The other morning I was walking along one of my favorite meandering paths next to the Hudson River. It was a warm summer day. Since it wasn’t yet a scorcher, people were jogging, conversing, sitting, bicycling, and fishing. Several folks were walking their dogs. I noticed a man at the river’s edge playing fetch with his four-legged friend. I stopped to watch as the pup hyper-focused on the stick, waiting for his person to throw it into the water.

In anticipation of the branch being released, the pooch’s high motivation was clearly visible as he dove enthusiastically into the water to retrieve it. Over and over the dog waited, focused, swam, and fetched. I’m not sure who was having more fun- the dog, his person, or me. 

With a big smile, I finally pulled myself away and continued my walk. Here’s the thing, though. At that moment, my mind made a connection about what I just saw. It occurred to me that motivation becomes almost effortless when the goal is clear. And the more straightforward and better defined the goal is, the easier it is for motivation to flow. 

Let’s look at the stick-fetching example. The pup had one clear goal- retrieve the stick. Nothing else mattered. Birds, fish, or other passersby didn’t distract him. His mission was to return the stick to his friend- over and over again. The pups’ motivation flowed freely with his singular focus to get the stick!

Has your motivation ever been compromised? Has this made it challenging for you to activate? This can happen for many reasons, which include:

• Having too many goals

• Having a lack of clarity around your purpose

• Being overwhelmed by too many steps

• Being unsure of where to begin

• Being unclear about what to do next

• Lacking information needed to continue

• Feeling conflicted with competing priorities

• Being exhausted

• Lacking confidence

The next time you’re struggling with getting motivated, think about the dog-fetching story. How can you simplify your goal, and reduce it to that one thing? After you distill the goal, your motivation will quickly rise from within and propel you forward. So whether you are trying to get organized, planning your next vacation, or preparing to host a big event, think small. Think simply. Think about breaking the big thing into a tiny, more manageable goal. Watch what happens.

What helps you unleash your motivation? What resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The latest installment (v24) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my recent discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring motivation-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a beautifully engaged group. I am grateful for your presence, wisdom, 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? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Breathing-In Motivation

Low motivation can be caused by too much stress. In The Biophilia Effect – A Scientific and Spiritual Exploration of the Healing Bond Between Humans and Nature, author and biologist, Clemens G. Arvay, shares fascinating ideas about the therapeutic aspects of spending time in nature. He says, “Nature is immensely effective in allowing us to distance ourselves from stress-triggering situations.” Studies have been done about shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing,” which is the Japanese tradition of spending time in the forest and experiencing it through all of your senses. This improves your immune system and a general sense of well-being. Arvay says, “Forest air is like a healing elixir we inhale.” As a person who spends a significant amount of time around trees, flowers, and water, I have experienced the calming, stress-relieving benefits that nature provides. This gives me a healthy balance between relaxation and work and restores my motivation to pursue my goals.

2. Interesting Product – Sounding Motivation

This quirky desk accessory, from Knock Knock (as in concierge-style bell prop) brings an auditory component to your motivational mix. With two bold messages painted on the top surface, you can ding the “Let’s Do This” bell once as your call to motivation at the start of your task. Then ding the “Done” bell again when you’ve completed your task. Adding some physical, audible, fun to your day will work wonders to boost your motivation.

3. Interesting Tech  – Harnessing Motivation

When we’re unhappy and depressed, our motivation to do anything suffers greatly. One way to improve our mood is to focus on gratitude. When we practice gratitude, we feel calmer, less stressed, more positive, and better able to focus on what matters most. With a better mood, our motivation will improve. There are so many ways to be intentional about gratitude. The Happyfeed app makes it very simple to form a gratitude habit and cultivate happiness. The app has daily reminders and a private journal to safely record your words and photos for the positive moments each day.

