The day unfolded in surprising ways with one thing leading to the next. It began simply by emptying the dishwasher, a standard household organizational chore. As my husband Steve and I put some glassware away, we started to wonder how to better organize the cabinet contents, which had become too cluttered. The wondering prompted some questions such as . . .

“Do we need that?”

“Do we use that…ever?”

“Are we ready to let ‘it’ go?”

Before we realized it, we’d gone through several cabinets and amassed a pile of objects that we were ready to part with.

I took photos to see if our daughters might be interested in any of the items. We had some takers. The rest will be donated to Goodwill. Internally I felt lighter from clearing out. The cabinets looked less crowded too. There was no more precarious stacking of mugs or glasses. Instead, everything had space and a place to land. At one time the cabinets had been that way, but as you know, maintaining organization requires tweaking things every so often. And that time had arrived.

Another letting go of stuff happened this weekend with my annual changing from winter/fall to spring/summer clothes. This always presents an opportunity to purge and re-evaluate. Like with the dishes, I asked similar questions with my clothes like,

“Will I wear it…ever?”

“Does it fit?”

“Would I buy it today if I saw it in a store?”

For the clothing too, I let go of enough to allow my hanging clothes and drawers to breathe better. Everything felt a bit lighter, myself included.

With the letting go of clothing and kitchenware, and with feeling lighter and less burdened by the stuff of life, Steve and I decided to explore a new place near our home. It was a gorgeous warm and sunny day. We took a long walk in the woods on a beautiful Audubon trail. It was incredible to us that while we’ve lived in the Hudson Valley for over thirty years, we never went to this preserve before, which is only a five-minute drive from our home.

As I walked in the beautiful woods, I thought about how good it felt to let things go. I thought about how calming it was to be in this peaceful, wooded forest with birds chirping, gentle hills and paths to climb, and a scenic pond reflecting the bright, blue sky and fluffy, white clouds on its surface to see. By letting go, I made space to experience something new. By letting go, I made space to mindfully experience nature with joy and wonder without the burden of too much “stuff” weighing me down.

Have you experienced any letting go this spring? Are you thinking about it? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

It’s spring. This is often a very happy, joy-filled time of year. The temperature is warming, nature is re-growing, and sunlight abounds. Yet even with these signs of hope and renewal, life can still feel overwhelming.  Why is that? Do we take on too much? Do “situations” that we have little to no control over knock us down? Do we have trouble seeing the path forward?

Whatever the reasons are for your overwhelm, I’m going to offer up one powerful method to help you reduce it and bring back some calm. Before my secret is shared, I offer you a short story.

You may already know this about me, but I love getting together with my family and friends. There’s nothing that makes me happier than sharing stories, time, meals, and laughter. With Passover around the corner, my husband Steve and I have been preparing to host a seder in our home, as we do most years. The group will be larger than usual. I admit that I’ve been stressing out about how we’re going to accommodate everyone. Thoughts like, “Will we have enough seats or space?” and “What if we don’t have enough food?” have occupied my mind.

Finally, though, we figured out the space and food challenges. As I was just settling in and focusing on the other aspects of getting ready, we ran into a major glitch. Our fairly new boiler, which provides our home with heat and hot water, stopped working. Without going into the details of the saga, the upshot is that we now have a huge home project that needs to be completed the same week we’re preparing for our 35 guests to arrive. We’ll probably do a quick fix solution to get our heat and hot water back. Then, after the gathering, we’ll make the major repair needed (as in getting an above-ground oil tank) to permanently fix the problem.

What does this mean? Aside from a huge, unanticipated expense, it also means that the house won’t be in the shape I’d hoped it would be. There might be piles of dirt outside from digging. There could be pipes running on the ground in places they usually aren’t. It might mean that things will be much more chaotic leading up to the event than I had hoped. Then it hit me. There was nothing I could do to change any of those things. In fact, I could be worrying about things that might be non-issues. I certainly wasn’t thinking about what was most important. So what did I do? I tapped into something I already knew, but needed to remind myself of again.

The powerful method to reduce overwhelm and increase zen is to let go!

