A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of the positive mindset changes my clients experience during their virtual organizing sessions. A common theme is going from overwhelmed to unstuck.
Whether clients are overwhelmed or not, all grapple with “What’s my next step?” This is the intriguing part. How do we figure out what to do next during a virtual organizing session? What do some typical next steps look like?
If you are curious, continue reading. I will share my latest discoveries with you.
How to Figure Out Next
It’s probably no surprise, but figuring out next begins with asking thought-provoking questions and listening carefully. We check in first before we start organizing. With curiosity as our guide, we discuss how things went in between sessions, discover successes and challenges, and find out what’s happening now. Is a current circumstance affecting their energy, mood, or preferences? All of these discoveries go into finding next.
Once we’ve talked, I can tell if my client is clear about their next step or need help discovering it. If they are unsure, we clarify and discuss several options. It’s always their choice, which is one of the powerful aspects of virtual organizing work. When clients choose what they want to focus on, they own the process and are invested in the outcome.
What Next Looks Like
Each client has unique organizing goals and needs. Their projects differ in scope and focus. Clients want a range of help from me, including brainstorming, planning, body doubling, focusing, system designing, resource-providing, list-making, and more. While working, we focus on decision-making skills, letting go, mindfulness, awareness, and moving forward one small step at a time. The organizing work happens in their offices (at home and work,) bedrooms, closets, kitchens, pantries, laundry rooms, bathrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, garages and other areas.
“Taking that next step builds momentum.”
During each virtual organizing session, they experience change and progress. Taking that next step builds momentum. Below is a small sample of clients’ next steps and successes they experienced during their one-hour virtual organizing sessions:
Created a goals list of organizing tasks and projects for every room in the house
Edited and cleared papers from the office floor
Brainstormed ideas for the most effective use of the space
Edited expired make-up and personal care products
Edited and decluttered items on the bed
Sorted and organized backlog of mail
Created a filing system
Drafted a project to-do list
Edited and decluttered the pantry
Cleared out old files
Edited and organized a box of papers
Created a to-do list
Edited and organized memorabilia
Organized books
Edited a stack of magazines
Edited and organized clothing closet
Organized mind clutter
You may wonder why I shared this list. It’s simple. Next begins somewhere. While your goal may be huge, big can be overwhelming. But with focus, small blocks of time, and some guidance, you will get there, one paper, box, or decision at a time.
Where did your next step bring you? Did it create the momentum to continue organizing? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.
