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.

Happy 2021! We made it. Did you feel a giant sigh of relief as you said good-bye to 2020 and welcomed the New Year? Was your holiday season different because of the pandemic? It was much quieter for us. We had virtual instead of in-person gatherings and visits with our family and friends. While virtual wasn’t the same as being shoulder-to-shoulder, it felt special and comforting to find other ways to be together. During many of our conversations, we reflected on the past year and shared our hopes for the future.

January is an excellent month to reflect and reset. We get that added motivation boost from the “fresh start effect,” which is even more potent at the beginning of a New Year. One technique that can enhance your fresh start is the Three Things Reflections, which I started using last year. With a small time investment of 20-30 minutes, this series of questions will guide you to think about the past year as you set intentions for the new one. It’s hard to have clarity in the present unless we make time to honor and let go of the past. 

Three Things Reflections

The Three Things Reflections includes six pairs of questions. Each group has a prompt about the past year and a coordinating one for the current year. You can answer all sets, only those that resonate with you or add other thought-provoking questions. The exercise can be a private or shared experience. After completing the Reflections last year, I added two bonus questions. They helped me to assimilate the past and consider the future in a fuller, more vibrant way.

1a. What were three things you learned this past year?

1b. What are three things you want to learn in 2021?

2a. What are three memorable moments from this past year?

2b. What three things are you looking forward to in 2021?

3a. What were three challenges you experienced this past year?

3b. What are three strengths you used with those challenges that you will bring to 2021?

4a. What are three places you enjoyed being last year?

4b. What are three places you’re looking forward to going to in 2021?

5a. What three words describe this past year?

5b. What three words do you hope will describe 2021?

6a. What are three things you said “yes” to this past year?

6b. What are three things you hope to have the opportunity to say “yes” to in 2021?

Bonus Questions

7a. Is there anything about the past year that is not reflected in these questions that you want to remember?

7b. Is there anything about the current year that is not reflected in these questions that you want to add?

“It’s hard to have clarity in the present unless we make time to honor and let go of the past.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

Like most 2020 experiences, New Year’s Eve was atypical. Last year, we had a small group of friends over for a hands-on, make your own taco New Year’s Eve party. This year we invited our friends to a virtual New Year’s Eve cocktail party. I delivered party bags to them in advance of the event. In addition to items like blowers, napkins, and treats, I included the Three Things Reflection. Several of our friends enjoyed answering the questions by themselves or with their partners. On New Year’s Day, my husband and I wrote down our responses and shared one pair at a time. As tough a year as 2020 was, we identified many positive things we were grateful for and wonderful things to anticipate in 2021. 

We each have unique ways of setting goals and intentions. I hope you’ll find the Three Things Reflections a valuable way to enhance your fresh start. Do you have another approach that you use? What are you looking forward to this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!

2020 has been the year of Zoom, and with it came an abundance of desk time. It’s a good thing that this professional organizer loves being in her home office. It is the place I have virtual organizing sessions with clients, write blog posts, attend workshops, pay bills, and connect with family, friends, and colleagues. My space reflects a balance of the elements that are most important to me. When I’m here, reminders that help me focus, be productive, feel calm, creative, grateful, and supported surround me.

Organization at its best happens when our environment supports what we need and want to do. After all, when you’re struggling to find a pen that works, a paper to jot a note onto, staples to replenish your stapler or a cord to recharge your device, that searching adds undue stress in your life. When your surfaces are covered with non-essentials, they detract rather than help you focus on your intentions.

If your space lacks comfort, your body and mind will become exhausted. And if your place is void of the “you” factor, it won’t honor your uniqueness.

As we wrap up one year and head into the next, this is an excellent time to consider balance and its role in your physical environment. While I’m sure you have your list of what makes you feel organized and supported in your space, I thought you’d enjoy this behind-the-scenes view of my office and the elements that help me.

