Do you know Jonathan Larson’s iconic “Seasons of Love” song from the musical “Rent”? It begins with “five-hundred, twenty-five thousand, six-hundred minutes,” the number of minutes a year. He asks, “How do you measure, measure a year?” Jonathan continues with questions about how to measure a year in the life and the life of a woman or a man. Every time I hear it, this beautiful ballad reminds me of how precious time is. It brings me to tears.

Our time is limited, so what we choose to do with it and how we acknowledge and appreciate it matters.

In Happier Hour, Cassie Holmes shares several “time crafting strategies” which encourage focusing on positive experiences. She proposes that making time to do this will bring you more clarity, satisfaction, and happiness.

One strategy she learned from her friend who practices it with her kids on their car rides home from school. I encourage you to try it with your kids, partner, friends, or colleagues. You can also do this as a solo practice. I slightly modified the concept for our purpose and am sharing the three-part practice with you.

Effective Time Crafting Strategy

1. The Rose – Something Good

Share something good that happened. This immediately focuses your thoughts on the positive and encourages gratitude for the time you are in now.

2. The Thorn – Something Bad

Share something crummy that happened. This helps develop problem-solving skills and acknowledges that life isn’t only rosey. Challenges are part of life.

3. The Bud – Something Exciting

Share something you are excited about. While it’s terrific to be mindful and in the present moment, looking to the future with happy anticipation extends your joy quotient and enhances your time.

“Time passes in the blink of an eye.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Here is an example of my rose, thorn, and bud.

• Rose – I had a productive virtual organizing session with a new client and loved helping her accomplish her session goal.

• Thorn – I couldn’t make it through the yoga class because I wasn’t feeling well.

• Bud – I’m so excited we’re going to Turks & Caicos to celebrate our 40th Anniversary!

Time passes in the blink of an eye. Acknowledging what you are grateful for and learning from the challenges can enhance and bring clarity to your days.

Are you making time to reflect? What are your rose, thorn, and bud? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

Seasons of Love - RENT (2008 Broadway Cast)

As I began writing about fresh starts and the New Year, I thought about how life changed significantly for me 30 years ago. With two babies and a regular commute to New York City for my job in the computer graphics industry, I dreamed of starting my own business. This month marks my 30th anniversary of launching Oh, So Organized!

When I was a young mom juggling work, family life, and two young kids, I recognized that my organizational abilities helped me navigate life with less stress. Other moms often asked, “How are you managing everything?” While I was ‘born organized,’ I realized organizing was a teachable skill I could share with other parents.

After much deliberation, I left my computer graphics career and combined my visual arts expertise, business background, love of helping people, and organizing abilities to launch Oh, So Organized! It was a risky decision, yet I’m happy I took it.

Taking Risks

I’m reminded of a story one of my clients shared about taking risks. Especially if you’re thinking about change as you enter this new year, I hope you find encouragement in this story.

When lobsters grow to be about one pound, they instinctively know they are facing a crisis. They have lived in a shell that protects them but inhibits their growth.

To mature, the lobsters must shed their old shells and grow new ones, which takes about two days. This isn’t long, but they are left naked and vulnerable during that time.

Other sea creatures may eat the naked lobster, or waves may slam it against a rock and damage it. Yet there is no alternative. The lobster must endure two days of risk to grow a new shell and become mature.

Humans often have to do that too.

Celebrating 30 Years

I had no idea what an amazing journey I would have when I left the security of a job with medical benefits and a steady paycheck. Talk about shedding my old shell to grow a new one. Wow! In these past three decades, I’ve continued to shed and grow. Each transition and change I was willing to make opened doors for new experiences, clients, learning, growth, and opportunities.

I remember when being in business meant you needed at least a business card, phone, and fax number. That morphed into adding an email address. After that, having a website was a cornerstone of any business. My first website was launched in 2001 and was redesigned several times, with the most recent revamp in 2020.

