Do you ever feel stuck? Maybe you’re so over-scheduled that it’s difficult to think beyond that. Maybe life is moving along without any change or challenge in sight. One thing I’ve noticed is that when we remove ourselves from our daily routine, it’s amazing how our minds open up. We’re more likely to explore new ideas, meet new people, experience new places, and be open to possibilities.

I’ve been traveling more this year. While that presents some time management challenges, it’s also been really stimulating and energizing. I can feel the growth and expansion of a possibility mindset.

St. Louis

Being on the ICD (Institute for Challenging Disorganization) Board includes traveling four times a year to St. Louis for our board meetings. My last trip was in July, which was my first time running our meeting as President. I’m heading out again this weekend for our October Board meeting. Talk about possibilities! I get to work with an amazing group of smart, passionate, and talented colleagues that love ICD as much as I do. We spend our time together thinking strategically about all things related to ICD and chronic disorganization. We also have fun along the way.

Nashville

Linda Samuels, Judith Kolberg, and Kathy Trezise at 2014 ICD ConferenceICD held it’s annual conference in Nashville last month. There were lots of firsts. My first time in Nashville, my first time attending conference as President, and my first time presenting at the Awards dinner (that’s a whole other story!) It was an incredible conference. I learned a lot from the speakers, my colleagues, and about myself. I got to hang out with many friends from around the world and made new ones too. When you get that many professional organizers and related professionals in a room, guess what happens? The room is a buzz with ideas and possibilities. It was wonderfully contagious energy.

Las Vegas

Linda Samuels with daughter, CassieRight after Nashville, I had a short time back in New York and then flew to Las Vegas to work with a long-time organizing client. This time, our youngest daughter, Cassie, came with me. I worked while she relaxed. It wasn’t all work though. We also had some nice mother/daughter time. Between the flights and the pool I got to think about possibilities.

Aside from all the thinking time that travel affords, it’s also great for strengthening relationships and forging new ones. For me traveling is about possibilities, creativity, and connecting with others.

What’s Next?

Linda Samuels with Nina Saeki, VP of JALOOnce I return from St. Louis, I’ll be flying to Calgary to attend my first POC (Professional Organizers in Canada) conference. In December I’ll be traveling with my husband to Japan to speak at the JALO (Japan Association of Life Organizers) conference. I’m excited about the possibilities that come from exploring new places and connecting with people.

Are you open to possibilities? What’s next for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.

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.