As this year ends, it’s time to reflect on the past twelve months and the year about to begin. 2023 has been full of intense emotions, enriching experiences, and deep conversations on the blog. We’ve walked side-by-side, navigated turbulent waters, made new discoveries, and grappled with life balance. In these free-flowing exchanges, insights, new perspectives, and hope emerged.

Conversations

Our conversations about life balance, change, mindfulness, clutter, letting go, motivation, organizing, self-care, hope, and more have provided abundant comfort, connection, and joy. Thank you for being part of this generous community. You inspire me to show up, write, think, explore, and engage.

Gratitude

I am profoundly grateful for this community’s thoughtful words and beautiful sharing. I curated twelve of my favorite quotes of the year from active engagers, selecting one from each month’s theme. Thank you, Deb Lee, Diane Quintana, Ellen Delap, Jana Arevalo, Janet Barclay, Janet Schiesl, Jonda Beattie, Julie Bestry, Melissa Gratias, Sabrina Quairoli, Seana Turner, and Yota Schneider. You are consistent voices and participators who bring our conversations to life. I am grateful to you and everyone who reads the blog, contributes to our discussions, or shares the posts. You bring hope, light, curiosity, perspective, and learning to every day.

There have been many other conversation participators and sharers this year, including Andi Willis, Cathy Borg, Geralin Thomas, Hazel Thornton, Jill Katz, Julie Stobbe, Juliet Landau-Pope, Kim Tremblay, Laura Cullen Carter, MJ Rosenthal, Pam Holland, Phaedra Studt, Sara Skillen, and Stacey Agin Murray. Thank you for bringing richness to our conversations and for sharing your ideas.

Enjoy the year in review- one quote, insight, and revelation at a time!

12 Inspired Quotes from Our Conversations This Year That Will Make You Feel Hopeful

1. Fresh Start | How to Make Fortune Cookie Wisdom Inspire Your Fresh Start

“It really is just a question of getting started for a lot of the time. We make excuses or put up our own obstacles for why we can’t start a project or a goal. Sometimes, it’s not perfect, but you just have to jump in.”

— Jana Arevalo

2. Embrace Change | Are You Willing to Trust the Wait as You Make Your Fierce Change Journey?

“Change is inevitable. Some changes we look forward to and other changes we dread. But we all have the gift of the now and today.”

— Jonda Beattie

3. Next Step | How to Take One Next Step Now When You’re Feeling Unusually Overwhelmed

“One tiny thing is often the antidote to overwhelm and ‘Where should I start?’ Sometimes, that little thing becomes the catalyst for bigger things. Or it stays tiny but mighty and gets your thoughts and ideas (and sense of calm) flowing again.”

— Deb Lee

4. Letting Go | When Your Big Plate is Quickly Overflowing, Can You Let Go of One Thing?

“Taking that one step, letting go of that one thing, can make all the difference …
It is liberating, empowering, and often underestimated.”

— Yota Schneider

5. Clutter | What Kind of Overwhelming ‘Noise’ Does Your Clutter Actually Make?

“I think of clutter as a near-constant buzz in the background. You try to ignore it, but that takes mental resources. Silence the buzz and redeploy the resources.”

— Melissa Gratias

6. Time Management | Life Moves Really Fast, Yet Do You Appreciate the Value of a Timely Pause?

“Taking short and long breaks is vital to enjoying life.”

— Sabrina Quairoli

7. Motivation | 3 Delightful Ways to Increase Your Motivation Now

“… for me, accountability is best for professional motivation, and deadlines are better for personal (non-stress-inducing) motivation, but each of us will be different.
”

— Julie Bestry

8. Enlisting Help | 9 Marvelous Way Virtual Professional Organizers Can Help with Transitions

“It’s the ‘out of the blue’ transitions, or ones through which I am yet to tread, that are difficult. In these seasons, having others with experience makes all the difference …”

— Seana Turner

9. Mindfulness | How to Be Astoundingly Mindful, Calm, and Prepared for Your New Season

“Whatever we’re embarking on will go much more smoothly if we take the time to mindfully identify what we need in terms of human and other resources before we get started.”

