It’s an excellent time to reflect on the past twelve months before the new year begins. 2024 had emotional, enriching, and deep conversations on the blog.

We walked together, shared tumultuous times, made exciting discoveries, and navigated life balance. In our free-flowing exchanges, insights and new perspectives emerged.

Meaningful Conversations

Our conversations about life balance, change, clutter, letting go, time management, motivation, organizing, hope, and more provided abundant comfort, connection, learning, and joy.

Thank you for being part of this community. You inspire me to show up, write, think, and engage.

Deepest Gratitude

I am profoundly grateful for your thoughtful words and generous sharing. From your comments this year, I curated twelve of my favorite insights from the most active engagers. Thank you, Ellen Delap, Janet Barclay, Janet Schiesl, Jonda Beattie, Julie Bestry, Diane Quintana, Sabrina Quairoli, Sara Skillen, Seana Turner, Sheila Delson, and Yota Schneider.

You are consistent voices and participants 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 infuse this community with hope, humor, curiosity, perspective, and learning.

Many others have contributed to our conversations this year, including Cathy Borg, Florena Davies, Hazel Thornton, Jana Arevalo, Julie Stobbe, Kim Tremblay, and Stacey Agin Murray. Thank you for enriching our exchanges and sharing your thoughts.

Enjoy the year in review- one quote at a time!

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

1. Fresh Start | What Value Does Clearing Clutter Make for Having a Powerful Fresh Start?

“Decluttering may feel like breaking the ice or melting it, depending on how much effort is needed to make that fresh start, and over how long, but it’s always worth it!”

— Julie Bestry

2. Embrace Change | How to Prompt One Helpful Ingredient to Encourage Change

“Asking ourselves if the change is worth the time and energy is a critical first step for anyone looking to try something new.”

— Sabrina Quairoli

3. Next Step | One Fantastic Strategy to Get Unstuck and Easily Take Your Next Step

“Humans are wired to work together and have been for thousands of years.”

— Sara Skillen

4. Letting Go | How to Let Go of What’s Not Working to Joyfully Make Way for What Does

“There are so many things we just put up with, whether in our business or personal lives. When we finally recognize that they’re posing problems and take action, the results are amazing!”

— Janet Barclay

5. Clutter | One Excellent Tool to Assess Clutter’s Impact on Your Mental Health

“Understanding the impact clutter has on our mental health is the first step to doing something about it.”

— Diane Quintana

6. Time Management | 3 Time Management Strategies That Will Make Your Life More Happy

“When it comes to boundaries, I have learned there is a fine balance between building a boundary and building a wall.”

— Yota Schneider

7. Motivation | How Is Chocolate Helpful with Being Motivated to Get Organized?

“The idea of compelling motivation is a powerful concept.”

— Ellen Delap

8. Enlisting Help | Here Are Today’s Interesting and Best Enlisting Help Discoveries – v46

“I am doing a lot of asking for help as there are no alternatives. It’s not my typical ‘shoe to wear,’ but I hope to wear it gracefully.”

— Seana Turner

9. Virtual Organizing | How to Use Virtual Organizing as the Bridge to Help You Achieve Your Goals

“Virtual organizing delivers many gaps when professionally delivered.”

— Sheila Delson

10. Possibilities | 3 Positive Ways Getting Organized Will Reduce Suffering and Improve Your Well-Being

“Reducing suffering by reducing stuff (stuffering?), whether it’s tangible or temporal, is lifesaving.”

— Julie Bestry

11. Wonderfully Human | 4 Ways to Enjoy Thanksgiving More with Some Remarkable Ease

“Be imperfect, make it simple, notice the moments, and find gratitude.”

— Janet Schiesl

12. Life Balance | One Insightful Question to Bring a Joyful Balance Into Your Life

“I am making changes to my practices over the holiday and just doing a general reset in my life.”

— Jonda Beattie

Past Reflections and Future Possibilities

What was most significant for you this year? Is there one quote that resonates most with you? What area of focus do you want to bring into the New Year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

How Can I Help?

Let’s make 2025 a great year! Do you want support in creating a better balance, letting go of what no longer serves you, or getting more organized? I’m ready to help. Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward. A local feel with a global reach.

Please schedule a Discovery Call, email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, or call 914-271-5673. Let me help you create the calm you deserve.

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

As this year winds down, I appreciate reflecting on the past before moving ahead to the future. For part of the year-end review, I selected my favorite organizing concepts from 2024, 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 on creating organization and 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 Promising and Best Loved Organizing Ideas of the Year

1. Fresh Start – Your Fresh Start Begins With One Small, Courageous Step

“It takes courage to move forward when you’re overwhelmed.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

2. Embrace Change – How 3 Helpful Changes Can Make Positive Differences in Your Life

“Yes starts the process of change. Yet keeps it going.”

— Sharon Saline, Psy.D.

