Summer is here, bringing with it those much-missed in-person gatherings, vacations, and time for organizing and other projects. This season also brings intense heat, which messes with our energy and motivation. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling it. While I love walking daily, I’m finding it challenging to be outside in the hotness. It’s like walking in molasses. 

One of my friends suggested we walk inside in an air-conditioned store, like a big supermarket. What a great solution! It made me think about how we can get stuck in an “I can’t” mode. However, with some out-of-the-box thinking, we can find new ways to move forward. And so it goes with my daily commitment to walk, which is good for my health and wellbeing. With this new plan in place, the heat isn’t going to stop my motivation.

What tiny tweak in your plan can you make that will keep you motivated and moving forward? 

Spring is a magical time of year when the earth comes alive with bursts of color. Each day I notice something new that delights my senses- a tiny purple flower here, a warm breeze there. I feel hopeful and ready to let go of winter’s heaviness and things that have overstayed their welcome.

This season also brought with it a profound loss. My mom died on March 27th, after celebrating her 92nd birthday a few weeks earlier. It was another kind of letting go, as I said my goodbyes to her. Mom’s passing has made me reflect on the wonderful mom, friend, and person she has been in my life. What a positive force she was! Even though she experienced a significant cognitive decline over these past eight years because of vascular dementia, she continued to have a zest for life and love for people and music. With a compromised sense of the past and future, she lived in the present and modeled mindfulness. When I visited with her, I’d enter her world- living in and savoring each moment.

This has been a tough year for many of you. If you have experienced loss and are working through grief and letting go, be gentle with yourself. My heart goes out to you. 

What a year we had! 2020 was full of challenges, heartbreak, and silver linings. Who knew that the word of the year would be resilience. I felt it within and saw it all around me. People accomplished amazing things in the face of tremendous adversity. As I say goodbye to the year and reflect on the last twelve months, I feel grateful for the many lessons in patience, creativity, and love that it taught. I am thankful we stayed connected to laugh, cry, brainstorm, support, reflect, celebrate, and organize using platforms like Zoom.

It’s with excitement, anticipation, and some exhaustion that I greet this New Year. What will 2021 hold? Will we gather in person without worry? Will the pandemic get under control? Will we be resilient, creative, and motivated? Will we face loss and challenges by summoning our inner strengths? Will we let go of those things that no longer serve us? Will we lean into projects and opportunities that use the best of who we are? Will we nurture our minds and bodies and also care for the special people in our lives? Will we hold hope close?

The New Year offers a fresh start, a chance to reset, and reframe. I wish you only the best for a happy, healthy, organized, and calm New Year!

This season with fall’s magnificent, vibrant colors, begs our attention to appreciate its changing landscape. Noticing nature’s shift provides an inspiring backdrop for possibilities. The dramatic views stir our imagination and encourage thoughts about change.

I experienced a significant change a few weeks ago. Our youngest daughter, Cassie, married her love, Matthew. I took on new roles as Mother of the Bride and Mother-in-Law. The kids organized a micro wedding at our house because of the pandemic. Talk about possibilities! While the wedding was revised from their original plan of a larger event, it was the most beautiful day we could have imagined. On my blog, I wrote about it and included photos too. If you’re curious, please read more about the special day at ohsoorganized.com- 7 Valuable Lessons I Learned About Weddings, Hope, & Possibilities.

My heart and mind are full of love, openness for possibilities, and tremendous hope for the future. What possibilities are you thinking about? How can I be of help?

Life is different now. It’s easy to focus on the things we aren’t doing this summer like traveling to far off places, having large gatherings with friends, or dining out. Instead, I choose to focus on what I can do. This includes reflection time, appreciating nature, enjoying intimate conversations, cooking more, eating healthfully, rushing less, tending to my tiny garden, meditating, doing yoga, walking, photographing, writing, and yes, organizing.

While I’m currently not doing in-person organizing, I am doing virtual organizing and loving it. My clients do too. We’re organizing bedrooms, offices, bathrooms, clothing, papers, books, time, sleep habits, organizing systems, and more. During this time, I invested in my continuing education and completed a virtual organizing training program. I am now a Certified Virtual Professional Organizer (CVPO!)

My heart and thoughts are with you as you adjust to life’s new normal. If I can be of help or if you are interested in working with me virtually, please get in touch.

Be well. Stay healthy and safe.

My heart is with you as we are separated now because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I miss our in-person interactions, as most of us are staying-in-place to keep everyone healthy and safe. I’ll continue touching base with family, friends, clients, neighbors, and colleagues. I’ve used a variety of tools like FaceTiming with one of our daughters, having a virtual cocktail party with friends via Zoom, or going old school with the phone, email, and texts. There are many stories of struggle, but also of inspiration. And there is so much love.

The yoga studio I go to, like many businesses, has temporarily closed. Getting creative, they began offering yoga classes through Zoom. They also launched “Project Love” that will make practices available to anyone in the world for a $5 fee or free if the cost is a barrier. This community and the practice has been one of my sources of calm, strength, and connection during this time.

Next is a fluid, rapidly changing situation. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat. Be well. Stay healthy.