Leslie Josel

Leslie Josel "Ask the Expert" interview about MotivationThe popular “Ask the Expert” interview series connects you with industry thought leaders. This year we’ve spoken with David Allen about time management, Peter Walsh about clutter, Sheila Delson about letting go, Laura Berman Fortgang about next steps, Judith Kolberg about change, and Sue West about fresh starts. This month I’m excited to bring you a trailblazer in the professional organizing industry, Leslie Josel, to share her insights and wisdom about motivation.

Leslie and I have been friends and colleagues for almost 10 years. We met through the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD). Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with Leslie on several projects in addition to having time to just socialize with her. She has tremendous energy, drive, compassion, and a fabulous sense of humor. What can I say? She’s savvy and a lot of fun to be with. My deepest gratitude goes to Leslie for taking the time to join us. Before we begin, here’s more about her.

Leslie Josel is the Principal of Order Out of Chaos, an organizing consulting firm specializing in student organizing and chronic disorganization. She is a member of NAPO and holds her ADHD and Hoarding Specialist certifications from the ICD as well as her ADHD coaching certification from JST coach training.  Leslie is known as a respected resource on ADHD and Executive Functioning in students and has been featured in national broadcast and print media on these subjects. She also speaks nationally to parent and educator groups on a variety of issues and topics facing students today. Leslie is the creator of the award winning Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management(a student planner that helps teach students time management). She is also co-author of The Complete Diabetes Organizer, being released later this year. You can connect with Leslie on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, blog or website.

Linda Samuels:  What motivates people to move forward when they are feeling overwhelmed?

Leslie Josel:  That's a tough one as each individual comes to motivation with their own set of unique obstacles and drive. But I like to work with my clients to help them understand that motivation can be to some degree needless.  Believing we have to "feel" like doing something in order to actually do it can lead to not getting anything done.  Sometimes if we simply just begin, we can become motivated as the task is in action.

Linda:  What suggestions do you have for sustaining motivation when you encounter setbacks towards your goals?

Leslie:Most would say picture the end result. "See" yourself where you want to be. For most (including me), I like to reflect on where I've been. Seeing how far I might have gotten or even staying still (no backsliding) is very powerful in putting me back on track.

Linda:  What are your favorite techniques for getting motivated?

Leslie:  Some of my favorite techniques for staying motivated are doing the hardest or longest task first, constantly building in rewards, faking urgency (creating deadlines), working at my "peak" energy times, and setting timers.

Linda:  What has been your biggest personal motivation challenge?

Leslie:  My biggest personal motivation challenge is to exercise more. I've tried it all – classes, equipment in my home, making appointments with myself – all of it. You name it; I have tried it. Buddying up is the only thing I have found to work. Accountability is key! And having someone literally pick me up at my house!

Linda:  What is your most surprising discovery about motivation?

Leslie:  My most surprising discovery about motivation is how motivating fear can be. Fear can be paralyzing for some and highly motivating for others. I know that fear is what propels me forward. To some degree it is probably insecurity or self doubt of some kind. “Do I know enough? Have I done enough homework? Will others find me knowledgeable and my content useful?  What will happen if I don’t…?”  All of those questions are what keeps me going. However, for others that same feeling can be completely paralyzing. In fact, in a lot of my clients fear is the first obstacle we work on to get unstuck.

Linda:  What else would you like to add?

Leslie:  I try to strip the layers away when working on motivation techniques.  The build up or anticipation is usually worse than the task or situation itself.  So when I get hit with the “I don't want to,” I flip it upside down and say don't do it because you have to; do it because you can. I am a huge believer in good enough. I believe you need to create energy around your tasks to sustain motivation and to that point environment is key. Surround yourself in an environment that will provide a state of high enthusiasm to create motivation. Kind of like a natural caffeine boost!

Thank you, Leslie for sharing your thoughts about motivation. Your no nonsense, practical approach is Oh, So Leslie! There are so many valuable nuggets here. In particular, I appreciate the useful perspective of removing the “don’t want to” and replacing it with “because you can.” That’s a powerful strategy as it distances us from our negative feelings and refocuses us on the doing.