4. Interesting Season – Supporting Motivation

Summer is in full swing. Are you feeling disorganized, overwhelmed, and unsure of how to move forward? This is an excellent season to reset your organizing goals, do some decluttering, and restore order and balance into your life. Change and motivation are possible, especially with support. Enlist help from a compassionate and non-judgmental friend, family member, or professional organizer like me. You’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish in a short amount of time when you work side-by-side with someone. I’m ready to help and am just a phone call (914-271-5673) or email (linda@ohsoorganized.com) away.

5. Interesting Thought – Nurturing Motivation

Perhaps the seeds for motivation start as a wish. But wishing isn't enough for those seeds to grow and for motivation to flourish. Doing must follow. Take small, consistent steps. Your progress will nurture your motivation. 

What are your exciting finds? Which of these resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!

Motivation is an interesting phenomenon. Consider the idea that we have an internal motivation meter that influences our behavior. When your motivation is high on this scale, you’re able to activate and accomplish without much struggle. You might even feel in a state of flow as you get things done like organizing a room or starting a new venture. On the opposite side of the motivation spectrum, when your motivation is low or non-existent, you feel sluggish and like you’re pushing a wet noodle. You might feel stuck, overwhelmed, and exhausted, making it almost impossible to activate. Those are just two ends of the spectrum. There are many points in between that are less extreme.

Let’s assume that even the most motivated among us encounter times when we’ve lost our drive. I’ve been there. This can happen for many reasons, such as being in a transition, grieving, experiencing a health challenge, lacking confidence, or being sleep deprived. At these moments, becoming motivated isn’t hopeless; it just means we might need some help.

While there are numerous ideas for activating when your motivation is low, today, I’m focusing on three concepts that are great to use when you’re having motivation challenges around getting organized. Naturally, these can be applied to other situations too.

1. Porch of Indecision

On a recent trip to Orlando, I came across this humorous “Porch of Indecision” sign. Is this porch familiar? You might feel stuck because you have a choice to make and aren’t sure what to do next. Perhaps you don't know which questions to ask. Maybe you’re going in circles because you have too many options. And guess what? Any of these can create havoc with your motivation. When indecision takes over, motivation can evaporate.

If you find yourself on the porch of indecision, there are a few things you can do. First, take a deep breath. Now take a few more. This will calm your nervous system, reduce stress, and help you think more clearly. Next, refine your choices to two or three. If you’re still having trouble moving forward, enlist help from a family, friend, or professional organizer to discuss your options out loud. Having someone listen and support your decision-making can give you enough clarity and motivation to activate.

2. “What is this?” Box

During a clutter workshop that I led, one of the participants shared this idea. She explained that in their home they have a designated “What is this?” box. Each time someone finds an unidentified small piece or part of something, they put that item in the box. The components remain there until someone retrieves a “missing piece” or enough time has passed that they’re willing to let go of the part. 

What I love about this concept is that instead of spending too much mental energy on these unidentified parts, they have a landing spot, a boundary, and an expiration date.

When our motivation is low, our mental energy is also compromised. What if you created a “box” or landing spot for those organizing projects and goals that you have? Add tiny to-dos and organizing ideas to your "list"  as you think of them. Writing them down and keeping them in a specific place will clear your mind and increase your energy. Retrieve one small item at a time. Decide if you’re ready to act on or let go of that project. Breaking things down into small tasks will reduce overwhelm, increase focus, and motivation.

“When our motivation is low, our mental energy is also compromised.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

3. CFI (Can’t Find It)

Have you heard of CFI, which stands for Can’t Find It? A familiar scenario is that you are about to do the next thing, and you can’t find your keys, glasses, cell phone, or _______. Instead of doing the next thing, you are engaged in a major hunt for the item you can’t find. You are aggravated. You look in all the familiar and unfamiliar places. You get other people to help you search. Time passes, and eventually, you find what you were looking for. But it leaves you feeling frustrated, stressed, and annoyed with yourself. It’s easy to go down that rabbit hole of negative self-talk. It can affect your motivation and desire to change.

Instead, let the CFI experience be an opportunity to boost your motivation. Make a mindful note about the thing or things that often get lost. Develop a plan to organize a new pattern or alter a habit, so fewer things get misplaced. It’s useful to give belongings a designated home. For example, place your car keys in the same bowl, hook, or handbag compartment every time you put them down. Before you know it, your CFI will become CAFI (Can Always Find It).