— Janet Barclay

10. Possibilities | 3 Inspiring Messages of Hope That Encourage Possibilities

“Glimmers are what keep hope, possibility, and joy afloat …”

— Ellen Delap

11. Wonderfully Human | How to Joyfully Grow and Thrive When Life Feels Like Complete Chaos

“Sometimes it’s hard when you’re going through a lot to feel joyful. But hope is the light at the end of the tunnel. Without it, there is no end.”

— Janet Schiesl

12. Life Balance | 12 Hopeful and Best Loved Organizing Ideas of the Year

“All of us have so many facets to our life. Thinking about paying attention to all of them with the same focus is impossible. But when we think about intentionally bringing in a little of this and a little of that, we can create a life that works with the way we want to live.”

— Diane Quintana

These quotes were taken from our lively exchanges on the blog this year. What resonates with you? Which idea do you want to bring forward into the New Year?

How can I help make 2024 a great year? When you’re ready for support with creating a better balance, letting go of what no longer serves you, or getting more organized, I’ll be here. Contact me, Linda, by phone at 914-271-5673, by email at linda@ohsoorganized.com, or this form.

I wish you a happy, healthy, and joy-filled New Year!

At this reflective time of year, I love revisiting the past before moving ahead to the future. As part of this year-end review, I selected the best-loved organizing concepts of 2023, one from each month. I hope you discover or rediscover a seed idea that will bring inspiration and balance to your New Year.

Where will you focus to create organization and achieve your desired balance? Which people and projects will receive your time, energy, and attention? If you’re ready for a fresh start, embracing change, taking your next step, letting go, decluttering, enlisting help, and more, this is for you.

12 Hopeful and Best Loved Organizing Ideas of the Year

1. Fresh Start: Is Resistance Something That Has Paralyzed Your Fresh Start?

“What would it take?”

— Zoe Chance

2. Embrace Change: How to Make the Courageous Connection Between Risk and Change Really Helpful

“Making a change involves taking risks.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

3. Next Step: How to Take One Next Step Now When You’re Feeling Unusually Overwhelmed

“Consider the big picture, yet approach it one small step at a time.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

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4. Letting Go: When Your Big Plate is Quickly Overflowing, Can You Let Go of One Thing?

“Is there simply ‘one thing’ you can let go of, reschedule, or delegate?”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

5. Clutter: What Kind of Overwhelming ‘Noise’ Does Your Clutter Actually Make?

“Clutter can create more stress and overwhelm than you realize.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

6. Time Management: One Absolutely Effective Time Crafting Strategy to Bring You Clarity

“Time passes in the blink of an eye.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

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7. Motivation: How to Revitalize Your Motivation Now Using Helpful Progress Principle Insights

“… of all forms of human motivation, the most effective one is progress.”

— Greg McKeown

8. Enlisting Help: 7 Ways to Joyfully Enlist Help Making Decisions When You’re Really Stuck

“When all else fails, flip a coin.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

9. Mindfulness: One Simple, Positive Way to Be More Mindful During Your Day

“We’re doing now, not next.”

— Twink McKenny

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10. Possibilities - One Remarkably Brave Question to Open the Door for Possibilities

“Does this belong in my life right now?”

— Juliet Landau-Pope

11. Wonderfully Human: What is the Value in Your Life of Appreciating More Spaciousness?

“The mosaic you create is the magnificent life you get to live.”

— Cassie Holmes, Ph.D.

12. Life Balance: 5 Positive Benefits of Creating More Balance for Happy Holidays

“When your balance wanders too far in one direction, it’s time to adjust.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

My deepest gratitude for being an integral part of this vibrant community. We’ve had an incredible year of conversations and sharing. You bring learning, growth, support, and inspiration to every exchange. Thank you for participating and sharing your best each week.