I invite you to join Leslie and me as we continue the conversation. We’d love to hear your thoughts about motivation. What resonates with you? What are your recent motivation challenges and strategies? 

David Allen "Ask the Expert" interview about ProductivityBased on your outpouring of positive feedback, once again I'm happy to bring you the “Ask the Expert” interview series, which connects you with industry thought leaders. We’ve spoken with Peter Walsh about clutter, Sheila Delson about letting go, Laura Berman Fortgang about next steps, Judith Kolberg about change, and Sue West about fresh starts. This month I’m excited to have with us the world’s leading personal productivity guru, David Allen, to share his insights and wisdom about time management.

David’s book, Getting Things Done – The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, is a favorite in my collection, and is well worn and highlighted. Some of his concepts that I find most valuable are the ideas of gathering all your “to dos” in one place and then moving each one along by focusing on its “next” action. It’s an understatement to say that David has many fans. He’s an international best-selling author of three books, has over one million Twitter followers and over one-hundred thousand members in his LinkedIn GTD® Enthusiasts group. My sincere thanks goes to David for taking the time to join us. A special thanks to Kathryn for making it happen. Before we begin, here’s more about David.

David Allen is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on personal and organizational productivity. His thirty-year pioneering research and coaching to corporate managers and CEOs of some of America’s most prestigious corporations has earned him Forbes’ recognition as one of the top five executive coaches in the U.S. Time Magazine called his flagship book, Getting Things Done, “the definitive self-help book of the decade.” Fast Company called David “one of the most influential thinkers” in the arena of personal productivity. He is the engineer of GTD®, the popular Getting Things Done® methodology that has shown millions how to transform a fast-paced, overwhelming, overcommitted life into one that is balanced, integrated, relaxed, and has more successful outcomes. David is the Founder and Chairman of the David Allen Company. You can connect with David on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, blog or website.

Linda Samuels:  You are internationally known as the “personal productivity guru.” While there is no quick fix for being more productive, where is a good place to begin?

David Allen:  Stress-free productivity means being in a personal state of relaxed, focused control and engaging in meaningful activity. A prime requirement for that condition is having a total inventory of your commitments with yourself – one that is current and objectified and well defined, at all the levels they exist (from “get cat food” to “get a new job” to ”get enlightenment”.) So job one is to capture and clarify that roster. Start by collecting all the particles around your environment that don’t belong there permanently and put them in your into your IN-tray (or a note to represent them, if they won’t fit). Then use pen and paper to empty your head of any- and everything else that has your attention. From there you’ll need to move on to determining the outcomes desired and next actions required for each of them. That whole process can take 10 to 20 hours, but anything you can start doing along those lines will move you in the right direction.

Linda:  Life requires that we get things done. Anna Quindlen said, “I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” What is your perspective?

David:  Big Secret: Getting Things Done is not about getting things done. It’s about achieving appropriate engagement with all of your involvements. In order to feel comfortable with whatever you’re doing, you need to feel OK with what you’re not doing. So, not getting things done, for the most part, is a hallmark of optimal productivity! Of course, if your purpose on the planet is actually to complete, accomplish, and express, you’ll need to be getting those things done, in order to be at peace with yourself. Once you really catch what this game is about, and the optimal rules of engagement, playing the game, itself, is the reward. Indeed.

Linda:  What is your most surprising discovery about focusing on the “next” action step?

David:  That the decision about the most mundane aspects of our life (what visible, physical activity do I need to do, to move the needle on this?) is core to the sense of fulfilling our agreements with ourselves. If you think you should be doing something about a situation with your parents or your kid, but haven’t yet decided what the very next thing to do about it is, you’ll be in stress and not fully present in your life.

Linda:  What has been your toughest personal time challenge?

David:  Realizing how much of a clear context, in terms of time and environment, is required to do sustained, creative thinking. I can’t write the next chapter of anything without a good four-hour block of free space and warmed up fingers with a great laptop.

Linda:  If you had an unexpected extra hour on a particular day, how would you spend that time?

David:  Beats me. When it shows up, I’ll let you know. I trust my spontaneous, intuitive hunches.

