The latest installment (v30) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my recent discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring, change-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are a wonderfully generous, warm, and engaged group. I am deeply appreciative and grateful for your 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?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Motivational Change

Making a change can be challenging enough. When we understand what motivates us and why we can create an environment for success in our lives.  In The Motivation Code – Discover the Hidden Forces That Drive Your Best Work, Todd Henry, author, consultant, and creative, shares research that identifies twenty-seven unique motivational themes that drive us. We each have a specific combination of motivation drivers that can be discovered by taking the MCODE assessment. Todd says, “Your Motivation Code is not intended to be worn like a name tag. It is meant to help you better understand why you are driven to achieve certain outcomes, and the unique opportunities that accompany those drives.” If you feel challenged by change and motivation, your insights from reading this book and taking the assessment will be valuable. As Todd says, “Operating within what naturally drives us allows us to work toward the outcomes we most crave.”

2. Interesting Resource – Clever Change

The pandemic has accentuated the need to have rooms serve multiple purposes. An eating space, living room, or bedroom is also an office, meeting, or learning space. Having furniture that is functional, well designed, and easily transformable for your needs sounds too good to be true. Not anymore! Expand Furniture in Canada has an impressive collection that changes coffee tables into desks, ottomans into extra chairs, desks into dining tables, and many more options. The only downside is that I’m now addicted to watching their YouTube channel. 

“If you’re ready to change your attitude about the cold, focus on ‘koselig,’ a Norwegian strategy for thriving in winter.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

3. Interesting Article  – Mood Change

With the pandemic, various quarantine levels, and winter’s cold, short days, many of us feel unsettled. In a recent Forge article, The Norwegian Philosophy of Thriving in Winter, James Ware shares the Norwegians’ secret for creating a positive mindset in winter. They focus on koselig, which is “a sort of shared, safe togetherness.” It’s a feeling of warmth and safety that can “describe a house, a situation, a meal, a conversation, or a person.” It’s similar to the word, cozy, or the Danish concept, hygge. Psychologist Kari Leibowitz researched the winter mindset. Ware shared her thoughts and said, “the koselig mindset is about making the best out of a bad situation.”  If you’re ready to change your attitude about winter, try one of the suggestions: create a cozy ecosystem at home and with people, find creative ways to be social, be in nature, and reach out to help someone else.

4. Interesting Season – Organizational Change

The cold temperatures, mounds of snow, and pandemic likely means you are spending more time inside than out. Are you working from home, helping your kids learn remotely, and trying to carve out some personal time? Is your home feeling cozy and supportive or chaotic and disorganized? Winter is a great time to set your organizing goals, declutter the extraneous, and create the calm at home that you deserve. Change is possible, especially with support. If you are struggling, enlist help from a compassionate and non-judgmental friend, family member, or professional organizer like me. I’m ready to help. Discover how virtual organizing can work for you. Let’s talk. Call 914-271-5673 or email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com.

5. Interesting Thought – Fear of Change

Let’s face it. Change can feel scary. Our fear can be paralyzing. However, I’ve noticed from personal and client experiences how our fear exaggerates the actual change. Fear isn’t a bad emotion. As a matter of fact, it’s present to warn us of danger and to take a specific action. When we move away from the familiar and comfortable, we can be afraid. Recognizing that growth and positive change are available to you on the other side can help normalize your feelings and move you forward despite your fear. 

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The current installment (v13) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance.

I’ve included unique and inspiring change-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are a beautifully engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Happy Living Change

The word, hygge (pronounced hooga), has been showing up in popular culture lately. While it’s not a new word or concept, it is new to me. Meik Wiking, author and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen educates us in The Little Book of Hygge – Danish Secrets to Living Happy. He describes hygge as “an atmosphere and experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down.” Other descriptions include “coziness of the soul” and “taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things.” Denmark consistently ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world. It seems that hygge has a positive influence for the Danes’ happiness. Hygge can be experienced through a combination of ways, which includes giving attention to the quality of light (low light, fire and candles preferred), having close, small social circles, eating comforting food and drink, wearing comfortable clothing, expressing gratitude, and spending relaxed, non-competitive time with loved ones. “Hygge is about the now, how to enjoy the moment and make the best of it.” If you’re looking to change your happiness quotient, perhaps exploring hygge will inspire you.

2. Interesting Resource - Mindfulness Change

One of the changes I’ve made this year has been learning more about mindfulness through reading, meditating, and taking a mindfulness training course. In a special edition of Time magazine, Mindfulness – The New Science of Health and Happiness, there is a terrific collection of articles about the benefits of mindfulness practice along with the science to back up those benefits. If you’re looking to reduce stress, increase focus, and be more present, the mindfulness path could be the answer. Change can begin with curiosity. That curiosity can develop into action.

3. Interesting Tech - Habit Change

Stopping bad habits and forming new ones is all about change. If you’re in the habit-change-mode, but are feeling challenged because you don’t have the help or support you need, try HabitBull. This app allows you to organize and track to either break bad habits or build positive ones. With an easy set-up, reminders, inspiring quotes and a support community, you’re just one step closer to making the changes that you desire.

4. Interesting Product – Mood Change

Have you noticed how color affects your mood? You can easily change your mood by adjusting your environment with the Luci® Color light. It’s solar powered, inflatable, and has a feature that lets you set it to a single color or cycle through all the colors in sequence. What color are you feeling today? Are you ready for a change? Light on!

5. Interesting Thought - Positive Change

One small way to change our day is to change our perspective.  Our attitude influences our experiences in positive or negative ways.

Use positive thoughts or affirmations to encourage successful outcomes. See what changes occur when you begin your day with a positive thought. 

What are your interesting finds? Which ones resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!