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?

The “Ask the Expert” interview series connects you with dynamic thought leaders. This year we’ve spoken with Cameron Gott about enlisting help, Dr. Thomas Armstrong about motivation, Harold Taylor about time management, Erin Rooney Doland about clutter, Francine Jay about letting go, Todd Henry about next steps, Dr. Debbie Grove about change, and Joshua Becker about fresh starts. For September, I’m thrilled to have with us innovation expert, Whitney Johnson to share her insights about success.

One of the perks of being active on social media is there’s the opportunity to meet interesting people that you might not have met otherwise. One of my Twitter buddies introduced me to Whitney through her book, Dare, Dream, Do. I read it, loved it, and couldn’t wait to interview her for this series. Before we begin the interview, here is more about her.

Whitney Johnson is a leading thinker on driving innovation via personal disruption, co-founder of Clay Christensen’s investment firm, and was an award winning Wall Street equity analyst and stock picker. She is a regular contributor for Harvard Business Review and the author of Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When you Dare to Dream. You can connect with Whitney on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, blog or website. 

Linda Samuels:  On your website you wrote, “I see the world as a series of opportunities to invest– in stocks, in ideas, and in people. I believe my true mission is to help people ‘disrupt themselves’ and build a remarkable and surprising future.” What are some essential success ingredients?

Whitney Johnson:  Ah, success.  My definition of success has changed over the years.  When I was younger, it was all about the outcomes.  Would I make the tennis team?  Get into the right college?  Get a prestigious job?  Which I think is normal.  From a developmental perspective, we need concrete goals.  But, I’m discovering that a lifetime of success involves showing up.   Not in a “here I am, therefore I deserve” kind of way.  But in deciding that I want or care about something enough to do the work.   And to then NOT sabotage myself.  So that if it doesn’t happen, I have no excuses. Whether it’s the dream of giving a great speech, launching a successful investment fund, or being a good parent.  The surprising truth here is that even when I fail, there is a thrill and deep satisfaction in knowing I have given it my all.

Linda:  What are some obstacles we might experience when pursuing success? 

Whitney:  Entitlement -- The opposite of showing up.  The thing about entitlement is it comes in lots of clever guises.  Many of us reflexively think “Kids. Now they are entitled.”  But all of us struggle with entitlement.  Think about when a colleague gets a well-deserved opportunity. You are genuinely happy for them.  But there is a piece of you that snivels, “Why didn’t I get that opportunity?  Why do I even bother trying?”  I know I’ve felt this way – just last week, if you’re wondering.  Failure to acknowledge and see abundance in another person’s success is a form of entitlement.

Linda:  In your book, Dare, Dream, Do, you emphasize the importance of dreaming. What is the connection between dreaming and success?  

Whitney:  When we dream, we are hungering for a better life.  And when we dream, we become problem solvers, letting nothing stand in our way.  Dreaming is at the heart of disruption.

Linda:  What are traits successful people have in common?

Whitney:  There are (3) traits I think are especially important.  Showing up, as I’ve mentioned.  Also, the ability to persuade, meaning you can help people see your vision for a remarkable future.  And a growth mindset, the belief that our abilities are not innate and fixed, but that with practice and perseverance we can improve.

Linda:  What has been your biggest personal success challenge? 

Whitney:  Being a mother.  Our children are 18 and 14 respectively.  Being a mother requires me to ‘show up’ – no performance or posturing.  It is messy, and scary, and I frequently feel downright inept.  But with each passing year, I am ‘showing up’ more, and my relationship with my children and husband improves – so according to my metrics, I would say I am successful.

Linda:  What is your most surprising discovery about success?

Whitney:  It is elusive (the brass ring doesn’t really exist) and potentially ever present; every day I get to decide if I will be fully in my life, to show up. 

Thank you, Whitney for being here with us. I love the way you talk about success with such clarity and humanity. Your idea of “showing up” resonated with me, especially in the context of when I was preparing a few weeks ago to attend my first conference as ICD President. I realized that while I could stress and prepare about getting everything “right,” what was most important was that I “show up,” be present, and give my full attention to people individually and as a group.

Join Whitney and me as we continue the conversation. What are your success discoveries? What resonates with you?