Linda:  Is there anything you’d like to share that I haven’t asked?

David:  The experience of stress-free productivity is one of a very natural flow. But it doesn’t consistently happen by itself. It requires specific practices that often seem unnatural and unnecessary at first. (“Write everything down? You’ve got to be kidding!”) Once they become habitual, however, you’d never think of doing anything else.

Thank you, David for sharing your thoughts about stress-free productivity and time management. Something you said which jumped out at me is the idea of “appropriate engagement.” Be comfortable with what you choose to do and not do. That in fact, not getting things done is the “hallmark of optimal productivity.” I love this perspective.

I invite all of you to join David and me as we continue the conversation. We’d love to hear your ideas about productivity, GTD®, and time management. Which concepts resonate with you? What are your recent productivity challenges or successes? 

Peter Walsh "Ask the Expert" interview about ClutterThe “Ask the Expert” interview series connects you with industry thought leaders. So far this year, we’ve spoken with Sheila Delson about letting go, Laura Berman Fortgang about next steps, Judith Kolberg about change, and Sue West about fresh starts. This month I’m excited to share with you someone who is a household name in the professional organizing industry, Peter Walsh, to share his insights and wisdom about clutter.

Peter and I met several years ago at a National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conference when he had a special session with our veteran organizers group. After the session, I went to the Expo where I stood on a very long line of Peter’s fans to say “hi” and ask him to autograph his book, It’s All Too Much. I was taken with how incredibly charming, generous, and patient he was handling a loud, enthusiastic group of organizers and fans. A few years ago, I featured Peter and his book, Lighten Up for a Giveaway on my blog. My deepest thanks goes to Peter for taking the time to join us. Before we begin, here’s more about him.

Peter Walsh, is an expert in organizational design, television and radio personality, and author of numerous New York Times best sellers. Peter’s aim is to help people live richer, happier lives with a little more organization. Born and raised in Australia, he moved to Los Angeles in 1994 with the idea of launching a company to help organizations improve employees’ job satisfaction and effectiveness. He has helped thousands of homeowners and corporations organize their living and work spaces for optimal efficiency. Peter was a regular guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show, was star of Clean Sweep and had his own series, Extreme Clutter on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). He’s appeared on hundreds of national television programs including The Nate Berkus Show, The Talk, and Good Morning America. You can connect with Peter on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or his website.

Linda Samuels:  You’re an expert on helping people better understand their emotional and physical clutter. How do you begin this process?

Peter Walsh:  I am one of seven kids.  Growing up we didn’t have a ton of stuff and what we had we learned early on we had to take care of. I think from this I’ve always had respect for looking after what I own and taking care of the things that are mine. Being organized, however, is a skill just like any other and can definitely be learned. It takes a little practice but the dividends are definitely worth it! 

I had worked a lot here in the US in the area of organizational change in businesses, and friends started asking for some help in getting their homes – and sometimes their lives – in order. I realized early on that the problems people had with clutter and disorganization were usually about their fear of letting things go, or lack of skills in scheduling things, or sometimes even some trauma they’d experienced in their lives.  Once these underlying issues were dealt with, usually dealing with ‘the stuff’ became so much easier. My work in this area came to the attention of a television network here and they asked me to work on an organization show. A few years ago, I started working with the Oprah Winfrey Show as their decluttering and organization expert and from there hosted Enough Already! with Peter Walsh and Extreme Clutter on The Oprah Winfrey Network.  More recently, I’m the ‘get your life organized’ guy on The Rachael Ray Show.

Linda:  Why is letting go of clutter so challenging for some of us?

Peter:  Generally people accumulate clutter of two types - and you may recognize yourself here. The first is what I call 'memory clutter' - this is the stuff that reminds you of an important person, or event or achievement in the past - things like those old university papers from 20 years ago, or your adult children's baby clothes or that soccer trophy you won in kindergarten. The other kind of clutter is 'I might need it one day clutter' - this is the stuff you hold onto in preparation for all those possible futures that could eventuate. Neither of these is a bad thing. The problem only arises when the stuff you own interferes with the life you could be living.