If you’re curious, you can read and see more photos of how my office space came to be in Dreams Need Help, Too. Continue reading for a behind-the-scenes look at Linda’s office.

10 Elements That Add Balance

1. Inspiration 

Inspiration is present in many forms. There are the small signs or words I display around my desk, like the Anna Quindlen quote card that says, “I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” 

My favorite inspirational books are perched visibly on the shelves, including Mindset by Carol Dweck. Other favorites include I’ll Carry the Fork by Kara Swanson, Mindfulness by Ellen Langer, Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Resilience by Linda Graham, and The Little Book of Hygee by Meik Wiking.

These visuals encourage me to continue learning, be creative, and focus on what is meaningful.

2. Technology

My Apple device trio- the iMac, iPad, and iPhone helps me communicate and stay organized. They sync with each other, which helps with productivity. If a new contact or appointment is entered on my phone, it automatically syncs with my iMac and iPad. One of the keys to using technology is having confidence in your devices and knowing where and how to access the vast amount of information you are storing.

Tech balance comes from organizing my e-files for easy retrieval and having physical and cloud-based auto back-up systems. Over the years, I’ve become increasingly dependent on technology, which has its pros and cons. One way I manage that balance is by minimizing the beeps and dings so my devices don’t interrupt me when I’m working.

3. Comfort

While I’m committed to having non-desk time for activities like walking, yoga, or meditation, I’m actually at my desk a significant amount of the time. Part of balance includes being physically comfortable.

A few things make my desk life better. I have gel-filled wrist rests for my keyboard and mouse, a purple velvet footstool for my short legs, and a navy blue velour desk chair that is soft to the touch. Good-feeling fabrics and textures matter to me.

My lighting is also comfortable with various sources, including natural light. Don’t underestimate the value of improving a few physical office essentials to increase comfort. Your body and mind will thank you.

“Organization at its best happens when our environment supports what we need and want to do.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

4. Organization 

I can’t ignore the value of the physical organization of papers, files, and supplies in feeling balanced. My office was designed to hold all the items I use regularly.

There are filing cabinets for papers, open slots for ongoing projects, and closed cabinets to store supplies like the label maker, paper pads, printer cartridges, and notecards. There are drawers for stamps, mailing labels, and eyeglasses.

Everything has a place and is at my fingertips. Pens, stapler, sticky notes, scissors, and other frequently used supplies are visible and contained on my desk. 

5. Time

Managing myself involves being time-aware. This awareness enables me to be punctual for appointments, focus on projects, take breaks, and shift gears. The clocks and timers in my office support boundaries and balance.

My tech devices display the time digitally. However, it is my large yellow analog wall clock that I rely on most. I interpret time most easily when I can see the visual representation of time moving. I also use the Time Timer and the alarm setting on my iPhone Clock app to manage my time.

6. Family

When we talk about work, the phrases work-life balance or work-family balance often emerge. Having a space that inspires and supports your work is great. However, remembering that life isn’t just about work is key.

Spending time with the people I love is essential. On display are photos of happy faces snuggled together and beautiful moments spent with my husband and kids. They exude love. My family lifts my heart and brings balance, meaning, and joy into my life.

“Having a space that inspires and supports your work is great. However, remembering that life isn’t just about work is key.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

7. Color

Color affects my mood. Even as a young girl, the color was how I interpreted the world. When curious about a place or thing, my first question was often, “What color is it?” By age five, my favorite color was purple, and it still is.

When it came time to design my office, I wanted to incorporate my color. I combined different violet hues, such as the red-violet pullout keyboard tray, the blue-violet cabinets, the muted purple filing cabinets, and the blue-fleck quartz desktop.

Being surrounded by my favorite color makes me feel happy, grateful, and balanced. How does color affect you?

8. Sparkle

Color is great, but color with sparkles is even better. I’ve always responded to light. There’s something so lovely about how sparkly things like glitter, glass, and other shiny objects reflect light. The undulating lightness brings balance and some whimsy to the darkness.

