This week is Thanksgiving. We’re experiencing a collective array of emotions such as sadness and disappointment because we can’t celebrate in person with our family and friends. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, we might feel joy and resolve that we’ve figured out new ways to mark the holidays. This isn’t a normal holiday season with the pandemic still in full force. I don’t know about you, but as someone who looks forward to our family tradition of hosting a large Thanksgiving gathering, I struggled with not having it this year.

Recently, during a conversation with our oldest daughter, Allison, she said that we’re experiencing a collective cognitive dissonance. What our heart wants and what our mind knows the safe choice to be is in conflict. In that one sentence, she summed up what I was feeling. This push-pull of what I wanted versus what I knew was the right thing to do. I’m not judging. People will decide what “right” means for them. For our family, it meant not having an in-person gathering.

How do we shift from a place of sadness to one where we can enjoy this season in the midst of a pandemic? I have a five ideas to help. I’d love to know what you are experiencing and planning, so please share your stories too.

5 Ways to Enjoy Pandemic-Time Holidays

Express Gratitude

We often refer to this time of year as the season of gratitude. Let’s focus on gratitude for what is, instead of what isn’t. We can feel grateful for the people we love, even if we can’t be physically together. Those who have found ways to safely gather, and we can be grateful for our smaller pods. Gratitude is present in our connections, love, good health, breath, and humanity. There is so much to be grateful for, even during a pandemic. 

Give Permission

My friend and colleague, Yota Schneider, offered a “Home for the Holidays” retreat to create a space for people to process their thoughts and feelings about this atypical holiday season. I signed up, and it was just what I needed. I felt camaraderie with the other attendees as we shared our challenges, ideas, and possibilities. Yota is so wise. She said, “Our capacity for love and celebration cannot be diminished.” She asked us to consider, “Can I give myself permission to celebrate in a new way?”  At that moment, something released within me. I wrote down, “Permission granted.  – Linda S.” That single question helped me open my heart and thoughts, and to gift myself permission to lean into celebration without judgment, doubt, or reservation.

“Our capacity for love and celebration cannot be diminished.”

— Yota Schneider

Get Creative

Maybe you’re like me, and you’re not having a large Thanksgiving gathering this year. My husband and I have hosted this holiday for many years, and it’s one we love and look forward to. To keep everyone safe, we knew it was a no-go. With help from our daughters, we figured out another way of celebrating. We’re having a virtual Thanksgiving meal with our daughters and their partners.

We’ll cook in advance in our own homes. We’ve exchanged one recipe each and will make those basic four recipes and then anything else we want for our meals. We’ll have the same “shared” food and some different dishes too- sausage stuffing from Steve, a special salad from Allison, brown butter cardamom cookies from Cassie, and cranberry sauce from yours truly. Then on Zoom, we’ll eat, talk, toast from our homes, and be together in a safe yet connected way.

We also set up two Zoom calls for the Friday after Thanksgiving to “be together” with our kids, siblings, nieces, and nephews.

Make Favorites

Aside from being with family and friends, Thanksgiving is about the food. I’m salivating just thinking about the smells and tastes of turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and apple and pumpkin pies. Steve and I realized that we could still make our favorite dishes even if we didn’t have the entire crew over. Why not? Since it will just be the two of us, I thought that I should scale back and only make one pie. But I’m going to lean in, go for it, and make both. It’s not just about eating, but the enjoyment of baking too. We’ll have lots of yummy leftovers.

“The initial sadness for not being able to gather has morphed into positive anticipation for the ways we’ve reimagined the holiday.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

Anticipate Celebration

The unexpected outcome is that I’m now enjoying texting, emailing, and talking with the family about our virtual get-togethers and plans. Everyone is happy that we’ve found a way to share the love and connect, even from a distance. My heart feels full, like it usually does before, during, and after in-person events. I’m feeling that holiday spirit and extra warmth that comes from spending time with our family. The initial sadness for not being able to gather has morphed into positive anticipation. I’m looking forward to the way we reimagined Thanksgiving this year. 

How are you doing with your holiday planning? Will your holidays be different this year, or the same as usual? What changes have you made? What are you looking forward to? I’d love to hear your thoughts and stories. I invite you to join the conversation.

There is an undercurrent now of intense change and anxiety in our lives, which influences how we feel. However, even with the pandemic, political, social, economic, and personal angst, other changes are happening, which inspire positive possibilities. As a visually-oriented person, I am in awe of the fall landscape shifts, which amaze and delight my being. 

Each day I discover something new. Maybe some leaves change to yellow, orange, or red. A tree bursting with bright colors one day is letting go of its’ leaves the next.

Fall is an active, robust, and inspiring season of change. It sets the stage for possibilities, as nature cues us to follow her lead. Are you sensing the nudge?

This season I have several things going on personally and professionally. It’s an exciting time. Our youngest daughter, Cassie, is getting married this week. Talk about possibilities! She’s about to embark on married life, and we will officially welcome our new son to the family. Since the celebration will be at our home, my husband and I have been getting the house wedding-ready. We’ve been organizing, decluttering, cleaning, and painting. Yes. Organizers need to declutter too. There is nothing quite as motivating as having a party to get things done. 

“Fall sets the stage for possibilities, as nature cues us to follow her lead.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

In the organizing world, I’m looking forward to attending several conferences, virtually, of course. I’m also continuing to do virtual organizing sessions with existing and new clients. It’s exciting to support them as they navigate change and possibilities.

Are you anticipating possibilities? What will this season bring? What inspires you? What are you looking forward to doing, accomplishing, or experiencing this season? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!

The most common reason clients ask me for organizing help is they feel overwhelmed or stuck. They have a deep desire to move forward and take action, yet those next steps feel elusive. I love helping them take a deep breath in, exhale out, and discover next. It’s exciting when their energy unleashes, and they take action on what seemed impossible. Once they begin and see progress, momentum takes over. It’s as if a switch gets flipped from “I can’t” to “I’m doing it!”