The business has several aspects to it. There is the business of running a business, organizing work with clients, and being a participant, resource, and volunteer in the organizing industry. In each of these areas, I experienced tremendous opportunities for growth, learning, and giving. There are too many highlights to include (or remember,) but here are several:

• 1993- Gave my first newspaper interview in December 1993, which connected me with new clients for years and taught me the value of PR. Since then, I’ve been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Westchester Magazine, and many more media outlets.

• 1994- Wrote and mailed out my first ‘snail mail’ quarterly newsletter, which I still send to a selective group.

• 1995- Presented at the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conference in Dallas, met industry expert and thought leader Judith Kolberg, and learned about chronic disorganization.

• 1999- Asked to launch and lead the NAPO-NY area Golden Circle group for veteran organizers, which I ran for 8 years.

• 2002-2021- Was featured in several books about professional organizing, including Organizing Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin, The ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization for Professional Organizers edited by Kate Varness, Junk – Digging Through America’s Love Affair With Stuff by Alison Stewart, and, I’m Right Here – 10 Ways to Get Help for Hoarding and Chronic Disorganization by Jill B. Yesko.

• 2006- Became Westchester’s first Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD®) after three years of training and study through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).

• 2008- Became an ICD Program Mentor. Since then, I’ve mentored many students through a credentialing process to get their CPO-CD® certification.

• 2009- Became an ICD Master Trainer, a credential held by less than 12 professionals in the organizing industry.

“Let your past experiences fuel your fresh start.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

• 2010- Wrote and published my book The Other Side of Organized – Finding Balance Between Chaos and Perfection.

• 2010- Launched my blog, The Other Side of Organized, and started blogging about organizing and life balance. I have written almost 500 posts to date.

• 2013- Completed the foundation courses through Coach Approach for Organizers.

• 2014-2016- Was President of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).

• 2014-2020- Was interviewed for many Smead podcasts by host John Hunt.

• 2014- Presented at the Japan Association of Life Organizers (JALO) conference in Yokohama, Japan.

• 2019- Was interviewed on several of WNYC’s “All Of It” shows by host Alison Stewart.

• 2020- Became a Certified Virtual Professional Organizer (CVOP™) and pivoted my business to working with clients worldwide.

• 2020- Joined The Nest by Revel, an Executive Coaching company, as their Professional Organizer Advisor.

• 2022- Presented at the International Virtual Organizers Summit for Virtual Organizers.

• 2022- Hosted my first Oh, So Organized! virtual workshop on “How to Conquer Clutter.”

• 2023- These past 30 years, I’ve been joyfully working with hundreds of clients in-person and virtually. I’ve presented at various public and private conferences and events, attended dozens of conferences, taken hundreds of classes, and volunteered in the organizing industry locally, nationally, and internationally for an array of short to long-term projects.

Gratitude & Fresh Starts

None of this would have been possible without the love, support, guidance, and trust of my family, friends, clients, colleagues, mentors, teachers, and guides. While 30 years is a milestone, it’s not an end. It’s the beginning of this year and many more to come.

My deepest gratitude to all the incredible people I’ve developed relationships with and met along the way. To my clients, I thank you for your ongoing trust in allowing me into your lives and being part of your organizing journey. I love helping and supporting you. To my colleagues, I am grateful for your wisdom, generosity, friendship, and guidance. To my family and friends, your ongoing encouragement, support, and love has helped me grow and thrive. I wouldn’t be here without all of you.

How will you make the most of your fresh start as you dive into this New Year? What are you excited about? What will you let go of? Where do you want to give your time and attention? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

For almost three decades, I’ve been joyfully helping my clients embrace change and work through their organizing challenges. I love helping people get organized, especially when they are stuck or overwhelmed. When the pandemic hit in early March, and New York went into lockdown, I stopped all in-person home and office organizing visits. As an alternative, I’ve been offering virtual organizing sessions to new and existing clients. It has been amazing! I love working in this more profound way, and my clients do too.

