There will always be tasks to do, projects to complete, and calls, texts, or emails to return. These can be motivation drivers. However, they can also derail and de-motivate. You can burn out when you’re constantly doing and striving without breaks or spaciousness.

Do you feel overwhelmed by your to-do lists, incomplete projects, and things you ‘should’ be doing?

I’ve been there, as have many of my clients, family, and friends. Surprisingly, one antidote to doing too much is to slow down. This may seem counter-intuitive and a strange way to boost motivation. However, it’s not just about taking a break from your list.

Make time to savor life and engage in restorative activities that replenish your energy.

Savoring Life

What works will be different for each person. For me, savoring and slowing down include:

• Getting enough sleep

• Meditating

• Refusing to rush

• Going away and changing my environment

• Practicing yoga

• Spending time with family and friends

• Having alone time

• Journaling

• Showering

• Being on or near water

• Getting a massage or pedicure

• Eating juicy summer fruit

• Slowing sipping an iced coffee or tea

• Sitting in the sun

• Exploring new places

• Setting boundaries

• Leaning into and being present in the moment

A Japanese Concept

Do you know about yutori? According to DailyOM™, yutori is “a Japanese concept of spaciousness. It refers to slowing down to simply breathe, and savor life – intentionally creating space to relax and reflect without being under constant pressure.”

How would integrating yutori into your life benefit you?

Motivation Cycles

I’m a doer and a completer. I love setting goals and accomplishing them. The first six months of this year were especially active. And guess what? I needed a break from that intensity, which I knew the summer would bring. My pace is slower even though I’m still actively working with organizing clients and on several projects.

This summer, I intentionally created more space for restorative, nourishing activities in addition to work. My latest motivation-restoring adventures include going to the beach, exploring new museums, listening to live music, and eating a delicious treat.  

“Make time to savor life and engage in restorative activities that replenish your energy.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

4 Ways to Restore Motivation

1. Being by the Sea

Waves in. Waves out. The sound of the ocean waves moving forward and backward along the sandy shore is soothing. The sun warms my skin as slight breezes and cool water prevent me from overheating. By the sea, there is no agenda, no lists to take care of. Time stretches as I wiggle my toes in the sand.

2. Exploring New and Old Places

My husband and I visited the Queens Museum and Flushing Meadow Corona Park this weekend.

The Queens Museum is located on the Flushing Meadow Corona Park grounds, where the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs were held. I was there 60 years ago for the World’s Fair and have spotty yet happy memories of going with my family.

Steve and I walked the grounds, marveled at the 700,000-pound stainless steel Unisphere, talked about our childhood World’s Fair memories, and were wowed by the Panorama, a scaled cityscape model of the five New York City boroughs.

The exploration didn’t end there. We ventured on to another area of Queens.

3. Learning and Listening

Our next stop was the Louis Armstrong House Museum. We had a wonderful tour of his house, explored the museum, and, in Armstrong’s garden, heard a fantastic jazz quartet with Jon-Erik Kellso playing the trumpet.

It reminded me how much I love hearing live music. I grew up in a house full of musicians. People were always playing, practicing, learning, teaching, composing, jamming, and performing. Watching and listening to musicians share their gifts is so joyful. I had a positive, visceral response to being outside and hearing live music.

Louis Armstrong lived his life with passion, purpose, and generosity. It was moving and inspiring to be in his space, hear stories about his life, and listen to musicians embodying this rich tradition of jazz music.

4. Eating a Delicious Treat

The exploratory day was completed by dinner at a fantastic local Italian restaurant in Queens. However, before dinner, we ate dessert. It’s fun to shake things up sometimes.

Steve brought me to the famous Lemon Ice King of Corona to get ices. I was so excited! What’s not to love about a cold, refreshing dessert? The hardest part was choosing which flavor to get. They have over 50 options, although lemon ice is their most popular. They don’t mix flavors but will let you try one before you decide.

I ended up choosing cantaloupe ice, which was amazing! Steve got chocolate, which was also delicious. After dinner, we almost returned for seconds but were too full. We’ll return another time.

Motivation needs to be cultivated. Slowing down, savoring life, having new experiences, and giving yourself a break from life’s pressures is a great way to do that. What helps you restore your motivation?

If you need help restoring motivation and getting organized, email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Reaching your goals is possible, especially with support.

The other day, I took an early evening walk along the Hudson River with my friend. Towards the end of our walk, the sun began to set and what I saw was incredible. The coolness of the light blue sky and deep blue water slowly shifted to warmer tones. As the round ball of sun lowered towards the horizon, its glow cast orange shimmers of light on the landscape. The visual change was magnificent. We sat on the rocks to take in the view.