When I look around the office, my eye catches glimpses of shine from objects like the lavender glass cabinet knobs, the silver glitter-covered Eiffel Tower, or the purple sparkle pen cup.

Who says we can’t find balance in the sparkles?

9. Toys

Toys make me think about play, which is the opposite of work. A long tray of toys, which I affectionately call fidgets, is displayed under my computer screen. They include miniature buttons, clothespins, Legos, trolls, rubber ducks, maracas, egg timers, and other tiny objects. They represent a variety of colors, textures, and messages.

Why are they there? And what do they have to do with balance? When I’m in a meeting or on a call, playing with the objects helps me focus. Fiddling around in this tactile way improves my concentration. The other aspect has to do with my appreciation of small things and fun. My fidget collection provides a balance of focus and whimsy.

10. Nature

For me, feeling aliveness within extends into being surrounded by living things, like plants. So much is quiet and still in my office. Including greenery or fresh flowers adds vibrancy and balance to my space.

My oldest daughter, Allison, gave me a beautiful wooden stand that displays a miniature ceramic pot and an air plant. The plant is the sweetest little thing, and it makes me think of my daughter and how she has blossomed.

The tiny plant also reminds me to nurture and care for it and others. The balance lies in doing and not doing, watering but not overwatering, and nurturing but not smothering. 

As we end one year and shift to the new one, how will you bring balance into your life? Have you considered the ways your space supports or disrupts your balance? What one change can you make to improve your physical space? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

With close to a week into the New Year it already feels like time is flying by. Parties, late nights, gift-wrapping, and odd schedules are behind us as we slowly return to our usual patterns. Some of us, including me, are finishing the last of the holiday leftovers, or making promises to eat more healthfully, exercise more regularly, or declutter and organize our interior landscapes.

January is an especially great time to reflect and reset. We get an added boost from the “fresh start effect,” which is even more potent at the start of a New Year. One technique that can enhance your fresh start is the Three Things Reflections, which I created recently. With a small time investment of 20-30 minutes, this series of questions will guide you to reflect about the past year as you set intentions and hopes for this new one. It’s hard to have clarity about the present before taking the time to honor and let go of the past. 

With this in mind, I give you the Three Things Reflections. There are six pairs of questions. Each pair includes a question about the past year and a coordinating one about the current year. Feel free to answer all sets, only the ones that resonate with you, or substitute questions of your choosing. This can be a private or shared experience as you reflect back and future-think. You can write down your responses or have a conversation about them with friends or family. 

Three Things Reflections

1a. What were three things you learned this past year?

1b. What are three things you want to learn in 2020?

2a. What are three memorable moments from this past year?

2b. What three things are you looking forward to in 2020?

3a. What were three challenges you experienced this past year?

3b. What are three strengths you used with those challenges that you will bring to 2020?

4a. What are three places you enjoyed being last year?

4b. What are three places you’re looking forward to going to in 2020?

5a. What three words describe this past year?

5b. What three words do you hope will describe 2020?

6a. What are three things you said “yes” to this past year?

6b. What are three things you hope to have the opportunity to say “yes” to in 2020?

Bonus Questions

7a. Is there anything about the past year that is not reflected in these questions that you want to remember?

7b. Is there anything about the current year that is not reflected in these questions that you want to add?

On New Year’s Eve, we invited a small group of friends over. While we didn’t talk about all of these questions, we did discuss some of them. In the days that followed, I wrote out my responses to all of them. After doing so, I added two bonus questions. They were the icing on the cake and helped me to grasp the last year and the coming in a fuller, more vibrant way.

We each have unique ways of moving through time, setting goals, and intentions. I hope you’ll find the Three Things Reflections a valuable technique to enhance your fresh start. Do you have another approach that you use?. Do you have other questions to add to the ones I shared?  What are you looking forward to this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!