To give the best help possible, I continue to invest in my education. While I have attended many individual classes on virtual organizing, I wanted more in-depth knowledge. I recently completed and passed a six-week course, that credentialed me as a Certified Virtual Professional Organizer (CVOP.) It included 12 hours of class time, 20 plus hours of independent study, 15 hours of client work, and an exam. The training confirmed what I observed before. There is something extraordinary about working with clients virtually. Progress is faster, sessions are more focused, and there is a better transference of skills. 

Are you curious about what my clients appreciate about virtual organizing? I thought you might be, so I compiled a list, including several of the benefits. As an organizer or a client of an organizer, are there other positives you’ve discovered about doing remote organizing work?

8 Reasons My Clients Love Virtual Organizing

1. Time Help – Do you find it too intense to schedule three or four-hour in-person organizing visits? If so, you’ll love going virtual. VO delivers organizing support in short one-hour sessions.

2. Consistency Help – Do you find it difficult to regularly work on your organizing goals? VO sessions are more frequent (ideally, twice a week,) which encourages consistency, repetition, and progress.

3. Accountability Help – Do you need help with motivation and accountability? In-between session support by text or email is an integral part of VO work.

4. Focus Help – Do you have difficulty focusing on your organizing goals and projects? The short, highly focused VO sessions are less distracting due to the need for heightened listening and self-implementation.

“There is something extraordinary about working with clients virtually. Progress is faster, sessions are more focused, and there is better transference of skills.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

5. Clutter Help – Are you overwhelmed by clutter and don’t know where to begin? VO sessions can quickly get you unstuck, offering support and accountability throughout the decluttering process.

6. Reflection Help – Do you value time to process the changes you’re experiencing? VO clients love reading, discussing, and commenting on the notes I share, including session description, accomplishments, challenges, and ah-ha moments for each session. This communication document helps to reinforce learning and neuron development in the brain.

7. Accessibility Help – Do you want organizing help, but there are no professional organizers in your area, or you have safety concerns with in-person work? Pandemic or not, VO is an excellent option that eliminates geographic and physical obstacles. Oh, So Organized! can now work with clients anywhere in the world.

8. Loyalty Help – To express appreciation and gratitude for my wonderful virtual organizing clients, Oh, So Organized! created a Client Loyalty Program. The more virtual organizing sessions you have, the more organizing credits you will receive. 

Life is changing all around, as we learn new ways to navigate the new landscape. Virtual organizing has become an avenue that allows me to continue doing work I’m passionate about with clients that I love. Have you offered or engaged in virtual organizing? What has your experience been? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!

There is laundry to wash, meals to make, people to check in on, and bills to pay. You have papers to sort, closets to organize, and schedules to coordinate. Your time is filled with the doings of daily life and so much more. You work, walk, run, and show up to support injustices. You reflect, create, converse, sleep, and reset. 

For this brief moment in time, my purpose is clear. Instead of doing or preparing for the next thing, I choose to be still instead of rushing ahead to another moment. In the quiet cocoon of my dark green hammock, stretched out between two 100-foot trees, I gently rock. 

The white clouds navigate decisively across the light blue sky. The gentle breeze shakes the leaves on the trees, which makes a swishing, rustling sound. The spring air is delightfully warm, and not too hot. The sunlight dances as it shows off the varied green hues in the woods. My breathing slows as I take in the deep earthy aroma of the forest.

At this moment in time, as the leaves rustle and birds sing, I sway side to side. The hammock’s movement encourages stillness within – just sense and notice. There will be time for doing and activating. But right here, right now, I am still. I slowly breathe in and exhale out.

“There will be time for doing and activating. But right here, right now, I am still.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®

The landscape is wrapped in that sleepy, afternoon light. A rustle. A chirp. Clouds float across the sky. Feeling inadequate, knowing that I alone cannot heal this world filled with so much unrest, pain, anger, and sadness, I choose this one moment to just be. My pause is not forever. From this place of calm, I can reenergize. Learning, questioning, helping, and doing will come, but for this moment in time, I am still. 

What does quiet look like for you? Is it something that you need? Can you remember a time when your nervous system was calm? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.