I’m laughing because of the irony of what I’m about to write. For many months, I’ve been saving a big piece of paper from one of my clients with one tiny sentence printed on it. I knew that the sentence would provide inspiration for a blog post at some point. And guess what? Today’s the day!

My client told me this story and gave me permission to share it with others. He said that one of his family members for years saved in her closet a box that was carefully labeled . . .

“Pieces of string that are too small to save.”

Since releasing and letting go is an integral part of the organizing work we do together, my client knew I’d appreciate the humor in this. And I did. We enjoyed a good laugh.

The other aspect is that sometimes, no matter how much we realize that we just don’t need it, we have a challenging time letting go. Have you ever experienced that? In other instances, we don’t take the time to ask the questions, or the extraneous becomes invisible. But in the case of this box of string, the thought process was there and a conclusion was made that it wasn’t useful. However, the string was still kept. Interesting, isn’t it?

As we are at the beginning of the new year, which is a time of opportunity, newness, and fresh starts, I encourage you to take a look at your “pieces of string that are too small to save.” It's time to make the invisible, visible and ask some questions.

• What are you holding onto that no longer serves a purpose?

• What becomes possible when you let go?

Come join the conversation. I invite you to share your thoughts.

Isn’t it funny how a few simple words can spark our thinking? This past weekend I was in St. Louis for an ICD meeting. In my room at the Springhill Suites, there was a message pad with a thought-provoking sentence printed on the top of each page. It said,

“Catch wandering ideas.”

I couldn’t believe how timely this was given that the New Year is when many of us do our idea gathering. I love this concept to “catch” or capture our thoughts by writing them down, thinking about them, or talking with others.

The fresh start that January brings, encourages us to experiment, consider alternate perspectives, and explore new ideas. As you mull over what "next" might be, perhaps you’ll find some of these strategies helpful.

Taking Risks

Unlike my daughter Allison, who is confident about cutting her own hair, I’ve always been afraid to mess with my curls. I delegate haircuts to the curly hair professionals. However, in one moment, that changed. Because I was overdue for a haircut, some unruly curls kept getting in my eye. I took what I perceived as a big risk. I picked up a scissor and cut the stragglers off.

My heart started racing, my eyes widened, and I burst out laughing. It felt thrilling to do something I’d never considered and that was completely outside of my comfort zone. I didn’t let fear prevent me from taking action. Yes, I admit this is almost a ridiculous story. It’s just hair.  But remember that often it’s just ________, which prevents us from doing that thing we fear. So when you’re afraid to face a new challenge, remember the “scissor incident.” Feel free to use it as your call to action.

Changing Perspective

The temperatures seem to have leveled out for now. However, last week much of the country experienced erratic winter weather. In New York we had a super cold 5° day. This was followed by a 30° day that felt downright balmy. Normally 30° would feel ridiculously cold, but in relation to 5°, it seemed like spring. So I questioned, “What is cold?” How is it possible to think that 30° is both cold and warm? It’s all a matter of perspective. Our ideas and beliefs are in relation to other factors that constantly change. Being open to these shifts in perspective will help us to reframe and consider ideas in a different way. What shift in thinking might help your “wandering ideas?”

Brainstorming

As I mentioned earlier, I was in St. Louis for an ICD Board meeting. This also included our annual Strategic Planning session, which I led (a first for me.) While there were many parts to the session, one section was devoted to brainstorming. We collected new ideas to integrate into our current plan. We shared them while leaving all judgments, explanations, or potential problems aside. Evaluating and prioritizing came later. And guess what? By allowing the space to brainstorm without judgment, many wonderful ideas emerged. As you move forward in these coming weeks, give yourself that gift of non-judgmental idea generating. Record your thoughts first. After that, you can be purposeful about how you organize, prioritize, or abandon them.

So, how will you “catch wandering ideas?” Will taking risks, shifting perspectives, and brainstorming be useful strategies for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

The newness of the year brings excitement, possibilities, and the opportunity for a fresh start. In thinking ahead, it’s also valuable to reflect back on what we learned and what inspired us. During this past year, I gained new perspectives about change, letting go, balance and more from the “Ask the Expert” interviews and the wonderful conversations that ensued. I’m so grateful. In this first post of the year, I’ve selected my favorite takeaways from those exchanges.

Fresh Start – Sue West

“Our lives are a series of chapters. As you move to the next chapter, bring some of the past forward; don’t ignore it because you feel the need to ‘start over.’ Build on what you know such as your strengths, your interests, values and your tried and true ways to bolster yourself.”

– Sue West

Change – Judith Kolberg

“We do what we need to do when we’re ready, and sometimes to make a change it’s the wrong time, but you do it with your knees knocking.”

– Judith Kolberg

Next Steps – Laura Berman Fortgang

“It is often not obvious what is ‘next’. The key is to follow the crumbs. Even if it seems scattered and unfocused at the start, follow every lead and every whim until traction begins to occur or until your excitement in one area or another starts to build. Observe where things start falling into place and pursue that path. It’s taking you to your ‘next’ (or some variation thereof.)”

