We’re in the last week of this year and in full holiday mode. You may feel stressed, calm, conflicted, anxious navigating holiday dynamics, sad, lonely, ready for company, happy this year is almost over, excited about your plans for next, grateful, ambivalent, uncertain, exhausted, or off-balance. No matter where you are or what you are feeling, increasing your joy awareness will have a positive outcome. In fact, experiencing more joy will bring a powerful counter-balance to life’s challenges.

One of the highlights of my week is a regular meeting I have with the Executive Mom Nest advisors and members. Marcy Stoudt, the Nest founder, developed a four-pillar concept, which she integrates into our gatherings and her coaching work.

The pillars are:

• Vivid Vision

• Aligned Action

• Growth Mindset

• Prioritizing Joy

During our last meeting, we focused on the pillar, Prioritizing Joy. She asked us to bring forward the “feeling of joy” by listing things that make you feel “comforted, present, inspired, and just plain good.” This was such a powerful thing to do. I encourage you to take a few minutes to create your own list.

“Joy brings a powerful counter-balance to life’s challenges.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Here are fifty ways joy finds me:

1. Discovering bright spots of color in the bare winter landscape 

2. Putting on my new cozy purple slippers

3. Receiving an unexpected call or text from my kids

4. Hugging my husband

5. Having a deep conversation with a dear friend or loved one

6. Creating a colorful meal

7. Taking my first sip of morning coffee

8. Seeing twinkling lights, sparkles, and glitter

9. Clearing, cleaning, letting go, and organizing

10. Touching velvet

11. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables

12. Spotting a sign of spring like the first purple crocus that appears outside of our dining room window

13. Moisturizing, hydrating, and taking care of myself

14. Writing

15. Walking in the woods

16. Tending to my mini herb garden and flower pots

17. Watching the first big snow of the season

18. Wigging my toes in the sandy beach while hearing and seeing the ocean waves flow

19. Experiencing anything water-related – seeing, hearing, being, or playing in it

20. Doing yoga

21. Practicing mindfulness meditation

22. Having virtual organizing sessions with clients

23. Learning something new

24. Baking

25. Getting a massage

26. Seeing the light and patterns dance along surfaces

27. Swimming

28. Changing into my PJs

29. Taking photos and videos

30. Smelling lemons

31. Putting fresh flowers around my house

32. Feeling the sun on my skin

33. Watching, smelling, and listening to the crackling sounds of a fire

34. Getting into our cozy bed at the end of the day

35. Burning my favorite scented candles

36. Reading a book curled up on the sofa wrapped in a soft blanket 

37. Understanding something in a new way

38. Sharing something I love with someone I love

39. Humming

40. Sipping a cold iced tea with lemon on a hot day

41. Having a guilt-free “blob” day

42. Spending time with our family and friends

43. Setting a beautiful table

44. Seeing something I never noticed before

45. Traveling to somewhere new or familiar

46. Holding hands with my husband

47. Hearing birds chirping

48. Seeing gorgeous colors

49. Reading the hang tags on my Yogi Tea or the fortunes in my Fortune Cookies

50. Laughing so hard that tears roll down my cheeks

When we prioritize joy, we increase our awareness of tiny moments, which will bring more balance, resilience, and happiness into our lives. These moments are there for you, waiting to be noticed and embraced. What are a few things on your “joy” list? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. Who knew that a quick overnight trip this past weekend would provide me with an idea for this week’s post?

After a long drive to Maryland, my husband and I arrived late Saturday night at the Courtyard Marriott. We had a family gathering to attend the following day.  We settled into our room. I got into bed and was about to read when I noticed a small pad of lined paper next to me on the bedside table provided by the hotel. The top of the pad had a title with a question below it:

“ACCOMPLISHED LIST.

Much more gratifying than a to-do list, don’t you think?”

I always enjoy surprise messages like this. I’ve seen ones on Yogi tea bag tags, the tape on the wrappers that hold the sandwiches together at Starbucks, and of course in fortune cookies. These notes sometimes make me laugh, or pause and think.

What about the “Accomplished List?” I love the possibilities that the pad suggested. Instead of writing down the things that you want to, need to, have to do on a particular day, it’s suggesting that you take inventory of what you already accomplished. If you are like me, you didn’t complete everything on your list, but you probably did a lot. We often tend to focus on what we didn’t do rather than what we did do.

What a lovely way to end the day, week or month with focusing on the positive! To-do lists are great for setting expectations, reaching goals, and imagining possibilities. The “Accomplished List” encourages you to reflect on and appreciate what you chose to complete.

