When it comes to doing hard things, it’s helpful to have strategies that encourage you when you’re stuck. What happens when you don’t have tools to rely on? You can become overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, paralyzed, or give up altogether. Letting go can be challenging. However, with this one easy strategy, you can become an expert at releasing those things that no longer belong. Let me share some context before I explain the strategy.

I notice things that don't belong when walking around or traveling. They catch my eye. For example, I walked along the river the other day and saw a single blue glove on the ground. Maybe it dropped out of a coat pocket. It was out of place by itself on the ground. Another time, I visited a lovely garden. An empty plastic soda bottle protruded from this beautiful ancient stone lion’s mouth. You guessed it! The bottle was in the wrong place and should have been in the recycling bin instead.

Did you see the photo of neatly stacked sweaters? Can you tell they are in the microwave? These examples cue you to notice when things are out of place, which is the first part of the letting go strategy I will share with you.

Easy Letting Go Strategy

One of the simplest ways to let go is to notice the things that don’t belong. You can do this in any room, space, container, or area. When you identify what is in the wrong place, you can change the dynamic by letting go. There are three steps:

1. Awareness – Notice what is out of place. It could be:

• Something that accidentally was put in the wrong spot by you or someone in your household

• Something that was placed without thinking about if it belonged there

• Something that ‘temporarily’ was put in the wrong spot as a holding area and then remained there indefinitely

• Something that was randomly put into a cabinet, on a shelf, or in a closet to give the illusion of being clutter-free

2. Ask– Now that you see ‘it,’ you can’t unsee it. That’s a good thing. It’s decision-making time. These questions will help you figure out what to do next. Ask:

• Does this thing belong elsewhere?

• Does it belong elsewhere, but I don’t know where it should ‘live?’

• Do I want this anymore?

• Can I let it go?

“One of the simplest ways to let go is to notice the things that don’t belong.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

 3. Act – You asked the questions, and now it’s time to take action.

• If it belongs elsewhere, route it to its home.

• If it belongs elsewhere, but you are still determining where it should go, remove it from its current spot and choose the best location to store it.

• If you no longer want it and are ready to let it go, donate, giveaway, sell, recycle, or trash it.

I hope you don’t have sweaters in your microwave or plastic bottles stored in a sculpture, but you most likely have things sitting in unhelpful spots. Quickly become a pro at letting go by noticing what’s out of place, deciding about it, and removing it from the current location.

What eases your letting go process? How can this letting go strategy work for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

If you need help letting go, I’m here to help. Please email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Letting go is possible, especially with support.

You might wonder how baking cookies relate to encouraging change or getting organized. At first glance, they may seem unrelated. However, a funny thing happened recently, which is how I made the connection. I tested out a new cookie recipe from Amy Bowers, my friend who is a Health Coach. To ensure the best outcome, I used the specific ingredients she recommended, including almond butter, coconut sugar, and my favorite, dark chocolate chips.

A successful change journey also requires distinct ingredients. One, in particular, is crucial.

Essential Ingredient to Encourage Change

There are different types of change. Some changes we proactively seek, and some changes happen unexpectedly. There is an ingredient that is valuable for both. Successful change hinges on your choices and the decisions that follow.

Choice and decisions are not one but two things. However, I see them as a connected unit, so I’m offering them as one helpful ingredient.

When you seek change, you desire something different. You may want to establish a new habit, create more organization, or design your next stage of life. Desiring is one thing. That aspect is crucial because it provides your motivation and why. But desire alone isn’t enough.

To encourage actual change, you have many choices. Recognizing those choices is crucial. Identifying them is the thought part. Pairing a choice with a decision is the action part. A dynamic choice-decision-making cycle is vital for change to occur.

The Ingredients Of Practice

Let’s return to my cookie-baking analogy.

The choices went something like this:

• Is this recipe enticing enough to test, or not?

• Is it a recipe I can make on my own, or not?

• Do I have the ingredients, or will I have to buy some?

• Do I have the time to bake the recipe today or sometime in the future?

Nothing would have changed if I stopped after asking those questions and didn’t move on to the decision-making phase. There would have been no baking, cookies, or new favorite recipes. However, curiosity led me to continue. I couldn’t stop thinking about the enticing cookie photo Amy posted on Instagram.

The decision-making cycle looked like this:

• I carefully read the recipe and determined it was easy and well within my baking skills.

• I had most, but not all, of the ingredients.

• I looked at the time needed. It included going to the grocery store for the items I didn’t have, assembling the ingredients, and baking. I had the interest, ability, and time to test the recipe that day.

The cookies were baked, and they were incredibly delicious. They were so yummy that it was challenging to stop eating them. That’s a story for another day. If you want the recipe, email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, and I’ll happily share it, or you can see Amy’s post for the details.