3. Next Step – Here Are Today’s Most Interesting and Best Next Step Discoveries – v44

“One small step in the face of fear is enough to dispel its hold on you.”

— Todd Henry

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4. Letting Go – One Easy and Excellent Strategy for Quickly Letting Go

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

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

5. Clutter - What Does Your Clutter Feel Like? One Client Shares Insights

“Clutter creates chronic inflammation.”

— Oh, So Organized! Client

6. Time Management – What Astounding Growth and Change Can Happen When You Make Time?

“Progress is noticeable when you make a time investment.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

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7. Motivation - How One Simple Question Will Motivate You When You’re Not

“What’s a quick completion?”

— Cameron Gott, PCC

8. Enlisting Help – When Facing Something Difficult, Do You Procrastinate or Ask for Help?

“You don’t have to do everything yourself.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

9. Virtual Organizing – Virtual Organizing: Everything You Want to Know and Why It Benefits You

“Virtual organizing is a flexible, creative, collaborative process.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

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10. Possibilities – New Exciting Bedroom Fun Look Transformation: From Possibility to Reality

“Bringing possibilities to fruition is gratifying.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

11. Wonderfully Human – 3 Ways to Joyfully Prepare for a Compassionate Holiday Season

“We don’t have to be perfect.”

— James Clear

12. Life Balance – How to Create Your Happy Life Balance Using Circles of Influence & Control

“There’s immense power in knowing which things in our lives we can and can’t control.”

— Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler

Grateful for You

Thank you for being an integral part of this vibrant community. I am deeply grateful to you. 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 the best of who you are.

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.

How Can I Help?

Do you want help decluttering, organizing, planning, or creating more balance? I’d love to help! Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – A local feel with a global reach.

Please schedule a Discovery Call, email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, or call 914-271-5673. Organization, balance, and ease are possible, especially with support.

Inspiration abounds. The fall season in the northeast profoundly influences my thoughts about possibilities. Seeing the bold color shift to saturated yellows, oranges, and reds encourages me to seek change.

Last week, I wrote about my guest bedroom makeover. I considered what was possible, turned those ideas into reality, and was motivated to make more changes.

I made additional unplanned tweaks and changes that were outgrowths influenced by the bedroom project. When you disrupt an area, physical space, and objects are moved. This spatial churning also affects thoughts. Undoing what was in one room opened my mind to seeing and experimenting in other areas.

Sometimes, you feel set and don’t have the need or desire to change anything. Those times can last for brief periods, months, or years. At a point, though, something will interrupt that state. You are ready to try something different, reorganize systems, or make significant life shifts.

Possibilities infiltrate your thoughts. When possibilities are paired with action, change occurs.

3 Unexpected Outcomes from Possibility Thinking

1. Discover Giddy, Joyful Ease

I’ll admit this openly: I love decorative pillows. They’re textural and colorful and instantly change the look of a room. Typically, I have no less than five pillows adorning the sofa or beds.

As you might imagine, keeping the pillows fluffed and arranged can be a pain. Plus, you need extra time to undo and make the beds—pillows off, pillows on. However, I was happy to do the pillow maintenance dance because I loved how they looked and felt. I was willing until recently.

When I transformed the guest bedroom, I rethought the decorative pillow arrangement on that bed. That encouraged me to reconsider the pillow situation in our bedroom. I’m almost embarrassed to say, but we had ten pillows, only two of which we used for sleep. As I write this, I’m laughing out loud. I never counted them up before. Ten pillows are ridiculous.

My supportive husband has always accepted my pillow obsession but recently started questioning their necessity. Between his input and my desire to reimagine other areas of our home, I felt emboldened to change things.

Our bed now has only four sleep pillows and one decorative pillow. I feel giddy, even joyful, when I undo the bed at night or make it in the morning. It’s so easy that it almost feels wrong. I love it!

It took a change in one room to open my mind to possibilities in other areas. The wheels continue to turn.

“When you release what is unnecessary, you clear the path for possibilities.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

2. Create Organization and Accessibility

One of the most fabulous products I discovered during the bedroom renovation was the Elfa® drawer dividers. We redid the guest bedroom closet with an Elfa® system from The Container Store. The designer suggested using the drawer dividers. I loved them so much that I purchased more for other areas where I have Elfa® drawers.

I showcased them in the tea bag overflow drawer a few weeks ago. Since then, I decided to reorganize the gift wrap supply drawers using the dividers. Instead of the gift bags, tags, ribbons, and other supplies moving around each time I opened a drawer, the dividers keep items better organized and securely in place.

Since the drawer organization upgrade, I’ve wrapped a few gifts. It was so easy and fun! The supplies are more visible, accessible, and visually pleasing.

Enjoy this fun video, which demonstrates how easy the drawer dividers are to install.

