When you’re making a significant change, it takes sustained energy and focus. This can be exhausting. When pursuing change, motivation is an essential ingredient. However, it’s not enough. Sometimes, you’ll need to act even when you don’t feel like it and your motivation is low or non-existent.

Taking action through small, consistent steps will facilitate the change you desire.

There is another aspect to proactive change that goes beyond desire, motivation, and action. It’s recognizing the powerful and energizing effect a brief pause has.

Last week, I wrote about capacity. The pause is connected to that idea. Consider how much stamina it takes to make a change in your life. Along that journey, which could take days, months, or years, the endurance needed won’t be sustainable without rest cycles.

Clients’ Organizing Goals

I admire my clients’ dedication to pursuing their organizational goals and making changes in their lives. There are weeks when things flow easily for them. At other times, it’s more challenging to activate and move forward. They don’t give up. I support them as they navigate the change process. They balance the intense periods of action with taking breaks. They’ll step away briefly and then return.

The power of their pause is noticeable. After their hiatus, clarity, energy, and determination return. The downtime creates space to breathe, rejuvenate, and refocus.

My Big Changes

You may recall how the pandemic influenced significant changes for my organizing business, Oh, So Organized! In 2020, after almost thirty years of working in-person with clients, I pivoted to offer virtual services only. My organizing company helps overwhelmed individuals challenged by disorganization get unstuck and organized with nonjudgmental, personalized one-on-one sessions, workshops, and publications.

I’ve led workshops for decades. Most of those were hosted by other companies or industry associations. However, in 2022, I started sponsoring my own workshops. I’ve hosted four since then and plan to offer two more this year. It’s been a positive change that I’m still exploring.

In the first quarter of 2024, I had four workshops scheduled, one of which I hosted. I’ve already given three and was invited to present next month for Denise Wenacur’s Design Lab. These changes have been exciting yet intense because of the deadlines.

“To sustain the pursuit of the changes you seek, step away from doing to recharge.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

A Gentle Pause

Do you remember I mentioned how my clients balance their change pursuits with taking breaks? Well, I’m no different. I integrate breaks, too. And luckily, in the last few weeks, we’ve had some beautiful snowfall in the Hudson Valley. You may wonder how snow and pausing connect.

These particular snows were incredibly peaceful, covering the landscape in white and making the quiet feel even quieter. I loved pausing to watch the snow steadily fall to the ground. It was meditative and made me feel calm and relaxed. Watching the gently floating snowflakes encouraged me to appreciate the moment and temporarily disengage from my projects. Observing was enough of a break to help me reset, energize, and prepare for the next step.

Weird Facts shared this idea about the quiet a fresh snow brings:

“Fresh snow absorbs sound, lowering ambient noise over a landscape because the trapped air between snowflakes attenuates vibration. That’s why it gets so quiet when it snows.”

Don’t underestimate the power of a pause. To sustain the pursuit of the changes you seek, step away from doing to recharge. Pause and see the snow descend, take a coffee break, or go away for a few days. You’ll be happy you did.

What type of pause benefits you? How does it help you pursue the changes you want?

Help is Here

If you are in the midst of change and want assistance, I’m here to help. Please email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or click here to schedule a Discovery Call. Change is doable, especially with support.

There are as many definitions of success as there are roads to get there. I’ve become acutely aware that in this transition time with summer ending and fall beginning, there is one consistent thread for me that is grounding and inspiring. It is spending time in nature. As many of you know, I especially love being on or near the water, which is therapeutic, calming, and centering.

Being outdoors allows me to move or be still, think and observe, sense, and capture. It encourages me to feel my way forward.

Maybe it’s too over the top to even say this, but I consider nature’s positive influence to be my number one success hack for my life. Can I really call it a hack? I’m not sure. One of the things I find so inspiring about nature is how change continually happens. For me, as someone that works on being flexible, change isn’t so simple. I’m encouraged when I see a new season boldly pushing forth. In the northeast, as the daylight shortens and the temperatures cool slightly, some leaves are changing colors, others remain bright green, and some have already withered and fallen.

Just like me, nature’s shift is a work in progress. I feel a connection that I, too, am entering a season of change. There will be experiments leading to successes and failures. There will be alterations of plans, goals, and ideas. There will be new opportunities to pursue as I embrace the change of seasons outside and within.

In this short video are places I’ve explored in the last few months that have allowed me to be and to imagine. I hope it inspires you to discover places that speak to you. Make time to rejuvenate and nourish your being. Success will be yours with a more relaxed, focused, and nurtured self.

What are you noticing? What helps you create success? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!

Our productivity flourishes when we recognize which environments enhance results. We can be intentional, as in creating designed, organized spaces. Or, we can embrace serendipity as in snow days, travel time, or “blob” days.

With chaos and overwhelm being more the norm these days, I’ve been especially aware how my environment influences my ability to not just be productive, but also to feel energized by a fresh start. Last week I wrote about the restart or fresh start button. This week, let’s focus on ways to increase productivity from our surroundings.

Linda’s Environmental Productivity Ah-Has:

Weather - Be it winter snowstorm Juno or rainy day Sundays, there’s nothing quite like a stop-everything-weather day to transform the “were-supposed-to-be” plans into productive days. I was unable to get to my client’s to organize because of the storm. Instead, I’m utilizing the found time to move other projects forward. 

Travel – There’s nothing as wonderful as that quiet, distraction-free time I experience on an airplane. With my busy travel schedule, I’ve been especially enjoying the airplane bubble that allows me focused time to read, plan, think, and rejuvenate. I experienced this firsthand this past weekend with my flights to and from St. Louis for the ICD Board meeting.

Blobbing – In our family, we like to enjoy “blob days” every so often. On blob days we suspend doing anything productive and give into just relaxing . . . guilt-free. We might stay in our pajamas all day, not shower, and hang out without any goals or shoulds. We let the day unfold, agenda-free. There could be movie watching and lots of snacking. Are you wondering how environment can be productive? Sometimes you need to balance suspending the to dos in order to renew your energy and boost your productivity.

What environment best supports your productivity? I’d love to hear from you. Come join our conversation!

One of the things my organizing clients frequently say to me is, “Linda, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”  They say that because I’m there for them 100% to help them move past overwhelm and reach their goals in the organizing areas they find challenging. While our organizing sessions are often filled with fun and humor, I take my role as helper and support person seriously. I’m grateful for the trust my clients place in me.

Being in a supportive role means suspending my own agenda so that I can help my clients focus on their needs. This is integral to the organizing work that I do. While I love helping others, it’s essential that I rejuvenate and help myself too. Otherwise I’m no good to anyone else.

These days are particularly full with running Oh, So Organized!, working with my clients, being President of ICD, writing, presenting, traveling, managing family responsibilities and more. Recharging is essential. Being outside helps me.

On a recent walk, my racing thoughts of to dos slowed down as I breathed in and shifted the focus to my senses. I noticed the bright sun and green around me, felt the warm summer air, heard the birds conversing and leaves rustling, and smelled the earthy scent of the path below my feet. My walk through the woods led me to one of my favorite spots by the river.

Once there, I planted myself on a rock in the middle of the river. I was surrounded by water. I felt centered and calm as the sun warmed me, the river flowed around me, and I breathed in and out deeply. The river helped me, so that I could continue helping others.

I’d love to hear from you. Come join the conversation and share with us. What are your thoughts? What helps you rejuvenate?