The holidays have arrived in full force. It’s the season of gatherings, parties, decorating, baking, and overdoing it. Too much might look like eating that extra slice or two of pie, sampling the delicious homemade cookie platter your friend made, or saying “yes” to all the invites you receive. Overindulging could show up as having one drink too many or getting very little sleep. This adds to having little to no life balance during the holidays.

There is an Albert Einstein quote I’ve always loved. Every time I read it, I’d nod in agreement and think about how true it seemed. However, recently, when it appreared in my daily quote feed, it didn’t land as it always had. Einstein said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

To keep your balance on a bike, you do need to keep moving. If you don’t, well, we know what will happen. You’ll fall over. However, we need periods of motion and stillness to feel balance in life. Time to move and time to rest. So as much as I respect and admire Einstein, I don’t agree with his bike riding/life balance analogy.

You might choose to pedal through the holidays in perpetual motion. What I propose is something different. As you plan your season of gatherings, traveling, parties, and more, I invite you to build in some stillness and rest. What that looks and feels like for you will vary.

For me, it will include time for . . .

• Sleeping

• Thinking

• Staring out of the window

• Writing

• Meditating

• Sipping a hot cup of aromatic tea

• Dreaming

• Saying “no”

• Observing

• Reading

• Watching the candles flicker

• Stretching out on the sofa wrapped in a soft blanket

“Build in some stillness and rest.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Moments of quiet will be intermingled with activity. I will intentionally invite moments to pause, regroup, and recharge. This way, I’ll be able to fully embrace the joy of this season while balancing the need for stillness and fun.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season! How will you create more balance during this time of year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

We all have dreams, don’t we? One of mine, which has taken almost a decade to realize, has recently come to fruition. My office area was transformed from a crazy hodgepodge of furniture to a beautifully designed space that was created and organized just for me. Guess what? It didn’t happen quickly or on it’s own. I needed lots of help along the way. It was a learning process, which included patience, persistence, creativity, and other people. To all the fellow goal chasers and dream seekers, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Which “help” tips resonate with you? Who and what have helped you in pursuit of your dreams? There were some things that helped me. Read on and then join our conversation.

Dreams Need Help – 8 Tips

1. Dream Help

Having someone to support, expand, mull over and tweak your dream is essential. We all need at least one dream buddy to share our journey with. My dreaming partner was my wonderful husband, Steve. He encouraged me to own the dream and not limit my thinking.

2. Letting Go Help

In preparation for my new space, I needed to review and edit my office contents. Letting go of some physical items was part of this process. As a professional organizer, I’m good at asking others those classic letting go questions like, “Do you want it?” or“When was the last time you used it?” or “Is it worth the real estate, energy and maintenance?” However, I found it helpful when someone else (such as my husband or daughter) posed the questions to me. Hearing the questions out loud by an objective person helped me be more decisive and enabled me to let go of the unessential.

3. Design Help

Putting specifics to my dream meant that I first needed to understand how I wanted my office space to look and feel. Words at the top of the list included purple, sparkly, organized, happy, fun, spacious, and calm. I perused my Pinterest boards (particularly Oh, So Luscious Color!, Oh, So Colorful Spaces!, and Oh, So Organized Office!) for visual inspiration. My husband listened to my ideas, incorporated them into the design, made best use of the space, created lovely three-dimensional drawings, and helped me select materials and colors. When everything was installed, the family agreed that it was truly a “Linda space.”

4. Heavy Lifting Help

Some dreams require brawn. Mine sure did. I needed physical help with manufacturing, disassembling my office, moving furniture, and installing the new cabinets and countertop. I could not have done this without the muscle team who included Steve, Nick, Allison, and some talented vendors. Thank you.

5. Patience Help

Patience was mostly an inside job. I had to help myself or rather, remind myself that all things worth doing, take time. They will and can get done, but adjustments for when they happen will be necessary. It’s the when that can be most trying when pursuing a dream.

6. Discomfort Help

I’m not proud to admit this, but I was extremely out of sorts during the twelve days we had to disassemble my office and temporarily relocate it to the living room. This gave me an entirely new appreciation of what my clients experience on a regular basis. It feels terrible when our environment doesn’t support us. My living and working areas were in disarray, which made it extremely challenging to function and focus. Fortunately, my family was there to help me navigate being uncomfortable by encouraging a positive perspective and keeping me focused on the goal. My husband gently reminded me that, “The chaos is only going to last a short while.” My daughter, Allison used a different yet equally effective approach. She said, “Mom, change and chaos are good for you.”

7. Organizing Help

It was joyful being my own client and organizing my new space. Before organizing “stuff” back into the office, I appreciated the emptiness of the space. I felt calm seeing the clear surfaces that had almost no visual noise. As I put things away, I was selective about what deserved a “home.” Only what I loved and used most returned. I’m still deciding the fate of the many small toys (imagine a miniature Mr. Potato Head or glitter-covered Eifel Tower) that have always been part of my office decor. A few toys have returned. Before more come back, I’m waiting to see how the space feels with less.