What inspired you this year? Which organizing concept resonates most with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

What happens when you have so many possibilities? Do you feel overwhelmed? Do you get stuck? Are you unable to make decisions or take action? It’s terrific to have options and know there are lots of possibilities. However, when the scope is too large, the choices can feel more like a burden than an inspiration.

Last week, I attended the ICD conference near Boston with over 100 organizing colleagues from around the globe. It felt amazing to be together in person again, be with my colleagues, and meet new friends. We learned from incredible experts during seven 90-minute sessions. It was wonderful, intense, and emotional. There were sessions about dementia, hoarding, neurodiversity, ADHD, anxiety, time management, and mindset.

By the end, my brain felt drippy, like a sponge that couldn’t absorb more liquid. Of course, I want to share everything I learned with you. As I sat to write this, I got overwhelmed by the options and possibilities. So, guess what? I’m dialing it back from my 16 pages of notes to share information from five of the sessions. I hope the ideas open up something for you- a new perspective, reframe, or possibility.

5 Powerful Ways Learning Encourages Possibilities

1. DEMENTIA | “I am who I am. I’m just different.”

Beth Nolan, PhD, the Director of Research and Policy for Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care™ (PAC), said there are 100+ causes and types of dementia. One way to help is to understand while dementia “robs” the person of many things, they still have skills and strengths. Identify and focus on those.

My mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013 and passed away in 2021. While many of her abilities were compromised over those eight years, I was always inspired by what remained, like her ability to make music, play the piano, sing, and express love. She was still my mom, just different.

2. HOARDING | “Hoarding isn’t just a house problem. It’s a mental health problem.”

Dr. David Tolin, the Founder and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute for Living and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, said Hoarding Disorder became a standalone diagnosis in the 2013 DSM-5. The hallmarks of the disorder are having difficulty discarding or parting with possessions and having a visible manifestation of clutter build up with the home no longer useable for its intended purpose.

For people with Hoarding Disorder, “Saving happens because tossing is distressing, not liberating or freeing.”

Dr. Tolin shared these statistics:

• The drive to acquire and save affects 2-5% of the population worldwide.

• Hoarding Disorder is twice as common as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

• Hoarding Disorder begins at a young age (6-16) and worsens with age. It does not get better on its own.

While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most successful treatment methods for Hoarding Disorder, it is not 100% effective. Through continuing research, Dr. Tolin is committed to better understanding the psychology and biology of hoarding behavior and discovering ways to boost CBT’s efficacy.

“Saving happens because tossing is distressing, not liberating or freeing.”

— Dr. David Tolin

3. NEURODIVERSITY | “The value of life can’t and shouldn’t be based on productivity. It leaves a lot of people out.”

Devon Price, PhD, a social psychologist, professor, researcher, author, and proud Autistic person, was diagnosed with autism after finishing his PhD and experiencing “autistic burnout.”

Some of autism’s distinguishing characteristics include sensory input challenges, such as loud sounds and eye contact, which are painful. Processing is slower, but it’s a strength because they catch small details and are more detail-oriented. However, because the world moves fast, it doesn’t support how they process, so they feel more disabled.

Devon prefers identity-first language- “autistic person,” “autistic,” and “disabled person.” He said to avoid “differently abled” or “special needs.”

4. ADHD | “Successful ADHD women look successful on the outside and feel inadequate on the inside.”

Linda Roggli, PCC, creator of the ADHD Palooza series, a Professional Certified Coach, and author and founder of the A-D-Diva Network for ADHD women 40-and-better said she has an “ADHD brain.” 

The ADHD inattentive type is most prevalent in women. Some distinguishing factors include a busy brain, low energy, high worry, inability to concentrate, being distracted by one’s thoughts, daydreaming, difficulty following through and prioritizing, misplacing things, being talkative, impatient, having low self-esteem, not having great a working memory, making impulsive decisions, and feeling restless.