This past weekend I worked on a project in our greenhouse with my husband. Much like my clients, I felt that same energy surge and momentum they experience when their next step and goal is clear.

Here is what happened.

As some of you already know, our youngest daughter, Cassie, is getting married to Matthew in the fall. The complexities of the pandemic made them alter their wedding plans. They kept their original date but opted for a small wedding at our house instead of the larger celebration at the venue they had reserved. While they are planning and organizing the entire event, there are a few things Steve and I need to do to prepare our home. One of those to-do list items was power washing the greenhouse floor. In the past, we’ve hired someone to do it. This time, however, we decided to buy a machine and clean it ourselves.

My husband wasn’t ready to start the project, but he wanted to test the machine to see if it would work. He set it up and began experimenting. Several minutes later, he asked me to check out what was happening. I couldn’t believe how well the power washer worked. And then Steve said those five little words, “Do you want to try it?”  He handed me the wand, and I gave it a go.  That’s when it happened. It was like magic. Within moments, the force of the water pressure removed the dirt and moss from the brick floor. I couldn’t believe my eyes. 

“When you are stuck, reach out for help.””

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

Doing the power washing was a different experience than watching someone else do the work. It was so satisfying to make and see the change happening before my eyes. I was hooked and driven. Momentum took over. Going brick by brick, section by section, I spent the afternoon power washing with Steve. We took turns, although truthfully, I was the power washer hog. While I washed, Steve moved things around to expose other parts of the floor. We helped each other while laughing and smiling as we transformed the space. It was even a bit messy, like how the organizing process can be. But in the end, we had one clean floor.

The takeaway here is that when you are stuck, reach out for help. When your next step and goal gets clarified, you will be unstoppable. Unleash your magic power that comes from taking action.

What positive enlisting help experience have you had? What encouraged you to reach out for help? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!

As I’m just back from our summer vacation in Maine, I have to admit that my motivation to jump into regular activities (like writing and working on the next projects) hasn’t quite kicked in yet. Vacation mode of waking up without an alarm, wearing no watch, spending uninterrupted time with my family, and exploring new places continues to permeate my heart and mind.

I don’t know about you, but I like to give myself one full day post-vacation to unpack, do laundry, return calls, go through snail mail and email before resuming my normal pace. As I settle in to write this post, I have a vacation motivation experience I’d like to share with you.

I wouldn’t describe myself as athletic.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy a long walk, swimming or an occasional bike ride, but you won’t find me actively engaged in sports. I prefer gentle exercise and stretching.

How Three Mountains Boosted Motivation

Mohegan Island

During this vacation, there was a lot of exploring. We walked all over. Maine is such a gorgeous place with beautiful seascapes, rocky shores, and wonderfully lush terrain. For those that love to hike, it’s a paradise. Before our children joined us mid-week, my husband and I took an easy hike to the top of Monhegan Island. What a gorgeous, magical place. No cars are allowed on the island. It’s quiet and peaceful with an abundance of wildflowers gracing the hills. If you ever have a chance to travel there, which involves a ferry ride, definitely go.

While I was huffing and puffing a little bit, I made it to the top of the cliff. We sat and enjoyed our lunch. There were amazing views several hundred feet above sea level of blue sky above and water crashing against the shore below. The sun was bright. Sounds of rushing waves and seagulls squawking could be heard. One seagull decided to accompany us for lunch as we sat on the cliff’s edge. I think he was hoping for some scraps.

Cadillac Mountain

A few days later, the family took a trip to Acadia National Park. Our first stop was Cadillac Mountain with breathtaking 360-degree views of Mount Desert Island.  We did some walking off of the path and onto the sides of the cliffs. It was fairly easy, although you had to watch your footing. 

Champlain Mountain

Following that we took a longer hike to the top of Champlain Mountain. It was a 2.2-mile round trip hike, which seemed doable. We thought it was going to be on level ground and relatively easy. None of us realized beforehand that the hike was an uphill climb on uneven paths and involved vertically climbing the rocks at some points. Remember before when I said I wasn’t athletic? So as you might imagine, this was especially challenging for me. Our kids and their partners (30 years younger,) climbed easily and were way ahead of my husband and I. While I kept going, taking short breaks as needed, I was getting physically tired and wasn't sure I could make it to the top. Doubt set in.

Every so often, one of the kids would double back to check on us. Or, they’d call out to encourage us that we were getting close and almost there. At one point, my husband asked me if I wanted to stop and head back down. He knew I was having a hard time. However, I knew I was closer to the top than the bottom. I was determined and motivated to meet the family at the top. The last stretch was especially challenging, as it was almost a straight climb up without shade on sometimes-slippery rocks.

My husband climbed behind me to make sure I was OK. But I was slowing up even more. I asked him to climb in front of me to help give me the visual motivation and pacing that I needed to reach the top. We finally arrived. The kids were waiting and cheered us on.  The views were incredible and well worth the effort. 

So what kept me motivated to keep going?

There were a few things . . .

First there was the accountability piece: people were waiting for me. Secondly, the goal was within reach. It required that I push myself beyond my normal limits to get there. Isn’t that often the case? We’re so close to our goal and then we just give up. Yet when we do push through, it feels exhilarating. Lastly, there was the celebration. The woohooing, cheering and picture taking helped to commemorate the goal. When we’re struggling with motivation, our goal isn’t always so clear. The next time I’m feeling challenged, I’m going to conjure up images of climbing Champlain Mountain along with that wonderful feeling of making it to the top. We often need to reach beyond our comfort zone to arrive at our destination.

Do you have an image or story that you use to help motivate you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!