It might be the beginning, middle or end of your day. Pause to jot down what you accomplished today, yesterday or last week. What are you most proud of? Come join the conversation to add your thoughts and share your most satisfying items from your accomplished list.

I like many things. One of them is Yogi Tea. While the tea is delicious, what I like most are the sayings they put on every tea bag hangtag. Each time I make a cup of tea, it’s like opening a fortune cookie, which I also love. There is a moment of anticipation as I grab my glasses to read the Yogi Tea wisdom. I pause to reflect about the idea.

At a recent teatime, the hangtag said, “True wealth is the ability to let go of your possessions.”  Since we’ve just begun our first full month of spring and my blog will be focusing this month about letting go, it seemed like the ideal time to share the Yogi Tea bag story.

It’s an interesting quote because in our society, the message emphasized is often about collecting, gathering and acquiring bigger and better. Marketers encourage us to accumulate more money and stuff.

In contrast, as a professional organizer for almost 20 years, I’ve been helping people manage, organize and de-acquire their things. The amount of papers, toys, clothing, collections and supplies have become overwhelming for many.  People crave simplicity and calm both internally and externally. The acquisition and management of those possessions is often at the root of much of their daily stress and anxiety.

The Yogi quote also made me think about who we are in relation to our things. Do our possessions define who we are? Or, is our true self worth deep within, having nothing to do with what we own, how we dress, or the things that surround us?

Lastly, I wonder if our things have taken over our lives to the degree that they are preventing us from moving ahead. What about the idea of letting go in order to be able to go forward? Are your things preventing growth? Are they taking up too much mental energy, time and space? Are they taking you away from what is most important to you?

All I wanted was a cup of tea. I got so much more.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on letting go, the tea quote or anything else you’d like to share. What are you thinking?

Let’s celebrate and get excited! The Ultimate Organizing Giveaway is here! I’ve put together some of my favorite organizing products and books that are fun and fabulous. We’re talking Peter Walsh’sIt’s All Too Much, The Container Store $50 gift certificate, Tate’s mouth watering Chocolate Chip Cookies and much, much more!

An enormous “thank you” to all the fantastic current and soon to be Oh, So Organized! Facebook fans, Twitter followers @LindaSamuels and The Other Side of Organized e-newsletter subscribers. My deepest gratitude for your wonderful feedback, tweets, posts, reviews and support. If you haven’t already done so, I personally invite you to join in the conversation and of course, enter the contest!

The Ultimate Organizing Giveaway of goodies was selected to organize, relax, delight and inspire you! It’s worth over $250 and includes:

• It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh

• The Container Store $50 gift card

• “NothingElse.pad” from Buttoned Up

• One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Mauer PhD

• “I will do one thing today.” sticky notes from Pretty Bitter

• “Temperature Task” clips & “Do, Ponder, File” folders from Knock Knock

• Being Perfect by Anna Quindlen

• “Forget Me Not” doorknob pad & “Work/Life Reminder” magnets from See Jane Work

• Limited editionThe Other Side of Organizedcoffee mug and pencils

• “Relaxed Mind” Yogi Tea

• “To-Do Tattoo” from Fred & Friends

• World’s best Chocolate Chip Cookies from Tate’s

• The Other Side of Organized by Linda Samuels (autographed copy)

• The Container Store’s large black Tribeca bin organizes all of the above

• BONUS prizes just added 11/10/10:3 additional winners will receive the brand new, highly anticipated book, Lighten Up by Peter Walsh(release date Dec 2010)

I know you can’t wait to win this handpicked selection of my favorites! You have multiple ways to enter – and the more you do, the more chances you have to win. The giveaway starts on November 1st. The winner will be picked on November 11th (my birthday.) There’s no time like the present to enter. Keep reading and act now!

Rules of the contest:

1. Become an Oh, So Organized! Facebook fan (if you’re already a fan, you’re already entered to win)

2. Follow me on Twitter (again, if you’re a current follower, you’re entered!)

3. Subscribe to the Oh, So Organized! e-newsletter to get inspired and motivated! (and yes, if you’re a current subscriber, you’re entered!)

4. Comment on this blog post below with your favorite thing from the basket you’re most excited about

5. Share the contest! Post it on Facebook and tag the Oh, So Organized! Facebook page and/or Re-tweet it on Twitter and include @LindaSamuels when you do!

6. For 5 Bonus Entries, order The Other Side of Organized from Amazon and email me your receipt to linda@ohsoorganized.com

If you do all of the above – voila! Your name is entered 10 times to win! (5 times if you do everything but order the book)

Tons of chances to win - Good luck!