Summer is here. It’s the time for school endings, graduations, celebrations, travel, camp, visits with family and friends, BBQs, hot weather, and so much more. Many of us are taking time for a deep exhale and leaning into a much-needed break. Others are using this season to plan, organize, let go, and prepare for next. Perhaps your summer will include a combination of relaxing, working, and preparing. My virtual organizing clients are focused on editing, letting go, and getting organized, one paper, t-shirt, and tote bag at a time.

Last year, we didn’t take a vacation. The pandemic kept us close to home. But this summer with life opening up, we planned some mini-vacations. It feels fantastic to get away and return to work refreshed. On a recent trip to the Catskills, the place we stayed had wall quotes throughout the property. There was one by Ralph Waldo Emerson that stood out. It made me think about time, the seasons, and the seeds we sow. Emerson said, “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” 

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our lives are limited by the time we have. Where and how we spend that time dramatically influences our lives. Consider the power of the single acorn. It can manifest “a thousand forests.” Its singularity of purpose yields an incredible result.

You can be that acorn. What if this summer, you focus your energy and time on one or even two areas of your life? What would you choose? What could you accomplish if you minimize distractions? Summer is here. What will your season yield? What seeds will you sow? There is no right or wrong response. You are the decider.

We can quickly feel overwhelmed with everything that needs our attention. Give yourself the gift of reducing your focus. What would that look and feel like? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

There are numerous ways to describe our experience of time. We talk about wasting, spending, or investing time. We ponder the ways time moves slowly or quickly, depending on the situation. We think about not having enough time in the day or having too much time on our hands.  We consider the length of time projects take or procrastinate with the time we have. Yet, we know that every person has the same 24 hours each day to manage and live life.

With our time, we do all kinds of things like working, playing, sleeping, relaxing, stressing, organizing, traveling, relationship-building, meditating, gardening, walking, running, dancing, learning, loving, reflecting, worrying, creating, driving, eating, connecting, talking, writing, emailing, Zooming, and many other “ings.”

I came across a quote by Atomic Habits author, James Clear, who offers a direct perspective about time. He said, “Your life is purchased by where you spend your attention.”  How powerful is that? 

“Your life is purchased by where you spend your attention.”

— James Clear

When you look at where your time and attention go, it tells the story of your life. Where do you invest? If you did a time audit for the week and noted what you do each hour, what would you discover? For many of us, approximately one-third of our time is spent sleeping. What about the other two-thirds? There are a million discoveries to make by analyzing where your attention goes. You might be surprised.

Why does this matter? If you want more or less of something in your life, doing a time audit can help you figure out how to make a change. For example, if you feel overwhelmed by clutter, a time audit could help you understand why the clutter is stuck. Perhaps you have included worrying, but not actual decluttering into your days.

“Every person has the same 24 hours each day to manage and live life.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

One of the things I admire so much about my virtual organizing clients is their dedication to change. Each week they intentionally invest time with their organizing goals through our sessions and the independent work they do on their own. They are shifting their attention from collecting and piling to letting go and organizing.

What will your time audit reveal? Even if your balance is the way you want, an audit can still be illuminating. It gives you the confidence to keep doing what you are doing. But if things are not as you desire, do some investigating. I’m excited about the discoveries you will make. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Some of us get pleasantly jazzed up when we are going through change. We feel enervated and excited about what is and will be happening. However, more often, I notice that people (including me and my clients) experience a lot of stress and anxiety with change. Even if we know that we will be just fine on the other side, the not knowing and transition parts can unnerve the calmest of us. Do you remember a change you went through recently? How was the experiencing part for you? Did things go smoothly? Or, did you, at times, feel stressed and out of sorts?

As a professional organizer, the work I do with my clients is all about change. We are changing habits, transforming spaces, and rethinking busy schedules. We are working towards desired changes. It is the work and the “changing” part that can be stressful. 

How does the change-related stress show up? It might look like:

• A short fuse

• An angry burst

• Frustration

• Sadness from loss

• Overwhelm from too many choices

• Exhaustion

• Worry

• Pushback

• Canceled appointments

• Slow-paced organizing sessions

• Indecision

• Crying

• Digging in

The bottom line is that very often, when we are experiencing change, we aren’t at our best. This can be magnified if the change is unexpected or imposed on us. When we choose to change, it can still be stressful, but sometimes that positivity and motivation can help reduce the stress factor.

The situations that seem most stressful for my clients are:

• Moving

• Renovating

• Downsizing

• Losing a loved one

• Going through divorce

• Experiencing a health challenge

How can you alleviate some of the change-related stress? You can do one or more of the following:

• Acknowledge that you’re going through a transition.

• Be extra gentle with yourself.

• Focus on the basics of sleep, exercise, nutrition, and hydration.

• Reach out for professional and personal support.

• Practice saying “no.” 

• Reduce the scope of your commitments.

• Meditate.

• Adjust your expectations.

• Do something fun.

• Do something relaxing.

• Celebrate the small successes.

What else have you experienced or noticed in yourself or others when going through change? What helps you alleviate change-related stress? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to comment and join our conversation.

You know what happens when you go, go, go? You get burned out, out, out. So I’d say that my motivation to slow down is pretty darn high right now because I’ve been on the go for a long stretch…a very long stretch.

Here’s the good news. I’ve planned some time off to slow my motor. Yet, as I write this in advance of our mini vacation so that it will post while I’m off the grid, I’m still in the go, go, go mode. As a matter of fact, after I write this post I need to write my pack list and pack. And before I wrote this I had a client that needed organizing help, an interview to finish writing, bills to pay, errands to run, emails to respond to, and a rental car to return. I bet this sounds all too familiar, right?

I won’t tell you what time it is, but let’s just say, it’s late. I’ve had a bit too much caffeine today. That in combination with the adrenaline pumping will give me enough energy to sprint some more. Then I can shift into low gear. I’m looking forward to changing my pace.

The point is that I am highly motivated to slow down. I’ve been pushing and doing and doing some more. It’s time for a break. It’s time to not do. It’s time to enjoy our family and suspend all agendas and to do lists.

I’m looking forward to our road trip to the mountains where we’ll meet up with our daughters. By the time you read this, I will have had days of unwinding, decompressing, relaxing, and unplugging. I might be unrecognizable. Let’s hope so. What will relaxed look and feel like?

How about you? Will you take off time this summer? What motivates you to change your pace? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.