8. Cheerleading Help

Family and friends provided lots of encouragement along the way. The high fives, ooohs and ahhs, and “It’s going to be great” helped me to stay vision-focused and excited. When it was time to select cabinet knobs, I created a quick survey on Facebook. People weighed in on their favorite knob option. The feedback was wonderful. I am grateful for the many cheerleaders along the way. Special heartfelt thanks go to Steve, Allison, Cassie, Mom, Yota, Peggy, and Elisa for their extra enthusiasm and support.

My space is no longer just an office. It’s now a well-designed place for possibilities, creativity, problem solving, thinking, planning, writing, teaching, communicating, and being. Thank you to all those that helped nurture and encourage my dream.

What has your experience been when pursuing a dream? Did you go it alone? Did you enlist help from others? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Have you ever experienced a surge in motivation when a deadline is looming? Sometimes we purposely wait until the last minute to finish (or start) projects because we need or want that adrenaline boost.

Each of us functions differently. Usually, my personal pattern and preference is to work regularly over an extended period of time and not feel rushed to complete things. I realize this isn’t always possible or desirable.

With two of my recent projects, motivation and deadlines influenced the process. One project was preparing for my first ICD board meeting as President-Elect. It involved reading several books, reports, and documents, completing forms, having several phone conversations, and reading and responding to emails. Even though I paced myself, some of the work ended up being completed close to the deadline. Delaying completion of last few items gave me the energy push that I needed.

My other project, the redesign of my office area, has been a long process. There has been dreaming, planning, sketching, discussing, and manufacturing. Finally, after many months, the installation will be soon (as in this week!) Months ago, I went through my files and drawers. I let go of things I no longer wanted, so that I’d be ready to reorganize what I did want when my new space was ready.

The next step was more challenging to complete. This involved emptying the drawers, surfaces, and space. I wanted the change, but not the discomfort and disruption that the transition would bring.

So I told myself, “Change is positive. Discomfort is temporary.” Last night my motivation kicked in. I boxed up my desk contents. In the process, I edited and released more things. With my positive focus, visions of “done” and working in a beautiful, organized workspace motivated me to forward.

How do deadlines influence your motivation? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.

With kids returning to school, schedules changing, pumpkins appearing, and extracurricular activities in full swing, fall prompts us to begin again. As the leaves change colors, it’s a natural cue to rethink the possibilities for better balance, organization, and joy. What motivates you to change? For the Fall Organizing Giveaway, I’ve put together some great organizing goodies and tips to help you shift your focus towards new thoughts and actions.

Fall Organizing Tips

• Inspiration: What helps you move into the “possibility thinking” mode? Are you inspired by reading, listening to music, enjoying nature, or writing? Figure out what works for you. Dreaming is essential. Carve out time to develop new ways of thinking or doing.
• Relaxation: Let’s face it. Life is just busy. Take time to stop doing and allow yourself to just be, even if it’s for 15 minutes. Are you a coffee or tea drinker? Sip slowly. Take in the aroma, the warmth, and the pleasure of slowing down enough to appreciate the moments of calm.
• Organization: It’s amazing how a little organization can go a long way in reducing daily stress. Start small. Identify one area that needs your attention. Maybe it’s your handbag, utensil drawer, or incoming papers. Sort, release, and set-up a system that makes the area flow better. One small stress removed will yield amazing benefits.

The Fall Organizing Giveaway starts on October 2nd.  One winner will be selected on October 8th.  It includes fun stuff that will organize, inspire, relax and delight you.  Continue reading for description and contest rules. The winner will receive everything described below:

• Starbucks $25 gift card
• Oh, So Organized! coffee mug
• Purse Perfector handbag organizer
• Working Mom Survival Guide by Suzanne Riss & Teresa Palagano
• Sticky Tab Markers by Semikolon
• Starbucks Caramel Brule Chocolate Bites
• Autographed copy of The Other Side of Organized by Linda Samuels

Contest Rules:

• Comment on this blog post below with your favorite thing about fall, organizing challenge, or tip
• Comment about the giveaway on the Oh, So Organized! Facebook page
• Re-tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and include @LindaSamuels when you do
• Subscribe to The Other Side of Organized free monthly e-newsletter for continued inspiration and motivation
• Follow me on Pinterest and let me know which of my boards you like best by commenting on this blog post
• Comment on Pinterest about Oh, So Organized!'s new "Organize for Fall" video
• Do one or all of the above to enter. The more you do, the more times your name will be entered to win (up to 6 total entries!)

Come join the conversation about fall, inspiration, organizing and more. Looking forward to hearing from you. Wishing you all good luck!