I work differently to many organizers in that I have come to see that if you focus on 'the stuff' when trying to declutter and get organized, you will never succeed. Ever! The first and most important step in decluttering is to ask yourself, "What is my vision for the life I'd like to live?” "What does that life look like?", "What does my home look like in that life?" When you can clearly answer these questions you are in a position to start decluttering by looking at your stuff and asking, "Does this item move me closer to the life I want to be living?" If it does, keep it. If not, what's it doing in your home? It’s as simple and as complex as that. Start with the life you want, not the stuff you have!

Linda:  You’ve helped many people transform their lives. What are some of the positive outcomes they’ve experienced from releasing their clutter?

Peter:  Your home is a reflection of your life. It’s impossible to make your best choices for your most authentic life in a cluttered, messy, disorganized space – it just doesn’t happen! When we talk about clutter we talk about how it makes us feel ‘suffocated’ or ‘unable to breath’ in a space. Clutter robs us of life – physically, psychologically, socially, emotionally and usually financially. When a home is overrun with clutter it robs us emotionally, making us feel stressed out; it robs us financially, the stuff costs a lot of money to acquire; it robs us socially, we are too embarrassed to have people over to our homes; it robs us of peace and calm, we can’t relax in our own homes. Decluttering opens your space, allows you to focus and feel motivated. By surrounding yourself only with those things that are beautiful and useful, you are able to truly create a space that reflects your best life.

Linda:  Do you have a clutter philosophy?

Peter:  The single biggest problem with organization is that people think it’s all about ‘the stuff’ when, in fact, it’s almost never about ‘the stuff.” If you focus on the stuff you will never get organized – weird but true! The very first step in getting organized is to ask yourself, “What is the life I want to be living?” And from this question there are others, “What does that life look like?” “What do I want from my home – what mood, what experience?” It’s only after you have answered these questions that you can start looking at your stuff and get organized by asking (of each item), “Does this thing move me closer or farther away from the life I want?” That’s the criteria for what stays and what goes.

Other factors are that people simply buy too much.  Recreational shopping is a killer!

Linda:  What has been your biggest personal challenge around clutter?

Peter:  While I am known as the ‘organization’ guy, I’m not crazy when it comes to organization! For me, organization is not so much about coloured photo boxes or orderly files as it is about living your life in a way that is stress-free and fulfilling. If your life is more about the quantity of stuff you can acquire than it is about the quality of relationships that you have, then there’s a problem. My own home and what I own reflects the kind of life I want – open, relaxed, welcoming, calm, stress-free and inviting.  It’s all about creating a home that reflects the life you want. I think I’ve been pretty successful in achieving that.

Thank you, Peter for sharing your thoughts about clutter. Your message that clutter is not about the “stuff,” but instead about creating the life you want is the thread that clearly weaves through all of your responses. In the twenty plus years I’ve been helping others get organized, I also recognize this to be true. We get called about the “stuff,” but know that is simply the beginning of the conversation.

I invite all of you to join Peter and me as we continue talking. We’d love to hear your ideas about clutter. What clutter challenges or successes have you experienced recently? What are your thoughts about “the stuff?”

Sheila Delson - "Ask the Expert" interview about Letting GoThe arrival of spring brings more dynamic, inspiring leaders with the “Ask the Expert” interview series. So far this year, we’ve spoken with Laura Berman Fortgang about next steps, Judith Kolberg about change, and Sue West about fresh starts. This month I’m excited to share with you an outstanding leader in the professional organizing industry, Sheila Delson, to share her insights and wisdom about letting go.

Sheila and I have been friends and colleagues for almost 20 years. The first time we met, she arrived at my house bringing a delicious loaf of lavender-infused bread that she had just baked. The lavender had been picked from her beautiful garden. We talked for hours about the organizing industry, her newly launched business, life, and family. Twenty years later, our conversations and friendship continue. A trusted confidant, I have great admiration for her compassion, intelligence, dedication, creativity, and integrity. I also want to congratulate Sheila for being given just this week, the most prestigious honor in our industry, the 2013 NAPO Founders' Award. My deepest thanks goes to Sheila for taking the time to join us. Before we begin, here’s more about her.