Roggli said understanding the impact of hormones on women with ADHD is essential. The brain works better with more estrogen. Estrogen affects dopamine. The ADHD brain lacks dopamine. Menopause decreases estrogen by 50% and keeps getting lower.

Most women with ADHD have comorbid conditions or “sidecars.” They include:

• 30-40% - 1 Depressive episode

• 50% - Learning differences

• 10-20% Bipolar

• 30% OCD

• Up to 50% - Addictions

5. ANXIETY | “The more you care, the more you worry. Anxiety means I care. You can’t teach people not to care. You can only teach how to manage anxiety.”

Dr. Alicia Clark, a psychologist and author of Hack Your Anxiety, said 40% of people experience persistent stress, and only 36% get help. She also said:

• Women suffer from anxiety 1.6 times more than men.

• Post-pandemic, anxiety and depression increased by three times.

• The visual distraction of clutter increases cognitive overload and decreases working memory.

Anxiety shows up in the “emotional landscape” of the organizing work we do with our clients. These can appear as fear of change, failure, facing emotional memory of things, letting go, and making mistakes.

Dr. Clark described four forms of anxiety – Whisper, Chatter, Nagging, and Yelling. She explained they are not all bad. Chatter anxiety is referred to as “good stress.” You can reframe anxiety and recognize that it drives motivation. She suggests using “anxiety to change what is in your control,” focusing on progress, reframing setbacks as part of the growth process, and getting adequate sleep.

Possibilities open up when we understand more about our psychological, emotional, and biological states. I was deeply moved by the presenters, the stories and insights they shared, and how they connected to many of my clients. It is a privilege to be part of their journey. I have the utmost respect and admiration for my clients’ determination and how they face their challenges.

What possibilities appeared for you? Did you discover any surprises? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

During a recent Advisor meeting with Marcy Stoudt, Executive Coach and founder of Executive Mom Nest, she talked about the great equalizer, which is the 24 hours we each have every day. We often think of those hours in terms of time management or how to best manage our time. Marcy proposed something I never heard before. Instead of thinking about time management, what if we reframed the concept to energy management? Considering this alternate perspective, you have an opportunity for less strain, better balance, and improved motivation.

Instead of focusing on the things that zap your energy, what makes you feel more energized? What are the motivating, energy-boosting activities you are already doing? What else can you incorporate into the day that feeds rather than depletes you? Most of us have at least a few activities that are demotivating and exhausting. What can you do to balance them and replenish your reserves?

Our days include:

• Having scheduled appointments

• Managing self-care basics

• Working on long or short-term projects

• Running errands

• Connecting with people and so much more.

Each requires a block of time. Instead of organizing your day by how much time things take, also consider their energy quotient. Match your higher brainpower activities with your more energetic times of the day. For the morning people like me, work on the more demanding things first. Don’t save them for the evening when your energy is low. Pay attention to what depletes you. To balance that drain, create white space in your day, incorporate rejuvenating moments, and match your natural energy rhythms to appropriate activities.

“Instead of thinking about time management, what if we reframed the concept to ‘energy’ management?”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Thinking about my own energy management, these are some of the things I do that energize and nourish me:

• I prioritize self-care through meditation, journaling, walking, doing yoga, connecting with loved ones, eating healthfully, hydrating, and getting enough sleep.

• I am intentional with my time, avoid overscheduling, and include white space. That space enables me to make smoother, less stressful transitions between appointments and activities.

• I spend time with people whose company I enjoy.

• I work with virtual organizing clients that are motivated and committed to growth and change.

• I check in with myself throughout the day, listen to what I need, and adjust accordingly.

• I stop to smell the flowers, watch the grass blow in the breeze, feel the warm summer sun on my face, and hug my husband.

• I can go fast but choose not to rush.

• I stop doing, so I can just be.

• I am mindful and present. 

Have you considered energy management? How can it transform your relation to time, pacing, and motivation? What resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.