen items, yellow labels for toys, or green for the home office.

3. Know Where Your Stuff Is – Using your smartphone, scan the label, then enter keywords and photos. Use the keyword search to locate an item quickly.

“Motivation increases when you take action, even if it’s tiny. ”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

3. Interesting Article – Motivation and Organizing Mistakes

Have you ever worked on an organizing project and made a mistake that crushed your motivation? Maybe you underestimated the needed storage space, took on too many simultaneous projects, or purchased organizing containers before decluttering. Guess what? You’re not alone.

In the recent Redfin article, “Organizing Mistakes: 27 Slip-Ups to Avoid During Your Next Project,” Jamie Forbes features professional organizers, including me (#5). We share our best advice for making your next organizing project a success.

My suggestion is to keep like with like. By corralling similar items together, you can make more informed decisions, stop overbuying, know what you own, and quickly access your belongings.

4. Interesting Resource – Motivation and Downsizing

Are you or someone you know thinking about downsizing to a smaller home but aren’t 100% sure? If so, you’ll love the 10 Signs It’s Time to Downsize and Sell Your Home infographic from HomeLight. The real estate company explains how important timing can be in making that decision. Waiting can cost you more to run a larger home. Also, downsizing as you age can be more challenging due to health or mobility issues.

Motivations to downsize include feeling overwhelmed with home maintenance, your career or family no longer tying you to your location, you want a lifestyle change, or your home no longer fits your needs.

Downsizing is a compelling motivator to make a life change.

5. Interesting Thought – Motivation and Progress

A fascinating aspect of motivation is how it increases when you take action, even if it’s tiny. Progress, no matter how small, is still forward movement. So, when you are feeling discouraged or overwhelmed, instead of giving up, do one little thing. You’ll be amazed how an action will change your perspective from being stuck to feeling hopeful, energized, and motivated.

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

Have ever tried to change a habit like putting your keys in a designated spot, being punctual, eating more vegetables, cutting out sweets, reducing your digital device dependency, or pausing before saying “yes” to requests? If so, you know how hard a habit change can be. You often start out determined and mindful, yet can get quickly derailed when you’re stressed, discouraged, or distracted.  I’ve personally experienced the trials and tribulations around my own habit changes. As a professional organizer, I support my clients’ change of habits, environments, and transitions during their getting organized journeys and see firsthand how much effort lasting change takes.

When you practice and repeat the behavior you desire, it becomes a habit. Most experts agree that simple habit changes generally take 21 days to establish, while more challenging ones such as weight loss or mindfulness practice can take at least six months.

 A while ago, I took a habit change course from the insightful psychologist and author, Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. He is co-founder of the Center for Mindful Living in Los Angeles. I appreciate his direct approach. In the seminar, he described six habits that lead to lasting change, which I will share with you. 

6 Helpful Habits That Will Boost Lasting Change

1. Relax

When you are relaxed, your focus, learning, thinking, and decision-making improves. These conditions create an environment that is conducive to lasting change. Develop awareness around feeling relaxed. Notice when you brace. Does it happen at specific times of the day or when you are around certain people? When you find yourself bracing, soften your body. In turn, it will relax and soften your brain.

2. Mindfulness & Focus

Practicing mindfulness reduces mind busyness, improves the clarity of thoughts, and increases productivity and the ability to focus. One way to practice mindfulness is to single-task. If you are doing an email, just email. If you are eating, just eat. If you are exercising, only exercise. Developing mindful awareness will be a benefit to the changes you seek.

3. Trust in Yourself

Self-compassion and forgiveness grow your emotional intelligence. When you trust yourself, it will quiet your inner critic, improve your sense of self-worth, and increase your resilience when you encounter obstacles. Take self-compassion breaks. Understand what you need to self-soothe. Forgive yourself for regressions, remain curious, and invite yourself to begin again. The route to new habits is not a straight path.

4. Savor

Positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and awe increase resiliency during challenging moments, improve physical health and increase happiness. Take joy breaks by savoring the good moments. Practice gratitude by making a daily list of things like the health of your family, lying down in your cozy bed, feeling the sun warm your body, or thinking about the loved ones in your life. Practice relational joy, which is witnessing other people experiencing good moments. Mentally send encouraging thoughts to them.

5. Accept Change

There will be ups and downs when it comes to change. Accepting the undulating pattern will help you get unstuck sooner, be more grateful at the highs, and more graceful at the lows. Stay present-focused. Get perspective on what matters right now. This will help you align actions with intentions.

6. Connect

Feeling connected is often the missing piece to sustaining change. When you are connected to others, you will feel naturally inspired to change, receive more support and accountability for your habits, and learn from others. A coach, mentor, family, or friend can be in your connection circle. Increase your sense of connection and positive emotions through journaling or doing loving-kindness meditation. When you visualize the link you have with others, you actually feel the connection. Do a relationship inventory. Think about the top ten people you are in contact with most frequently and rate them from one to ten. Ask, “Does this person inspire me to make positive changes in my life?”

The hidden success driver to make lasting change comes from not going it alone. Seek regular, ongoing guidance and accountability from a group, coach, family member, or friend. What helps you create positive habits? Do any of these ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to leave a comment and join the conversation.