We have no control over certain things, such as when the boiler or oil tank decides to break. So, I’m focusing on the things that are within my control (like my attitude or how many pounds of brisket I’ll be cooking, or the matzoh balls I’ll be making), and letting go of the perfectionist, worry-laden thoughts. Instead, I choose to remain calm and embrace the joy I’ll experience when our family and friends come to our home. Letting go feels so much better than holding on to worry and stress. Letting go opens the door for experiencing, as my Mom used to refer to as, “the good stuff.”

What helps you reduce overwhelm? Is there anything you’d like to let go of? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!

The current installment (v14) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring next step-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are a wonderfully engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Curiosity Next

Curiosity is one of the traits that I value. When I discovered A Curious Mind – The Secret to a Bigger Life by producer and author Brian Grazer, I had to read it. Grazer suggests that the power of curiosity can change your life. He says, “For me, curiosity infuses everything with a sense of possibility.” Consider this in the context of taking next steps. Curiosity involves asking questions, lots and lots of questions, without having a preconceived notion of what the answer will be. It’s about keeping a certain amount of openness for the possibility of discovering what you don’t know. Grazer realized through thirty-five years of having “curiosity conversations” with all types of people, that “…curiosity was the way to uncover ideas, it was the way to spark them.” These conversations became the seed ideas for many of his films and TV shows including A Beautiful Mind, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, and Splash. When you’re stuck, get curious and ask questions. The idea for next is waiting for you.

2. Interesting Gadget – Fidget Next

Do you find it challenging to focus sometimes at work, home or school? If so, you’ll love the Fidget Cube. This small six-sided toy offers different types of activities on each side to play with including flip, glide, click, spin, roll and breathe. It will keep your hands occupied, your mind focused, and your stress levels low. Fidgeting could just be the best possible next step.

3. Interesting Resource – End Procrastination Next

There are so many reasons why next can elude us. One of the most common is that we might know what to do next, but we procrastinate. Fortunately, there’s a new kind of help available exclusively for procrastinators. Dr. Christine Li, clinical psychologist and procrastination coach, is a recovering chronic procrastinator who can help you “understand your struggle with procrastination and share useful strategies to help you make the important changes you want to make in your life.“ End the procrastination loop with strategies and support so that you can get to next.

4. Interesting Product – Play Next

One of the cleverest products I’ve recently discovered is Nimuno Loops, a Lego-compatible tape. It’s currently being crowd funded through Indiegogo and is not yet available to purchase. The tape lets you turn any surface into a Lego-building base. This inspired product unleashes your ability to play anywhere at anytime. When you’re feeling stuck and are not sure what your next step will be, consider the power of play. Toss a ball, build with blocks, or swing on a swing. Embrace the play-mode to unclog the mind.

5. Interesting Thought – Be Next

Sometimes in thinking or ruminating about next, we can lose sight of the present moment. Now is what’s here. Notice where you are, what you’re experiencing, and what you’re feeling. Be mindful. Be in this moment. Next will arrive soon enough.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

Are you smiling? It’s the first day of spring. The gift of hope and anticipation is in the air. Even though in New York we still have quite a lot of snow covering the ground, knowing that the new season (and one of my favorite ones) has arrived, makes me happy. There’s a joyful flutter within and a lightness that is present.

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”

 – Doug Larson

Yes, I know that life isn’t just sunshine and happy days. We have times of stress and sadness. We have days of challenges and despair. Yet we also have times of joy, of growth, of delight and hope. Let’s celebrate now. Let’s be on the lookout for and be mindful of all that we’re grateful for. Let’s acknowledge that we have the strength to face the challenges ahead and the insight to make the changes that we desire.

“I am going to pay attention to the spring. I am going to look around at all the flowers, and look up at the hectic trees. I am going to close my eyes and listen.”

 – Anne Lamott

What will be next for you? Do you need some time centering yourself in the here and now? Will you shift your focus to what you’re doing, feeling or thinking at this moment? Do you need to take care of the basics by eating something healthy, taking a walk outside, or getting some rest? Is it time to face a problem head-on like getting help with your organizing challenges or addressing your calendar and time clutter?

Here’s the beauty of this season. It’s a chance to reset. It’s a chance for a do-over or even a makeover. Access this moment, which will in turn improve your next step.

In the process of being, remember to pause and breathe in the wonders of spring. Where are you now? What are you feeling hopeful about? What is one challenge you’re facing? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!