August 3, 2010 | Updated August 2026

Do you often feel like you’re cheating when you ask for help? Do you think you have to, or should be able to, do everything yourself?

We can think that seeking help is a sign of weakness. I’m not sure why this happens, and I’m occasionally guilty of feeling this way myself.

Over time, I’ve discovered that enlisting help is a great way to learn, reduce frustration, and boost self-esteem.

Value of Enlisting Help

Sixteen years after I first wrote this, I’ve had many more opportunities to experience the value of giving and receiving help—both personally and professionally. My perspective has deepened: asking for help isn’t simply a way to get something done.

The right support can help you:

• Feel less alone

• See possibilities you might not have noticed on your own

• Build confidence

• Move forward when you’re stuck

These ideas took on a special meaning as I contributed a chapter on giving and receiving support to The Chronic Disorganization Tapestry, a 2026 book published by the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).

“Enlisting help is a great way to learn, reduce frustration, and boost self-esteem.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Barriers To Getting Organized

Let’s look at getting organized. Many of my clients experience organizing challenges and have hired me to help them. At times, they’ve expressed their disappointment or guilt, saying things like, “Why can’t I do this myself?” or “What’s wrong with me?”

They might compare themselves with people who seem to organize easily and think that they’ve failed, are inadequate, or have something intrinsically wrong with them. This simply isn’t true. You are not broken. Comparison isn’t helpful. Focus on your strengths and build systems using that perspective.

Organizing strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all, as each person is unique. To make progress, it’s essential to design organizing strategies that support your needs, the way you think, and the way you process.

What Happened When I Enlisted Help

Before I published my book, The Other Side of Organized, I knew I needed help from others with publishing expertise. I hired a book coach, an editor, a designer, a printer, and a publicist. I also sought advice from other professionals, friends, family, and colleagues.

I still made mistakes along the way, but having a team to guide and advise me shortened the learning curve and lessened the impact. Knowing I had these professionals to support me didn’t diminish my confidence; it actually boosted it.

Instead of fighting the desire for support, I embraced the idea of building a team of experts to help me grow and succeed.

How Can I Help?

The next time you find yourself struggling to get organized or facing another challenge, consider reaching out for help. It isn’t cheating. This could be the best decision you make to end your frustration and bring you closer to your goals.

What help would be valuable right now to move you to the next step?

What is it about our kids and fun? They know how to have it free and clear of guilt. They don’t ponder when or how but jump in 100%. As parents, it can be all too easy to disengage while they are content on their own. Some alone time is important, but there are plenty of opportunities to join them. For me, one of the true joys of parenting has been playing with them and catching (in a good way) their exuberance.

Especially as a working mom, the conflict of finding that comfortable balance between family and work has been an ongoing pursuit. When you’re in the middle of writing a report or drafting an email and your child asks, “Do you want to play a game, Mom?” a first response can often be, “Not now.” Then time moves on, and that opportunity for fun disappears. Not that it was always possible, but when asked, I tried to respond with, “I’d LOVE to play with you.” I knew how precious our time together was, and I didn’t want to miss chances to be silly and bond with our daughters.

Our girls never had difficulty figuring out something fun to do. As kids, they were the fun-makers and still are now that they’re teenagers. There were lots of dress-up. I can remember the hours they spent trying on costumes, making up dances, plays, and then inviting us for a show. I remember my mouth aching from smiling so much, just watching them. Often the dance performances would end up in audience participation with all of us dancing around our living room together. Being open to their playing brought out the silliness in us.

“Work will always exist, but experiencing the joy of playing with your children will not.” ”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

Sometimes fun came in a quiet form like when we read and snuggled together. Sometimes it was fun to take a walk, sing, or talk along the way. Water always provided a great source of entertainment between bathtubs, pools, rivers, and oceans. And sometimes fun was for just a few moments in the form of uncontrollable laughter.

Our girls grew up with two entrepreneurial parents that worked from home. Translated, that meant it was possible to be working 24/7. But both my husband and I made it a priority not to postpone fun. We knew that in the big scheme between the dancing, the baking, the laughing, and the swimming, these moments with our girls were fleeting. Work would always exist, but experiencing the joy of playing with your children would not.

If you really want to surprise your kids, ask them if they’d like to play a game or do something fun with you. Hopefully, they’ll say, “I’d LOVE to!”

What fun have you said “yes” to lately?

Don’t you just love the days that afford you the total freedom to do what you want when you want? I don’t know about you, but to me those types of days are a gift. More often than not, my time is fairly structured with commitments to be places at specific times, accomplish many tasks and goals, and coordinate with other people’s schedules. So, when I have a day “all to myself,” I really enjoy it.

Often on days like that, today being one of them, I start with a list of things I’d like to do and then go about doing them. But on this particular summer day, I found myself getting completely sidetracked. I was futzing and putzing for hours.  To my amazement, 4 o’clock rolled around and I hadn’t done one single thing from my list. There was the non-essential internet searching, the unimportant “really could wait” errands, eating of lunch followed by visiting my favorite local ice cream establishment, The Blue Pig. After all, what’s a day without soft serve berry ice?

Even before I decided to get ice cream, I realized that I was puttering for a reason. Simply stated, I needed the day to just float.  I figured that as long as I had futzed around for this long, I might as well extend it just a bit more and enjoy a frozen treat with my husband. After we ate our ice cream, I was motivated to work. And what do you think was the first item on my list? You guessed it…writing this post.

So, if you find yourself futzing and putzing, perhaps you need to indulge. Maybe you are craving a break from your busy schedule and list of to dos. Sometimes that break becomes exactly what you need to rejuvenate and get you motivated. As long as it’s in moderation, I encourage you to embrace the desire to putter and to stop feeling guilty. For more about motivation, read chapter seven of my book, The Other Side of Organized, which focuses exclusively on getting motivated to get organized.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What are your pros or cons of futzing and putzing?

We think about getting motivated, being motivated and staying motivated. And why? We desire to move forward and want the drive to do so. We desire to change from where we currently are to where we want to be. We have an end goal in sight whether it’s something large like organizing an entire household in preparation for a move or something smaller such as organizing the sock drawer.

I’ve kept a journal for almost 40 years. While I enjoy writing in it, it’s just as interesting to revisit previous entries. The re-reading gives me the perspective to review the challenges and check-in with the progress I’ve made or not. Just today, I was sitting outside in one of my favorite spots by the Hudson River. I was enjoying the summer sun, sea and my journal. I wrote and read.

I found a particular passage that inspired this post. Many months back I found myself with a list of seemingly impossible goals and things to do. I had overwhelmed myself with everything I’d committed to doing. I was worrying about how and if I’d get things done. That worry was using a lot of energy. The goals were there. The motivation was there and so was the stress.

Fast forward in my journal several months. I ended up accomplishing many of the things I set out to do. The stress and worry were gone. I wrote this reminder to myself:

“The motion is forward. The goals are many. Patience and time are key to give myself the courtesy and space to accomplish the varied and assorted goals.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®

As you pursue your goals and search for the motivation to do so, remember to be patient. Remind yourself that things take time. Even though it often seems like we need to do everything now or this instant, that is not realistic. Think about one thing at a time. Think about the next step. Be patient.

What are you working towards now that needs your time and patience?