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@ohsoorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Moving forward is possible, especially with support.

I love helping my clients succeed as they make changes in their lives. Being part of their organizing journey as they experiment and grow is a privilege.

Prioritizing goals, changing habits, and learning new skills is no small feat. It takes patience, time, and curiosity. Sometimes, I’m asked, “How much can you accomplish in a one-hour virtual organizing session?”

Of course, that depends. However, it doesn’t matter if you’re planning, decluttering, assessing, or something else. My goal is to help my clients experience and notice their progress during every session.

Progress shows up in different ways. It might be . . .

• Having a perspective shift

• Decluttering a surface

• Reducing overwhelm

• Letting go of unhelpful ideas

• Making decisions about emotionally charged possessions

• Gaining clarity around the next tiny, doable step

• Designing an organizational solution for a challenging area

• Planning a big project

• Figuring out where to start

• Gaining confidence

• Identifying potential obstacles

• Noticing the changes they made

• Learning new skills

• Organizing mind clutter

• Brainstorming about how to prioritize commitments and goals

• Getting unstuck

• Organizing a specific area

• Improving their mood

• Feeling empowered by their progress and agency

An Essential Question

My friend and colleague, Juliet Landau-Pope, begins each client session with this question. It’s a beautiful query because it encourages the client to review their progress and identify the benefits they’re experiencing. She asks,

“What value did you get from the last virtual organizing session?”

I listen carefully to what my clients say. They talk about their obstacles, positive changes, progress, and goals.

My clients experience many positive results from their one-hour virtual organizing sessions. I’m sharing their inspiring thoughts with you, which are categorized into five areas. They are:

• Clutter

• Progress

• Mood

• Enjoyment

• Empowerment

41 Inspiring Results Clients Describe About Their Virtual Organizing Sessions 

Clutter

“I’m in the process of un-messing.”

“The bedroom is more habitable.”

“Clutter is more energy than it’s worth.”

“The couch looks better.”

“My pile of ‘going’ is getting bigger.”

“Stuff was much more overflowing before.”

“I now have a blueprint for how to declutter.”

Progress

“I made headway.”

“So much progress has been made.”

“Once on a roll, it’s easier.”

“I got so much done during our session.”

“It’s a big deal for me to be this focused.”

“I am making significant progress. I couldn’t do that a while ago.”

“Wow! This is starting to come together.”

“I feel more in control.”

“I see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I now have a blueprint for how to declutter.”

— Oh, So Organized! Client

Mood

“Things feel mentally more manageable.”

“I am way less overwhelmed.”

“I feel better.”

“I am so relieved to be dealing with this.”

“I feel good. I was down in the dumps when I couldn’t do anything.”

“It’s good to talk about emotional strategies to make it better.”

“This feels so good what we did today.”

“At the beginning of our session, I felt like crying. Now I feel giddy.”

“I’m in a better mood now.”

Enjoyment

“This was super helpful and fruitful.”

“Who knew organizing could be so fun?”

“This was very helpful. It was better than I thought it would be.”

“I really enjoyed our session.”

“This has been so much fun.”

“I see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

— Oh, So Organized! Client

Empowerment

“Things are improving. I’ve got this.”

“I have a plan that I can actually accomplish.”

“Not insurmountable anymore.”

“I’m in a whole other place than before.”

“It's not scary anymore.”

“I know I can do it. I can pair things down.”

“Not impossible or unconquerable.”

“I feel very motivated.”

“This is so liberating. I deserve this.”

“This is empowering.”

“I can do this!”

Virtual Organizing is a Powerful Path Forward

Which client experiences resonate with you? Have you worked with a Virtual Professional Organizer? If so, what positive results did you experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Do you need help getting unstuck, making a plan, decluttering, or organizing? If so, I’m ready to help. Please email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Moving forward is possible, especially with support.

When you feel disorganized, stuck, and overwhelmed, reaching out for help is beneficial. Getting support from a Virtual Professional Organizer can be the secret sauce for moving forward and living the life you crave.

You might be curious about:

• How does virtual organizing work?

• What is a typical virtual organizing session like?

• Will virtual organizing benefit me?

This guide to virtual organizing will help you discover the answers. If you have additional questions, contact me, Linda, anytime by email at linda@ohsoorganized.com or by phone at 914-271-5673.

Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward. My clients love working this way. One client recently said, “It’s like putting a needle on a compass. Now I can navigate.”

How Does Virtual Organizing Work?

Session Length & Frequency

• Typically, VO sessions are 60 minutes, although sometimes clients prefer 90-minute sessions.

• Meeting once per week is beneficial. However, the scheduling can be customized according to your preferences.

Platform Used

• Zoom is the preferred platform. However, FaceTime or the phone are alternative options.

• Calendly is used to schedule VO sessions. After scheduling, Calendly emails you a Zoom link and email and text reminders before each session.

• Have your phone, tablet, or laptop set up so we can see each other.

VO Rates

• Clients advance purchase single hours or packages of hours.

• The VO packages are beneficial because they offer savings on the hourly rate. Three, five, and twenty-hour packages are available.

• Credit cards, Zelle, or Venmo are accepted.

• Contact linda@ohsorganized.com for current rates.

Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™ - Virtual Organizing Session Ready

What is a Typical Virtual Organizing Session Like?