If I had kept walking without looking or being mindful, I would have missed this spectacular moment. You might wonder, how is it possible to miss such a thing? It is.

You can walk but not notice what surrounds you. You can rush through your day getting stuff done but miss mindful moments of presence, joy, or calm. You can eat a meal but not savor the flavors and textures of your food. You can have a conversation but not listen to what the other person is saying. You can live in a cluttered environment but ignore how its heaviness is impacting you.

There are many ways not to be mindful. So often, we live on autopilot. We move from thing to thing without questioning, noticing, pausing, or enjoying. What becomes possible when we bring more mindfulness into our lives? A walk in nature with a friend becomes an opportunity to engage in a wonderful conversation while appreciating the changing scenery. A mindful meal creates a chance to slow down enough to taste the delicious flavors.

“There are many ways NOT to be mindful.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Have you found yourself rushing through life? What would a life with more pauses and mindful moments look and feel like? How would that change your perspective and experience? What is one thing you can do now to add more mindfulness to your day? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The newest installment (v32) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest finds informing, educating, and relating to organizing and life balance. Included are unique, inspiring mindfulness-related discoveries, which reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are a 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? – 5 Best Mindfulness-Related Discoveries

1. Interesting Read – Mindful Living

Do you want to introduce more mindfulness into your life? In The Mindful Day – Practical Ways to Find Focus, Calm, and Joy From Morning to Evening, Laurie Cameron, mindfulness teacher and founder of PurposeBlue, shares fifty simple strategies backed by science and experience. Laurie says, 

“… practicing mindfulness is about learning, bit by bit, how to train your attention to stay in the present instead of ruminating over the past or racing into the future.”

The book’s five sections highlight ways to start, seize, enjoy, enrich, and end the day. Laurie suggests infusing mindful awareness into breathing, showering, writing, listening, walking, touching, and other regular activities. She says, “Awareness amplifies the senses. When you live through your senses, you get a rich direct experience instead of a removed experience. You are feeling in the body instead of being lost in your head.”

2. Interesting Trend – Mindful Break

Has FOLO (Fear of Logging Off) taken over your life? While disconnecting from our digital devices is an ongoing challenge, the pandemic added a new layer. In the past year and a half, our work/life boundaries blurred dramatically as the expectation for constant availability increased. For many people working remotely, their anxiety escalated when they stepped away from their computers for even 20 minutes. If they didn’t instantly respond to an email, they felt their colleagues might think they were too lax.

To help with FOLO, Julie Morgenstern, a time management and productivity expert, suggests creating boundaries by taking short breaks throughout the day and informing your colleagues when you do. Pandemic or not, developing a mindful habit of engaging in technology breaks during the day will help you restore your energy, gain perspective, and be more productive. Disconnect and introduce mindfully eating lunch, having a snack, stretching your body, or getting some fresh air. Change your habits and say goodbye to FOLO.

3. Interesting Article  – Mindful Organizing

Are you struggling with getting organized? If so, you’re not alone. In a recent Huffington Post article, “The Biggest Home Organizing Mistakes People Make,” Caroline Bologna interviews Professional Organizers, including my colleagues Seana Turner, Lisa Zaslow, Regina Lark, and me. The piece sheds light on everyday things that can go wrong during the organizing process. Typical challenges include purchasing containers before decluttering, being overly ambitious, not paring down, failing to maintain systems, and delaying requests for help. By mindfully considering what not to do, you will get organized with greater ease and success.

“Instead of creating mini-projects and taking small steps, people get overly ambitious and try to do too much at once.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

4. Interesting Season – Mindful Time

As the kids go back to school, temperatures cool, and the trees change colors, let the changes all around inspire you to let go, de-stress, and get organized. Fall is a fantastic season to set your organizing goals, declutter the extraneous, and create the calm you deserve at home. 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 and why my clients love it so much. Let’s talk. Call 914-271-5673 or email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com.

5. Interesting Thought – Mindful Pause
Have you experienced the “Oh” moment? During this mindful pause, you may think to yourself or say aloud, “Oh.”  You are aware of feelings, sightings, sensations, sounds, or scents. You stop to acknowledge what you are experiencing. When you slow down, you can focus on where you are, what you’re doing, and what you’re noticing. The next time you see a fall leaf that changed color, feel lighter as you let go of clutter, or experience joy at the sound of your loved one’s voice, pause to be present for your “Oh” mindfulness moment.

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