“Successful change hinges on your choices and the decisions that follow.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

The Change You Seek

We’re in the second month of this new year. What changes are you working on? How are they going? Are you noticing your choices, making decisions, and taking action? Are you moving forward on your own or enlisting help?

Change happens when you repeatedly identify the choices, make decisions, and take action. You can bring about the change you crave through questioning, doing, readjusting, and staying curious.

If you want assistance with any part of the change process, I’d love to help. Please email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or click here to schedule a Discovery Call. Change is possible, especially with support.

Regarding possibilities, it can be challenging to move forward when we’re stuck in the past. The past includes:

• Relationships that have ended

• Jobs we used to have

• Places we used to live

• Unhelpful thoughts on a continuous negative loop.

The past can also contain physical things that were relevant and useful at a point but aren’t anymore. When you’re willing to let go of what was, it creates emotional and physical space for the present and future possibilities.

You might think, “Easier said than done.” So, how can you let go of those physical possessions and move on? Last week, one of the topics I discussed during my Mindful Organizing workshop was the power of asking mindful editing questions. Having a great list of questions is tremendously valuable. It assists you with focused decision-making and creates more ease in the process. A few of my favorite letting go questions include:

• Has it overstayed its welcome?

• Is it adding to my overwhelm and clutter?

• How many is enough?

If you want to learn more about my letting go questions, check out these articles:

• How to Embrace Decluttering Magic for a Mindful Edit Now

• 21 Questions to Exercise Your Letting Go Muscles

Depending on your goals, particular questions will resonate with you. However, one especially effective question is so powerful and significant that I want to highlight it. During the workshop, Juliet Landau-Pope, a participant who is also a friend and colleague, shared her favorite editing question with us. She asks, “Does this belong in my life right now?”

What I love about her inquiry is how it creates the opportunity to honor what was, recognize its past relevance, and gently allow you to let go if it no longer applies to your current life. It takes a certain amount of bravery to ask the question and even more to act on it. Thank you, Juliet!

“Does this belong in my life right now?”

— Juliet Landau-Pope

When you let go of weight from the past, you open the door for what’s possible. In this season of transformation, what can you release? What space will you create for your next chapter? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

How can I help? Would you like assistance with decision-making, letting go, and moving forward? If so, contact me here, by phone at 914-271-5673, or by Email at linda@ohsoorganized.

One of the most common reasons my clients get stuck is being unsure about making decisions. A lack of confidence in decision-making might only affect specific areas. For example, they have no issue deciding which groceries to purchase or which social activities to attend. However, the decision-making challenge can surface when choosing how many black pants to let go of or where to begin organizing their home. It can feel like overwhelm, paralysis, or stress. This is an excellent time to reach out for help. There is no reason to remain in Stuckland.

There is another aspect to making decisions. Often, we’re on the fence about what to do. We have a few ideas but aren’t 100% sure which way to go. This is another terrific reason to enlist help. Use a decision-making buddy to help discuss options, weigh the pros and cons, or boost your confidence in making a choice.

7 Ways to Enlist Help Making Decisions

10 10 10 Rule

Before you make a decision, ask three questions:

• 10 minutes from now, how will I feel about this decision?

• 10 months from now, how will I feel about this decision?

• 10 years from now, how will I feel about this decision?

40/70 Rule

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell used this approach when making a quick decision. He would aim not to decide with less than 40% of the information needed, then act when he had close to 70% of the data.

80/20 Rule

Known as the Pareto Principle, this rule says that 80% of the outcomes (or outputs) result from 20% of all causes (or inputs) for any event. We often use this in the organizing world. For example, we only wear 20% of our clothes or refer to 20% of the papers we file. With that recognition, opting to let go will be easier.

3 Elements of Decision-Making

• Clarify – Identify the decision to make or problem to solve.

• Consider – Think about the options and the positive and negative consequences of each choice.

• Choose – Choose the best choice.

“When all else fails, flip a coin.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Golden Rules of Decision-Making

Make decisions when you’re . . .

• not in pain and when your body feels strong

• feeling loved and supported

• feeling you are enough

Coin Flip

When all else fails, flip a coin. Heads you let ‘it’ go, tails you keep ‘it.” Then pay attention to how you react. Let your intuition guide you. Do the opposite of the coin toss result if the option doesn’t sit right in your gut.

Virtual Organizing

Decision-making is integral to all virtual organizing sessions with my clients. I provide support by:

• Discussing the options

• Holding space to think through a choice without feeling pressured

• Setting boundaries around the decision

• Reviewing pros and cons

• Encouraging curiosity and experimentation

• Empowering agency to make decisions

• Focusing on progress, not perfection

These are just a few ways to boost your decision-making skills. What helps you get unstuck so you can make a decision? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Contact me, Linda, if you are stuck and need help and guidance to make decisions. Call at 914-271-5673, email linda@ohsoorganized.com, or click here. I’m here for you.