Session Description

• Virtual organizing is a flexible, creative, collaborative process. The objective for each session is to help you make progress on your goals with compassionate, non-judgmental support.

• Sessions begin by clarifying your goal for that session and reviewing how things went between sessions.

• The main part of the session can include planning, assessing, decluttering, organizing, overcoming obstacles, brainstorming, supporting decision-making, or many other options.

• At the end of each session, we do a quick wrap-up, discuss the “field work” you want to work on and schedule our next VO.

Pre-Session Prep

• Remove as many distractions as possible- phone calls, emails, pets, and people.

• Care for your personal needs before the session- hydrate, eat, and be well-rested.

• Set up your digital device (laptop, phone, or tablet) so I can see you and the area we’ll work on. You’ll want to be hands-free. A stand or tripod works well.

• If we are going to work on physical organizing, have some organizing supplies such as markers, sticky notes, masking tape, trash bags, bins, or boxes. These will help with sorting, donating, recycling, or re-routing.

• Think about what you want to accomplish by the end of the session. Do you want help with planning, working on a project you’re stuck on, or choosing a focus? My support can vary from brainstorming to planning to “sitting” with you as a body double while you process a challenging pile. There are many possibilities.

In Between and Post Sessions

• We can text or email between sessions to enhance progress and add accountability.

• With VO packages of three or more hours, I create a Project Session Journal (PSJ) for both of us to reference. After each session, you receive the updated PSJ, an ongoing record of your successes, challenges, discoveries, resources, and more. It helps reinforce the changes you are making, including building new neural pathways as you establish new habits.

• There will be doable, agreed-upon “field work” between sessions, enabling you to progress beyond our sessions.

“Virtual organizing is a flexible, creative, collaborative process.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Will Virtual Organizing Benefit Me?

Client Loyalty Program (CLP)

• This program benefits loyal clients.

• The CLP is ongoing, and I manage the program for you.

• After every 10 VO sessions, you will automatically receive $25 off your next session or package.

More Virtual Organizing Benefits

• Client Favorites – How to Know If Virtual Organizing Will Benefit You

• Shorter Sessions – Virtual Organizing Clients Make Positive Change in About One Hour

• Decisive Next Steps – What Does Your Next Step Look Like During a Virtual Organizing Session?

• Life Transitions – 9 Marvelous Ways Virtual Professional Organizers Can Help with Transitions

• Positive Changes – What’s the Value of Enlisting Help As You Make a Positive Change?

• Less Clutter – Are You Curious What’s Possible When You Hire a Professional Organizer?

• Eliminate Overwhelm – How to Ask for Help and See Proven Benefits When Stuck and Overwhelmed

Help is Here

How have you benefitted from working with a Virtual Professional Organizer? What did you like about it? Did you experience any challenges? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

I'm here for you. Do you need help getting unstuck, making a plan, decluttering, or organizing? Please email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Moving forward is possible, especially with support.

A new month just began. While it’s not spring yet, green growth is starting to emerge from the muted winter landscape. Signs of possibilities abound.

It’s an excellent time to check in and locate where you are. How are you doing with your organizing goals? Are you zipping along, moving projects forward, and making things happen? Or are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and unsure of your next step?

When people contact me for organizing help, the most common reason is they want to advance, but activation is challenging. The desire is there, but the overwhelm they’re experiencing prevents them from identifying their next step. Without doing next, progress stops.

The Progress Cycle

• Each tiny step you take is progress.

• Progress builds momentum.

• Momentum reinforces continued action, which propels you toward your goal.

One Strategy to Get Unstuck

When The Progress Cycle feels elusive, how can you get it started? What can you do when you’re overwhelmed?

To be mindful of the stress you may be experiencing, I’m simplifying the options and sharing only one strategy. Here is the strategy: To get unstuck, reach out for help to identify your next step.

There is no reason to go it alone. Support can come from a trusted, nonjudgmental family member, friend, colleague, or professional organizer like me. Together, we will identify your next step. Figuring out what happens next starts the cycle, enabling activation, progress, momentum, and movement toward your goal.

“To get unstuck, reach out for help to identify your next step.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

What Does a Next Step Look Like?

During virtual organizing sessions, I help my clients identify the next step and encourage action. We work on closing the gap between thinking and doing. Having a session with me adds motivation and accountability, which results in progress. Below is a small sample of the types of next steps clients identified and actions taken during their one-hour virtual organizing sessions:

• Cleared out and organized an email inbox

• Identified and committed to the next tiny steps of a large project

• Edited, organized, and cleared desk papers

• Set up a paper management system

• Created a list of home organization projects and determined where to begin

• Unpacked and put things back in order after returning from vacation

• Identified, discussed, and prioritized next step options

• Edited and organized dresser drawers

• Assessed and let go of some of your deceased loved one’s belongings

• Determined the need for and created a good sleep hygiene plan

• Edited and organized memorabilia

• Decluttered a chair covered with books, papers, and clothes

Progress was made during the organizing sessions and continued between sessions. Using a combination of support, focus, and small blocks of time, your next step will happen.

Have you ever reached out for help about your next step? If so, what was your experience like? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you want guidance with your next step, I’m here to help. Please email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or click here to schedule a Discovery Call. Progress is possible, especially with support.