Sheila Delson, CPO-CD®, is owner and President of FREEDomain Concepts, LLC, founded in 1994.  She is a Certified Professional Organizer specializing in Chronic Disorganization, ADHD and compulsive hoarding. Sheila is a co-founder and Past President of the Institute for Challenging Organization (ICD), a co-developer of the group’s Certification Program, a Master Trainer, and an original co-author of the ICD Clutter-Hoarding Scale.  An active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Sheila currently serves on the NAPO-NY Chapter Board of Directors, and is an award recipient from both organizations for her contributions to the professional organizing industry. You can connect with Sheila on her website.

Linda Samuels:  You’re an expert that specializes in working with the chronically disorganized population? What makes letting go particularly challenging for this group?

Sheila Delson:  What is particularly difficult for this population is their extreme emotional attachment to things, which is frequently fear-based and sometimes caused by a false belief system. The added struggle is the incongruence between what a person intellectually understands to be normal and acceptable, and what she or he intuitively understands may not be.  This is a frustrating scenario for most of the chronically disorganized population.

Linda:  What are a few creative techniques you use to encourage the letting go process?

Sheila:  I try to desensitize and normalize the object by asking the client to describe the importance of an item. I write down the answer (making it concrete), then together we reality-check the response to both their intellectual and intuitive senses. To do this process I try to formulate questions avoiding language words like you, your, they, and them. For example, “Can you explain to me what is so important about this item?” and ”Can you tell me how this item supports the plan we just developed? Does your response match that plan or hinder it?”  I do use the word “we” because it brings the conversation into the present time…not of the past because ‘change’ happens in the present. Minimizing the personalization factor provides the client with a perspective advantage because it minimizes the emotional connection.

Linda:  What has been the most surprising discovery about letting go?

Sheila:  How is it both painful and liberating all at the same time, and the fact that the process is so different for everyone.  Similar to an anesthetic, a qualified Professional Organizer provides direction, council, and ultimately relief to the process.

Linda:  Do you have a letting go philosophy?

Sheila:  It’s about being more mindful of the choices we make and of the things that surround our environment and their meaning to our lives today.  Just because it was meaningful once doesn’t always mean it has that same benefit today.  In fact it may have the opposite effect!  I like to use a modified version of the Tony Robins’ mantra (brackets mine): “The past doesn’t [have to] equal the future,” – unless we choose to allow it to be - for better or worse!

Linda:  What has been your biggest personal challenge around letting go?

Sheila:  You know it’s really the same as it is for my clients. Hey…we’re human, right?  We all get so busy, and the months, years pass by so fast that we don’t pay attention to the things that have accumulated. We get overwhelmed by daily pressures and then procrastinate deciding on how we should feel about an item or what to do with it. Instead of mindful choosing we procrastinate and mindlessly shove it into a file drawer, or onto a pile, or into a closet, and slam the door!  For me, learning to become more ‘mindful’ has been my salvation and is what I try to impart to my clients. It is a deliberate, conscious activity that can be learned and developed.

Linda:  Is there anything you’d like to share about letting go that I haven’t asked?

Sheila:  Yes…”Downsizing.”  With all the ‘Boomers’ now coming of age, I think this term has negative implications for many.  The very word “down” makes people want to avoid, avoid, avoid! It’s an old term that doesn’t have the same relevancy today that it did 50 years ago. Today’s boomer age group are still working and are active contributors in their communities and families.  For today’s boomers, it’s not about “DOWN” anything, but more about “RIGHT making and LIGHT making,” mindfully reviewing a lifetime of accumulation of things and letting go of the things that hold us (down) back by carefully choosing the things that continue to support where we are today, going forward. 

Thank you, Sheila for sharing your thoughts about letting go. You’ve identified many ideas that resonate with me like using desensitization to minimize emotional attachments to our possessions, getting past our past, and engaging in mindfulness. All of these are essentials in the letting go process.

I invite all of you to join Sheila and me to continue the conversation. We’d love to hear your ideas about letting go. What letting go challenges or successes have you experienced recently?