Success is such a personal thing, even when it comes to organizing success. We view and define it differently. Some of us are excessively hard on ourselves and barely allow any acknowledgment of success or progress.

Sometimes we’re so focused on our goal that we rush through the tiny successes along the way, barely noticing them. What I see most often with clients is how overwhelmed, especially at the beginning of a large organizing project, can color their definition and expectation of success. In those situations, “completely done” is what success means to them, and until that happens, they remain in a very negative place. As I said, success is personal. We experience it differently.

What does organizing success look and feel like for you?

While I recognize that we each define organizing success differently, when working with clients, I help them celebrate and acknowledge the small successes along the way. Because let’s be honest. No project gets done in one simple stroke. Projects only get done by working consistently over time, piece by piece, and by changing some habits and behaviors in the process. It’s essential to cheer yourself on, do a happy dance, or shout out some “woohoos!” with each small success. These will help you relive the success and propel you forward for more success. You’ve heard this before, and it’s worth repeating: Success breeds more success.

Remember that organizing success has a range in what it looks like. Here are some recent client and personal organizing successes that have brought about high fives, big sighs, and huge smiles:

• Editing a box of old papers

• Labeling toy bins

• Deciding to let go

• Creating a resource list for an organizing project

• Decluttering the corner of a living room

• Clearing and organizing papers and “stuff” from kitchen surfaces

• Packing for an upcoming trip

• Preparing tax information for accountant

• Unpacking and organizing the last few boxes from a recent move

• Editing and organizing child’s clothing closet

• Handling daily incoming mail

• Hiring an onsite shredding company to shred decades worth of papers

• Organizing a pile of papers from the office desk

• Making a to-do list for a massive organizing project

• Organizing past event papers into accessible files

• Seeing donates, trash, and recycling taken away by hauling company

• Hiring professional organizer to help with an organizing project

What does organizing success look and feel like for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.

One thing that has become increasingly clear to me over these past years is that success is impossible in a vacuum. There are people, insights, and learning that are part of our journey and help us experience success with our projects, paths, and purpose. So whether you’re facing a daunting organizing project, pursuing a new career path, or searching for your life’s purpose, you will need the help, guidance, and emotional support from others to get there, wherever “there” is.

As a professional organizer, I’m often enlisted to be on someone else’s team. I love that. I get to be cheerleader, planner, strategist, organizer, list maker, worker, coach, resource-ist, support-giver and more. Clients will often remark that they “couldn't have accomplished this without me.” And while I’m grateful for their kind and encouraging words, I remind them that it was a team effort. Success happened because they stayed the course and were open and willing to enlist help. I am continually grateful for being part my clients’ success team.

“Success is impossible in a vacuum.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

I’ve recently embarked on a huge family project to help my Mom sort through her home of 55+ years. At this juncture, because it’s hard for her to do, it’s pretty much me that’s leading the project. I understood that a successful outcome would only be possible by creating a new team, which I’ve dubbed, “Team 152.” And it’s so interesting to be on this side of the project where the decisions and attachments are often emotional ones. I have a new appreciation for what my clients grapple with.

The team I’m assembling grows daily, but so far the members include family and friends that have offered to help and companies that haul, organize, repair, resell, clean, recycle, and accept a variety of donations. As the project progresses, even more people and resources will be added to Team 152.

Two things are crystal clear:

• This project will take time, patience, and a consistent effort.

• While the project feels daunting right now, the help from the team is getting me through.

Who makes up your success team? If you don’t yet have a team, whom could you enlist? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

Summer is coming to a close. Families are gearing up for the new school year, which includes every stage from preparing little ones for kindergarten to launching older kids off to college. Even if there are no longer kids in the picture that you need to help, this part of the summer season is often a transition time. We can feel the days shortening and the temperatures getting slightly cooler, especially in the northeast where I live. Here’s the thing. When we are in the midst of change and transition, we can often feel anxious about the past and some trepidation about the future. That’s normal.

Practicing mindfulness, both formally through meditation and informally by allowing ourselves to focus on the present, can be enormous in helping us to navigate transitions with less stress and more enjoyment.

As you may know, I’ve been exploring mindfulness beyond my customary way of being to include daily mindfulness meditation, journaling, reading, and formal learning. I’m grateful for the wonderful teachers and guides I’ve had so far that include Laurence Magro, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Amy Reyer, Ellen Langer, Tara Bennett-Goleman and Daniel Goleman. I’m so thankful for finding them at this juncture in my life.

Just the other day, I had one of those ah-ha moments. There’s another mindfulness teacher who has been helping me my entire life, but especially these past few years. It's my mom. She has vascular dementia. At this point, her memory of the past is fairly compromised. The future is no longer a real concept because her short-term memory has also been affected. She lives very much in the present. She finds joy in the present through playing piano, listening to music, singing, dancing, having conversations, being with people who care about her, exploring the garden, holding hands, enjoying a beautiful day, or being playful. When I’m with her, I enter her world wherever she is and we experience each moment for all that it is. She’s helped me to appreciate the now even more, to savor these precious moments with her. I slow myself down so that I can be here now.

These past few weeks I’ve missed being with you as I’ve been involved with family that needed my time and attention. I’m so happy to be back. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Come join the conversation! What discoveries have you made from those that help or guide you?

The newest installment (v16) 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 motivation-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are an extraordinary and 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 – Motivating Choices

Wait, What? by James E. Ryan

Finding the answers we seek are in the quality of the questions we ask. Asking the right questions can motivate us to start or stop doing something, move us forward when we’re stuck, or help us understand something more deeply. One of the books I recently read was Wait, What? And Life’s Other Essential Questionsby James E. Ryan, author and dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Ryan says, “Posing irresistible questions…is an art worth cultivating.”  He shares five essential questions like “Wait, what?” which is effective for getting clarification or avoiding quick judgments, and “I wonder…?” which fosters curiosity. Specifically for getting unstuck and motivating movement, Ryan suggests, “Couldn’t we at least…?”  This book is a wonderful resource that will add quality questions to your motivation toolbox.

2. Interesting Perspective – Motivating Action

What do you do when your To Do listoverwhelms you? I came across this pin, which adds some lightness to the serious list-makers among us. To tame those long lists, make a “Today” list. Keep it short … really short as in two to three items. Your list’s brevity will boost your motivation, increase your action, and make you feel good about your accomplishments. I can see your success.

3. Interesting Tech – Motivating Mindfulness

Even the busiest among us can make time for mindfulness moments with the Buddhify app. It provides both solo or guided meditations that help even during the most hectic times. If you need a mindfulness work break, are experiencing difficult emotions, are feeling stressed, or can’t sleep, Buddhify has a unique meditation designed just for you. Your pocket mindfulness coach will motivate you to embrace some much-needed Zen.

4. Interesting Product – Motivating Preparedness

It’s challenging to find the motivation to think or talk about death preparedness. It’s a topic that many of us avoid. We know it will happen, but not yet, not now. So we delay preparing. We delay discussing. We delay until it’s too late and we put that burden on our family. Fortunately, Amy Pickard, CEO of Good To Go created the Departure File, which “eliminates stress, guilt, doubt and provides those you leave behind with the certainty of knowing they are carrying out your wishes.” She was motivated to create this product, along with support to go with it, when her mother died unexpectedly leaving no paperwork and hundreds of details to handle. Maybe the Departure File is just the motivation you need to get your affairs in order for your loved ones.

5. Interesting Thought – Motivating Positivity

Sometimes we need a positive reminder to recognize that we can move forward, we can get unstuck, and we can accomplish the goals we desire. To reignite your motivation, use a positivity mantra like “I can” or something else that feels right for you.

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