With fall in full swing, inspiration abounds with shifting colors and temperatures. Change is all around us, which sets the mood for possibilities. Have you been struggling with getting organized and thinking about possibilities?

In a recent interview I had with my friend, John Hunt for Smead's Season 2 “Keeping You Organized” series, we talked about the three essentials for staying organized: thoughts, time and space. If one or more of these challenges you, keep reading. You might find just what you need to move forward. You can watch the full interview at the bottom of this post.

Thoughts

“Clutter is anything we don’t need, want or use that takes our time, energy, or space and destroys our serenity.”

- Clutterers Anonymous

When our mind is cluttered, it’s hard to feel organized. Doing brain downloads, inviting distractions, or changing scenery, are a few strategies for uncluttering and organizing the mind.

Time

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

- Michael Altshuler

Time keeps ticking. We keep living. It’s how we manage the time we have that makes us feel organized or not. Be aware of overscheduling, ambitious list making, and not focusing.

Space

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”

- Bruce Lee

When our spaces are filled with things that don’t support who we are or what we’re doing, we feel disorganized. Reclaiming control, reducing physical clutter, and creating homes for the things that are “home worthy” all contribute to feeling organized in our environments.

For more details, please watch the video.

What possibilities do you see? What organizing areas are challenging for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.

It is our dream of what is possible that gives us hope.

When we envision positive outcomes, relationships and lives, we are using possibility thinking. When we let ourselves imagine what is possible, even if we’ve had a history of disappointments, we allow positive energy to enter our thoughts and actions. Dreaming is just as essential as taking action.

Dispense with limiting beliefs and negative self-talk. Instead let positive thoughts infuse your being. Instead of dwelling in what we didn’t do, focus on what we can do. Focus on what is possible. Focus on being creative, flexible, and open to other options. It’s freeing.

What’s possible?

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. Who knew that a quick overnight trip this past weekend would provide me with an idea for this week’s post?

After a long drive to Maryland, my husband and I arrived late Saturday night at the Courtyard Marriott. We had a family gathering to attend the following day.  We settled into our room. I got into bed and was about to read when I noticed a small pad of lined paper next to me on the bedside table provided by the hotel. The top of the pad had a title with a question below it:

“ACCOMPLISHED LIST.

Much more gratifying than a to-do list, don’t you think?”

I always enjoy surprise messages like this. I’ve seen ones on Yogi tea bag tags, the tape on the wrappers that hold the sandwiches together at Starbucks, and of course in fortune cookies. These notes sometimes make me laugh, or pause and think.

What about the “Accomplished List?” I love the possibilities that the pad suggested. Instead of writing down the things that you want to, need to, have to do on a particular day, it’s suggesting that you take inventory of what you already accomplished. If you are like me, you didn’t complete everything on your list, but you probably did a lot. We often tend to focus on what we didn’t do rather than what we did do.

What a lovely way to end the day, week or month with focusing on the positive! To-do lists are great for setting expectations, reaching goals, and imagining possibilities. The “Accomplished List” encourages you to reflect on and appreciate what you chose to complete.

It might be the beginning, middle or end of your day. Pause to jot down what you accomplished today, yesterday or last week. What are you most proud of? Come join the conversation to add your thoughts and share your most satisfying items from your accomplished list.

What a special time of year. Having just returned from being away this weekend in St. Louis for an ICD (Institute for Challenging Disorganization) board meeting, I was amazed to see the shift in fall colors. In just a few short days, the landscape in New York had changed yet again. That’s the magic of this season. I also noticed how possibilities were visibly present in many ways. I discovered them on different types of pages.

Blank Pages

This past weekend, I began writing in a new journal, since I finished my last one several weeks ago. I’ve been consistently keeping journals for over 40 years. On the plane back from St. Louis, I made my first entry. I opened the book and saw many blank pages ahead. As I wrote, I recognized that these empty pages, while blank were filled with possibilities. The pages will eventually include successes, failures, joys and sadness, struggles, wins, seed ideas, and dreams realized, observations, experiences, feelings yet to be discovered, explored and imagined, history, love, family, friends, ah-has, quiet reflections, ponderings, complaints, cheers, lists, travels, and gratitude. Possibilities will one day ink the currently blank pages.

Full Pages

Shifting from blank pages to full ones, I just began reading Todd Henry’s new book, Die Empty. While the title is a bit morbid, the book is in fact filled with hope and possibilities. Henry says that living a meaningful life includes not just thinking about what’s possible, but taking action steps necessary to realize your dreams and make a significant contribution. It’s a possibility guide with concrete and creative ideas. He includes great thought-provoking questions including, “Did the work I did today really matter?”

Open Pages

Today began with an early morning walk along the Hudson River. While there were many things on my “to do” list, the day felt open and brimming with possibilities. As I walked, I breathed deeply, stopping to take in the waft of hot pink, citrus-scented flowers and slight saltiness of the sea air. I felt the bright, warm light and cool breeze accompany me as I moved. The river ebbed and flowed as I journeyed down the path stopping to photograph and just enjoy the view before me. Birds chirped, trains chugged, and water sloshed against the rocks. Before me was an open landscape of possibilities.

What will you discover on your possibility pages? Are they blank, full, open, or something else? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.