– Laura Berman Fortgang

Letting Go – Sheila Delson

“It’s about being more mindful of the choices we make and of the things that surround our environment and their meaning to our lives today. Just because it was meaningful once doesn’t always mean it has that same benefit today.”

– Sheila Delson

Clutter – Peter Walsh

“The first and most important step in decluttering is to ask yourself, ‘What is my vision for the life I’d like to live?’ ‘What does that life look like?’, ‘What does my home look like in that life?’ When you can clearly answer these questions you are in a position to start decluttering by looking at your stuff and asking, ‘Does this item move me closer to the life I want to be living?’ If it does, keep it. If not, what’s it doing in your home? It’s as simple and as complex as that. Start with the life you want, not the stuff you have!”

– Peter Walsh

Time Management – David Allen

“In order to feel comfortable with whatever you’re doing, you need to feel OK with what you’re not doing. So, not getting things done, for the most part, is a hallmark of optimal productivity! Of course, if your purpose on the planet is actually to complete, accomplish, and express, you’ll need to be getting those things done, in order to be at peace with yourself.”

– David Allen

Motivation – Leslie Josel

“Believing we have to ‘feel’ like doing something in order to actually do it can lead to not getting anything done. Sometimes if we simply just begin, we can become motivated as the task is in action.”

– Leslie Josel

Enlisting Help – April Lane Benson, Ph.D.

“People reach out for help when their behavior has either become unmanageable to themselves, or poses such a big issue for someone else that the other person insists on it.”

– April Lane Benson, Ph.D.

Success – Dorothy Breininger

“Failure is the KEY to success. Failure gives you the opportunity to review your mistakes, self correct, and develop a new strategy to make the project, relationship, or goal work. With failure, you get a complete ‘do over’ if you are just willing to look at it as a learning strategy for your own personalized success.”

– Dorothy Breininger

Possibility Thinking – Jane Pollak

“It’s obvious to everyone looking on what lights you up. But we rarely give ourselves permission to listen deeply to what we really want. Sharing your dreams and visions with one or more other like-minded souls is like putting Miracle-Gro on your garden. It will flourish. Having others reflect their belief in you back to you in a group is powerful.”

– Jane Pollak

Wonderfully Human – Howard Gardner

“Not to worry about what we can’t do, nor to worry about whether we are like others. Instead, pursue what you love, what you can get better at, share it with others, and they will reciprocate.”

– Howard Gardner

Life Balance – Dan Thurmon

“Life is fluid and ever changing, so we cannot attain ‘perfect balance.’ Balance should not be a goal but rather a skill. We ‘balance’ competing demands for time, energy, and action. We make decisions and adjustments to help improve our connection to what matters most in life.”

– Dan Thurmon

With a new year comes a fresh start. What lessons or words of inspiration will carry you forward? Which ideas resonate with you?

My heartfelt thanks to all the “Ask the Expert” guests and blog community that took time this year to engage and share your thoughts with us. Let’s keep it going and continue our conversation.

It’s a popular time of year to reflect back and imagine forward. If you’re thinking about change and balance, you’re not alone. Finding a balance that feels right for you includes combining a mix of ingredients. I was interested in looking at a range of perspectives on this topic, so I reached out to a generous group of colleagues (Joshua Becker, Leslie Josel, Erin Doland, Andrea Sharb, Judith Kolberg, Janine Adams, Janet Barclay, Ellen Delap, Sue West, Aby Garvey, Yota Schneider). I asked them, “With the arrival of the New Year, what do you want more of and less of to create your desired balance?” Their responses are interesting and motivating. My deepest gratitude goes to each of them for digging deep and sharing with us their plans for next year. If you’re wondering how to create more balance, keep reading for some inspired ideas.

With the arrival of the New Year, what do you want more of and less of  to create your desired balance? . . .

More Focus : Less Distraction

“More focus on the important things. Less distraction on the little.”

Joshua Becker – Founder of Becoming Minimalist

More Quiet : Less Noise

“My perfect balance would be MORE time, patience, deliberate decision-making, gratitude and quiet.  I could use a lot LESS useless noise, reactionary decision-making, pressure and distractions.  With those in place, the rest would hopefully fall into place!”

Leslie Josel – ADHD Coach, Author, & Speaker

More Sleep : Less Deprivation

“When you regularly get the sleep your body needs at night, you have more energy and are a better decision maker during the day. It's even easier to put things away after using them and keep up with chores when getting good sleep. With a three month old, I haven't been getting the sleep my body and brain crave to function at their best. In 2014, I need more sleep. I need to go to bed earlier each night so I can better accomplish my goals and feel better during the day. Good, quality sleep is like gaining super powers. I recommend it for everyone, not just moms with children.”