3. Right-Size Your Stuff

I often discuss how letting go of things that have overstayed their welcome makes space for more of what you want in your life. Clutter or extra stuff you never use takes up physical and emotional space. When you release what is unnecessary, you clear the path for possibilities.

When we emptied the guest bedroom, it gave me pause to assess the removed items and make decisions about their future. I did ‘the edit’ and engaged in various questions to help me evaluate what to keep or let go. I asked letting go questions, including:

• Does this fit or belong in the newly reimagined space?

• Will I use it?

• Do I still like it?

• Could it go somewhere else?

• Is it time to let it go?

• Has it served its purpose and is no longer necessary?

I made decisions. Cardboard storage boxes were recycled and replaced with new containers. Some furniture, art, home goods, boxes, and decorative pillows (yes, those!) will be sold or donated.

Currently, I still have a pile of items waiting to be gone. Getting them out requires my time and attention. Using Facebook Marketplace, GreenDrop, or the Buy Nothing Group, things will exit. I am confident in my decisions and ready to release things.

This process began with thinking about possibilities in one space and resulted in letting go of things that are no longer needed. It feels good and will feel even better when the pile is gone.

What Possibilities Are Ahead?

What no longer works for you? What becomes possible with a slight tweak? What possibility will inspire more organization and ease into your life? How can letting go create a path for new opportunities? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Are you ready to move forward, get organized, and live with more ease? If so, I’m here to help. Please email me at linda@ohsorganized.com or call 914-271-5673. Turning possibilities into reality is achievable, especially with support.

This is the newest release (v47) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature, with my latest finds that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. These unique, inspiring possibility discoveries reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are an engaged, vibrant, and generous group. I am deeply grateful for your ongoing presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced.

What do you find interesting?

“Consistent action will create the possibilities you desire.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

What’s Interesting? – 5 Best Possibilities Discoveries

1. Interesting Workshop – Decluttering Possibilities

Are you overwhelmed by clutter? If so, you’re not alone. One in four people have clutter challenges, which can affect anxiety levels, relationships, and ability to focus. What would be possible if you had a path forward?

I’m thrilled to offer this popular one-hour live Zoom workshop, How to Conquer Clutter, on October 17th from 7:00-8:00 pm Eastern. Discover where clutter comes from, why it’s so hard to let go, and what you can do about it.

You’ll come away with manageable clutter-reducing strategies, energizing possibilities, and powerful insights. Reserve your spot today!

2. Interesting Read – Completing Possibilities

Are you a great starter yet have difficulty finishing? You get 95% done and then feel challenged completing that last 5%.

Finish – Give Yourself the Art of Done by best-selling author and speaker Jon Acuff says he used to think people’s biggest challenge was the fear of getting started. While he recognizes that the “beginning is significant,” the “finish” matters more.

Through workshops and research, Acuff discovered that “what it takes to really finish are so counterintuitive that most of them will feel like shortcuts.” He said the “less that people aimed for perfect, the more productive they became.”

Working harder isn’t the answer. Embracing and becoming tolerant of imperfection is a “key factor in turning chronic starters into consistent finishers. Chronic starters quit the day after perfect.”

Finish is filled with valuable reframes and strategies. For example, you might think the opposite of perfectionism is failure. Acuff suggests, “It’s not. The opposite is finished.”

Does completion seem more possible now?

3. Interesting Resource – Selling Possibilities

Do you have digital devices like cell phones, computers, CDs, DVDs, games, and other tech equipment you no longer want? Do you need help disposing of them responsibly and efficiently? A possibility is here!

Decluttr is an excellent resource for helping you recycle and make some cash. Decluttr will buy your old devices and tech items that are broken or in working condition. They make it easy with this three-step process:

• Sell It – Get an instant price for your tech.

• Send It – Send your stuff for free.

• Spend It – Get paid by direct deposit or PayPal.

In addition to buying tech items, Decluttr also buys and recycles college, school, textbooks, and children’s books.

4. Interesting Product – Focusing Possibilities

I love getting things done as much as the next person. However, what happens when you have so much to do that you feel overwhelmed and stuck? One possibility is to reduce the scope.

Using this cute “Today’s Top Three” mini list from Noted by Post-It®, you can narrow your focus to only three items. What? Just three, you say? Yes! Rein it in. Pick three doable tasks you can make progress on today.

You'll feel confident in what is possible when you take small actions and experience progress. Which will be your top three for today?

5. Interesting Thought – Imagining Possibilities

If things are the want you want them to be, that’s OK. Each day presents an opportunity to imagine, dream, and engage in what’s possible.

While thinking is essential to moving forward, it’s only the beginning. Thought plus action equals progress. Consistent action will create the possibilities you desire.

Let today be the start of what’s possible.

Can you share one possibility-related discovery? Which of these resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

Do you want help getting unstuck, reducing overwhelm, getting organized, and focusing on possibilities? If so, I’m here for you. Contact me, Linda, at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Progress is possible, especially with support.