We’re halfway through the first month of the New Year. How are you doing with your fresh start and goal setting, planning, new habits, or resolutions? Making time to set goals, write them down, and implement them is integral to how some function. However, for many of us, planning is elusive, or our intentions quickly get derailed.

Does this sound familiar? You want more organization and less clutter, so you commit to decluttering and organizing your entire house. While the goal is doable, it’s so big that you feel overwhelmed and unmotivated. You give up and go down that negative self-talk path. What if you had the right support to help you clarify what is most important, create a doable way to reach your goals, and provide accountability and advice? Can you feel the big exhale?  

It’s all about surrounding yourself with people that will help you thrive. Marcy Stoudt, the founder of The Executive Mom Nest, understands the value of teams. She launched The Nest, an exclusive network of women whose vision of success includes career, family, and self. The Nest is a unique and trusting community for new moms to explore ideas, ask for feedback, and seek advice. Members have access to Advisors in diverse industries, including marketing, finance, design, nutrition, life coaching, and organization.

“Surround yourself with people that will help you thrive.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

I’m thrilled that Marcy invited me to join the Executive Mom Nest as their Professional Organizer Advisor. To celebrate the New Year, The Nest has an incredible giveaway that I’m participating in, and excited to share with you. 

Fabulous ‘New Year, New Me’ Giveaway

Giveaway Description:

The Executive Mom Nest’s ‘New Year, New Me’ giveaway provides you with support and guidance to become the best version of yourself as a mom, businesswoman, and mompreneur. It’s a chance to close the gap between who you are and who you want to be. Bring harmony to your career and home.

Prizes: 

The giveaway winner will receive three amazing prizes from Nest Advisors:

• A one-hour virtual organizing session with Oh, So Organized!, and a signed copy of the book, The Other Side of Organized – courtesy of Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

• A business introduction video paired with branded graphics for social media – courtesy of Branded Interviews, Alison Nissen

• A one-hour executive coaching session with Marcy Stoudt – courtesy of Revel Coach

Rules for Entry:

• Follow Executive Mom Nest on Instagram.

• Tag three friends in the comments on the Giveaway post.

• Get a bonus entry if you share the post to your Instagram Story.

• The giveaway closes on January 22, 2021, and the winner will be contacted shortly after.

How are you doing with your New Year plans? Have you taken on any new projects or goals this year? Have you run into any snags? Who is on your success team? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation by adding your comments below, and pop over to Instagram to enter The Executive Mom Nest giveaway.

Marie Potter and Linda SamuelsHave you ever wondered how to foster possibilities? Is it about the things we do? Is it about the things we hear? Is it about the relationships we cultivate, the people we interact with, or the experiences we are open to? Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes!

I just returned from attending my first POC (Professional Organizers in Canada) conference in Calgary. It was wonderful! The POC members are such a warm, welcoming group who enjoy learning and having a great time together. A special shout out and thanks to Kelly Hipkin, Georgina Forrest, and Stephanie Deakin for the many ways you made me feel welcome.

Mayumi Takahara, Linda Samuels, Mary Dkystra-Novess, Alexandra Ross, Stephanie Deakin, Valentina Sgro, Junko Bradley

It was also wonderful to spend time with leaders from IFPOA (International Federation of Professional Organizing Associations) to discuss the challenges and successes other organizing associations have. Represented were colleagues from Canada, Japan, the United States, and Australia. Heartfelt gratitude and thanks to Stephanie, Alexandra, Mayumi, Mary, Val, and Amanda for bringing your best to the table.

April Miller, Linda Samuels, Laurene Livesey ParkWhile I enjoyed learning about many topics including marketing, goal setting, accountability, disorganization, social media, and technology, what I most loved was meeting new people and strengthening relationships with existing ICD, NAPO, and POC friends and colleagues.

Fostering possibilities is the same as nurturing relationships. They both involve being open and curious, and investing time and energy. As was underscored while in Calgary, the bonds we form with others happen casually and purposefully over coffee, sharing meals, while learning together, listening, observing, while discussing kids, travel, and organizing, while driving from place to place, during elevator rides, waiting in airports, while hanging out after hours, while laughing, dancing, or taking photos. Relationships get nurtured and formed as possibilities are being fostered.

Kelly Hipkin and Linda Samuels

There are many photos from my time in Calgary; some I’ve shared here with you. One of my favorite images is by Mary Dkystra-Novess, NAPO President. She captured a joyful moment of fun when Marie Potter and myself were hugging and posing (feather boas intertwined) at the photo booth during the Awards Dinner. I met Marie last month in Nashville at the ICD conference and we became fast friends. We saw each other again this past week at the POC conference. To me this photo captures the essence of what can happen when you foster possibilities.

Georgina Forrest and Linda Samuels

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation. How do you foster possibilities?

So here we are, half way through the first month of the New Year. The time has zoomed by since January first! How are you doing with your goals and resolutions for 2010? Maybe you haven’t taken the time yet to set goals for this year. Or, perhaps you set your goals, but have been distracted by living life as you know it instead of focusing on the changes you want to make.

I am definitely in the latter group. I’ve set my goals, but have been doing more thinking and processing than acting. I’ve realized that some goals I will be able to accomplish on my own, while others, I will need to enlist help to complete.

When I published my book this past year, I did a lot of the beginning work myself. My manuscript was mostly written; I’d researched various book publishing options and resources. But at a point, I knew that the project would not move ahead any further without building a team of people that had expertise beyond what I knew. Once I gathered the team, the project moved along quickly. Enlisting the right help was an essential ingredient in achieving my goal.

Change is difficult for most of us. We have a vision of where we are headed and then have to figure out how we’re going to get there. This can involve many things like altering habits, learning new things, getting help in areas we are less proficient and maintaining the energy and focus needed to propel ourselves forward. This process takes time and patience.

So as month one of the New Year is about to end, use these next few weeks to plan, refocus and figure out what you need to accomplish your 2010 goals. Do not feel disappointed if the first few weeks weren’t all action, action, action. Sometimes we just need time to let the ideas marinate before we are ready to do. If you need more time to think, take the time to do so. If you know you need help to accomplish your goals, start reaching out.

It’s a new year, a new decade and a time to begin again. The very nature of being day one, month one suggests a new start. What will this year be like for you? If thinking about the entire year seems overwhelming, just start with today. How will it be different from the past 365 days? How would you like it to be different?

This time of year, many of us make resolutions. Are you thinking about eating better, exercising more, getting organized, spending more time with family and friends or finding a better life balance with less frenzy and more fun? Particularly at this time of year, I love the opportunity to start over with a clean slate of possibilities.

For the past bunch of years, we’ve enjoyed our family tradition of welcoming in the New Year. We bring in our favorite food from a local Indian restaurant, play games, watch movies, stay up late and eat junk food.  Yes, I know.  Junk food isn’t the healthiest choice. However, it’s the one night we let ourselves indulge without guilt. Part of our tradition also includes writing in our New Year’s journal. After dinner, while still around the table, we record our memories of the year that has just ended and our goals for the year that’s about to begin.  We also like reading what we wrote the previous year to remember what happened and reflect on how we did with our goals.

So while I made time last night to think about my 2010 goals, today I have chosen not to act on them yet, but instead just enjoy this very quiet, still winter’s day with my family. We have a few more games, movies and left over food (nutritious and otherwise) to enjoy. Tomorrow is another day with plenty of time to begin again. By tomorrow, the Tate’s chocolate chip cookies, York Peppermint Patties and Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream will be gone, which is a good thing. Their disappearance will make way for my “eating more healthfully” resolution.

I’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share one of your goals or resolutions for 2010, I welcome your thoughts.