Do you have a favorite motivation technique? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!

As I’m just back from our summer vacation in Maine, I have to admit that my motivation to jump into regular activities (like writing and working on the next projects) hasn’t quite kicked in yet. Vacation mode of waking up without an alarm, wearing no watch, spending uninterrupted time with my family, and exploring new places continues to permeate my heart and mind.

I don’t know about you, but I like to give myself one full day post-vacation to unpack, do laundry, return calls, go through snail mail and email before resuming my normal pace. As I settle in to write this post, I have a vacation motivation experience I’d like to share with you.

I wouldn’t describe myself as athletic.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy a long walk, swimming or an occasional bike ride, but you won’t find me actively engaged in sports. I prefer gentle exercise and stretching.

How Three Mountains Boosted Motivation

Mohegan Island

During this vacation, there was a lot of exploring. We walked all over. Maine is such a gorgeous place with beautiful seascapes, rocky shores, and wonderfully lush terrain. For those that love to hike, it’s a paradise. Before our children joined us mid-week, my husband and I took an easy hike to the top of Monhegan Island. What a gorgeous, magical place. No cars are allowed on the island. It’s quiet and peaceful with an abundance of wildflowers gracing the hills. If you ever have a chance to travel there, which involves a ferry ride, definitely go.

While I was huffing and puffing a little bit, I made it to the top of the cliff. We sat and enjoyed our lunch. There were amazing views several hundred feet above sea level of blue sky above and water crashing against the shore below. The sun was bright. Sounds of rushing waves and seagulls squawking could be heard. One seagull decided to accompany us for lunch as we sat on the cliff’s edge. I think he was hoping for some scraps.

Cadillac Mountain

A few days later, the family took a trip to Acadia National Park. Our first stop was Cadillac Mountain with breathtaking 360-degree views of Mount Desert Island.  We did some walking off of the path and onto the sides of the cliffs. It was fairly easy, although you had to watch your footing. 

Champlain Mountain

Following that we took a longer hike to the top of Champlain Mountain. It was a 2.2-mile round trip hike, which seemed doable. We thought it was going to be on level ground and relatively easy. None of us realized beforehand that the hike was an uphill climb on uneven paths and involved vertically climbing the rocks at some points. Remember before when I said I wasn’t athletic? So as you might imagine, this was especially challenging for me. Our kids and their partners (30 years younger,) climbed easily and were way ahead of my husband and I. While I kept going, taking short breaks as needed, I was getting physically tired and wasn't sure I could make it to the top. Doubt set in.

Every so often, one of the kids would double back to check on us. Or, they’d call out to encourage us that we were getting close and almost there. At one point, my husband asked me if I wanted to stop and head back down. He knew I was having a hard time. However, I knew I was closer to the top than the bottom. I was determined and motivated to meet the family at the top. The last stretch was especially challenging, as it was almost a straight climb up without shade on sometimes-slippery rocks.

My husband climbed behind me to make sure I was OK. But I was slowing up even more. I asked him to climb in front of me to help give me the visual motivation and pacing that I needed to reach the top. We finally arrived. The kids were waiting and cheered us on.  The views were incredible and well worth the effort. 

So what kept me motivated to keep going?

There were a few things . . .

First there was the accountability piece: people were waiting for me. Secondly, the goal was within reach. It required that I push myself beyond my normal limits to get there. Isn’t that often the case? We’re so close to our goal and then we just give up. Yet when we do push through, it feels exhilarating. Lastly, there was the celebration. The woohooing, cheering and picture taking helped to commemorate the goal. When we’re struggling with motivation, our goal isn’t always so clear. The next time I’m feeling challenged, I’m going to conjure up images of climbing Champlain Mountain along with that wonderful feeling of making it to the top. We often need to reach beyond our comfort zone to arrive at our destination.

Do you have an image or story that you use to help motivate you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!