Erin Doland – Editor-in-Chief at Unclutter.com

More Simplicity : Less Stuff

“I'm at a point in my life where I'm actively embracing the idea of less and am pursuing a ‘smaller’, more focused life: less stuff, simpler lifestyle, and fewer activities & commitments.  Having a less complicated lifestyle will yield more time and energy for what matters most to me these days: personal connections, healthy living, following my curiosity, learning, practicing and continuing to create a business model that most authentically represents my values and appeals to the needs of my clients.”

Andrea Sharb, CPO-CD®, ACC®, COC® & CPO® – Professional Organizer & Productivity/ADHD Coach

More Sacrifice : Less Stress

“If we're too tipped to the side of fun in life and we neglect our work commitments, that is a kind of imbalance that can cause all sorts of stress such as unpaid bills, debt, not seeing things through, or a reputation for being unreliable. On the other hand, if we work ourselves to death and don't tip things over to the fun, relaxing, recreating side of life, we can likewise be unhappy and stressed. So balance is important. I tend to take a long view on balance. For instance, when I'm writing a book, I can sacrifice friends, family, and fun because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. So my life can be terrifically unbalanced in favor of work, but I know it’s only temporary. When I travel, I hardly do any work. I'm fine with knowing projects await me after I'm done goofing off. Try to be as proactive as you can about when you will deliberately unbalance your life in favor of work or leisure. And take a long view – life will balance out over the longer term. And oh yea, keep that light at the end of the tunnel nice and bright!”

Judith Kolberg – Award-winning Professional Organizer & Humble Thought-Leader

More Research : Less Tolerance

“In 2014, I want to do more family history research. Over the past couple of years I've become more serious about genealogy research (and started the blog Organize Your Family History), but I'm still not spending as much time researching my family history, as I'd like. I'd also like to tolerate small annoyances less. Life gets so much better when I take the time to move or reorganize or fix things, rather than just put up with them. This year, I want to take action to change, rather than passively tolerate, the little things that make me frustrated.”

Janine Adams, CPO®, CPO-CD® – Professional Organizer, Speaker, & Blogger

More Planning : Less Guilt

“I believe that more planning will be the key to balance for me in the New Year. Deciding in advance how I’ll spend a particular block of work time will make me more productive and profitable, and I’ll experience less guilt from not focusing on my priorities. Similarly, by planning my leisure time, I’ll face less frustration because instead of simply frittering those hours away, I’ll be filling them with pleasurable activities, which will bring me more enjoyment and fulfillment.”

Janet Barclay – Blogger, WordPress Website Designer, & Virtual Assistant to Professional Organizers

More Connection : Less Commitments

“Focusing on more and less helps me prioritize.  We can’t have more of everything in our lives.  In 2014, I want more time with colleagues and community through social media and community involvement. I plan to spend less time on larger commitments and more on smaller ones that require just one or two small tasks for completion.”

Ellen Delap, CPO® – Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant, & Blogger

More Flexibility :  Less Doubt

“Sue West’s ‘life balance’ ingredients: intuition I listen to, understanding of who I am and what I stand for (values, strengths, character), acknowledging that I have choices more often than I don’t have them, embracing that I have limited time on Earth and in my days, wisdom, creativity, perspective to respond but not react, and curiosity so I challenge, learn and grow. Mix ingredients differently each day to sustain whatever balance looks like in those moments. When I 'have' balance, I feel it. When I don’t feel it, I know how to get back there.”

Sue West – ADHD & Life Management Coach, Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization®

More Veggies : Less Carbs

“A few years ago, my family and I decided to change the mix of ingredients in our diet. We decided to subtract out one meat-based dinner per week, and add in one vegetarian meal per week. Over time, we have cut out most of the red meat, pork and poultry from our diet. This has been great...except that we've gotten out of balance with carbohydrates. As we head into the New Year, one of my goals is to bring back the balance in my diet, by subtracting out some carbs and adding in more veggies and plant-based proteins.”

Aby Garvey – Professional Organizer, Author, & Online Class Instructor

More Playtime : Less Worry

“This past year I’ve been confronted with the inevitable endings and new beginnings that made me want to hide. My father’s passing and my mother’s failing health juxtaposed my twin daughters entering their junior year and madly preparing for college. No dress rehearsal for parents of twins; it all happens at once. My coaching practice, growing parallel to my daughters, is demanding a new level of creativity, focus, and discipline. What I need more of are trust, playtime, and reaching out. I can do with less worry, doubt, and hiding. Key words for me; simple, clear, immediate, meaningful, loving.”

Yota Schneider  - Seasons of Change Certified Master Coach & Life Transitions Coach

Isn’t it fascinating how differently everyone answered the question? Responses ranged from specific to general, and from brief to more elaborate. I feel so inspired by their clarity and conviction. They will be wonderful guides as I define my next steps. What resonates with you? What would you like more or less of for this coming year? I invite you to to explore with us. Join the conversation.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, successful, joy-filled, New Year with your right mix of more and less!