The newest release (v37) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature has my latest finds, which inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. These unique, inspiring, possibility-thinking discoveries reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are a generous, communicative, and engaged group. I am deeply grateful for your ongoing presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced.

What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? – 5 Best Possibility-Thinking Discoveries

1. Interesting Workshop – Conquering Clutter Possibilities

Are you overwhelmed by clutter? If so, you’re not alone. One in four people have challenges with clutter, which can affect their anxiety levels, relationships, sleep, and ability to focus. Help is here.

I’m so excited to offer a lively one-hour online workshop – How to Conquer Clutter, on October 20th @7:00-8:00pm EST. You’ll discover where clutter comes from, why it’s so hard to let go, and what you can do about it. Come away with energizing possibilities, manageable clutter-reducing strategies, and powerful insights. Register now!

2. Interesting Perspective – Reframing Possibilities

I frequently hum and sing. The funny thing is I don’t realize I’m doing it. In addition, I often unknowingly sing the incorrect lyrics. Recently, I learned a word for that. Mondegreen is a misheard word, phrase, saying, lyric, or slogan that makes sense in your head, but is entirely incorrect. Check out this infographic with some commonly miss-sung lyrics for a good laugh.

What does mondegreen have to do with possibility thinking? Let’s revisit the mondegreen definition of words, which make “sense in your head, but…are entirely incorrect.” How often have you repeated a negative message to yourself that is no longer true? You get stuck in old thought patterns or beliefs and forget to change the script. Clients often share these negative messages with me, which sometimes were ingrained since childhood.  A parent might have said, “You are like a tornado leaving stuff everywhere you go.” However, they learned organizational strategies over time and are no longer “messy” or “disorganized” kids. They didn’t adjust the lyrics.

Singing the wrong words to songs is harmless, but repeating negative, untrue messages about yourself is damaging. What possibilities become visible when you change the script?

“When you imagine possibilities, your thinking becomes open and expansive. ”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

3. Interesting Read – Grounding Possibilities

In The Practice of Groundedness – A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds – Not Crushes – Your Soul, author, researcher, and coach Brad Stulberg rejects conventional measures of success, which he says do not support long-term happiness. As an alternative to feeling like “you are never enough” or having “a compulsion to keep chasing the next thing,” Stulberg draws from modern science and lessons from ancient wisdom traditions to encourage the cultivation of habits and practices to live a more grounded life.

Stulberg says, “Groundedness is unwavering internal strength and self-confidence that sustains you through ups and downs.” His six principles of groundedness are acceptance, presence, patience, vulnerability, community, and movement. Sharing specific practices and new ways of thinking, Stulberg inspires us to choose “acceptance over delusion and wishful thinking…presence over distraction…patience over speed…vulnerability over invincibility…community over isolation…movement over sitting still.” How will grounding yourself influence what’s possible?

4. Interesting Product – Capturing Possibilities

Have you noticed when you shower, ideas, to-dos, and possibilities start to flow? The relaxing effect of water stimulates your thoughts. Do you easily forget those brilliant ideas you had in the shower? It used to happen to me, but not anymore. One of my favorite products is AquaNotes waterproof notepad. Their tagline says, “Never let another great idea go down the drain!” When a shower-inspired thought pops into my head, I make a note on the pad with their special pencil. Post-shower, I transfer the idea to the appropriate list. The notepad is also an excellent place to exchange messages with my husband.

5. Interesting Thought – Welcoming Possibilities

When you imagine possibilities, your mind goes into an open, expansive growth mode. When you say the word problem, your thoughts constrict and bring a negative focus to the situation. You can get stuck in the problem’s details. Challenges definitely exist. However, if you shift your thinking towards possibilities, you will find a more productive, positive path when you encounter issues.

Do you have an interesting possibility-thinking discovery? Which of these resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Two of the most common reasons clients reach out to me for virtual organizing help are they feel stuck and overwhelmed. In those situations, paralysis and procrastination are often present. It can be challenging to find motivation, move forward, and take your next step. However, with this one solid strategy, you will make progress.

In The New York Times article by executive coach Brad Stulberg, “You’ve Done Self Care. You’ve Languished. Now Try This,” he focuses on the emotional effects of the pandemic. These include lacking motivation, feeling “blah,” being stuck, and feeling exhausted. Increasing self-care and reducing expectations haven’t been enough. 

As described by psychologist Adam Grant, the pandemic triggered languishing, “a sense of stagnation and emptiness … as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield.” Languishing can feel much like grief.

What happens when we introduce behavioral activation? Clinical psychologist Peter Lewinsohn developed this idea in the 1970s to help people with “depression, apathy and negative moods.” The underlying concept is that “action can create motivation.” 

This is something I regularly observe. We ruminate about what we want to accomplish, think about the piles of clutter, and stress about the best way to start organizing. We struggle to move past the thinking cycle. 

This is where action comes in. Clients often begin in an unclear, overwhelmed state at the start of a virtual organizing session. By the end of the one-hour session, they took action or identified a few small actionable next steps. We build from there- one action, one step, and one success at a time. Progress is made, motivation returns, and they keep moving ahead.

“While thinking is an integral part of progress, an action also needs to happen for movement to occur.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Don’t underestimate the power of one tiny action. We can easily stay in our heads and feel like we’re working on the challenge. At a point, we need to do more. While thinking is an integral part of progress, an action also needs to happen for movement to occur.

Pause a moment. Where do you feel stuck or overwhelmed? What is one little action next step you can take to move forward? Does taking action create more motivation? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.