The newest installment (v19) 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 time-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are such a wonderfully engaged group and I am so grateful for you. 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 – Time to Be Present 

If you want to enhance your health and well-being and be more aware in the moment, this book is for you. In Fully Present – The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness, scientist Susan Smalley, Ph.D. and mindfulness teacher and practitioner, Diana Winston explore the scientific explanation for how mindfulness affects the brain and body in a positive, powerful, and compelling way.  The authors also share tips and exercises for developing and maintaining a meditation practice. They say, “You can learn to take an ordinary experience, give it your present-moment attention, and experience it as extra-ordinary.” Modern culture tends to cultivate mindless-ness. “The dominant American culture validates virtually mindless productivity, busyness, speed, and efficiency. The last thing we want to do is just bepresent.”  Smalley and Winston present an opening for us to think about how we spend our time. “Mindfulness is a means to rebalance doing and being.”  

2. Interesting Season  – Time to Organize

OK. The truth is that every season is a great season to get organized. With summer just starting, we’re poised for a new beginning. We can reset our organizing goals, take stock of our busy schedules and time, do some decluttering, and bring order and balance back into our lives. If you want to get organized, but are feeling overwhelmed and stuck, find an organizing buddy. Your buddy can be a compassionate and non-judgmental friend, family member or professional organizer like me. You’ll be amazed with how much you will accomplish in a short amount of time when your work side-by-side with someone else. I’m ready to help and am just a phone call (914-271-5673) or email (linda@ohsoorganized.com) away.

3. Interesting Product – Time to Roll

How do you roll with managing your to dos? Check out this new product, This Week Sticky Roll Notes from Knock Knock. With 26 feet of note-taking tape, you can place this list anywhere to remind you about what’s next. Just pull, tear, and then stick the strip to any surface like your mirror, desk, refrigerator, or door.  It’s a fun and flexible product that will help you better manage your time.

4. Interesting App – Time to Connect

If you like the idea of writing personalized cards, but can never find the time to do so, you’ll love Pixinote. This app combines old school with the digital age.  In just a few minutes using your cell phone, you can easily combine three lines of personalized text with one of your photos. A printed card in an envelope will show up in your loved one's mailbox several days later. Keeping in touch was never so easy. Your friends and family will appreciate receiving “good” mail and knowing that you took the time to connect with them.

5. Interesting Thought – Time to Steer

If you’re anything like me, time appears to be moving more and more swiftly with the passing of each year. Now more than ever, being intentional with how time is being spent seems essential. After all, we have a finite amount of time. While none of us know how long we’ll be here, we are in charge of the time we do have.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

The newest installment (v18) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring letting go-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such an incredibly engaged group and I am so grateful for you. 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 – Letting Go Habits

We live packed, fast-paced lives with full schedules, lots of possessions and many distractions. In The Power of Less – The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential . . . in Business and in Life, Leo Babauta, writer and blogger at Zen Habits, encourages readers to simplify all aspects of your life.  Babauta says, “Simplicity boils down to two steps: 1. Identify the essential. 2. Eliminate the rest.” He shares principles such as setting limits, changing habits and adjusting focus for letting go of our needing more mindset. Practical strategies for applying these principles to goal setting, time management, decluttering and other areas are also discussed. There are some gems throughout, but I especially appreciate the overall focus on moving towards less. Babauta says, “Focus on the essential and allow everything else to drop away. It’ll make you much happier, less stressed, and perhaps surprisingly, more productive.”

2. Interesting Research  –Letting Go Psychology

Some of the reasons why letting go becomes challenging is that we get attached to or have an exaggerated sense of responsibility towards our belongings. In this short TED-Ed video by Christian Jarrett, “Why are we so attached to our things?” he explains some of the research and psychology behind our attachments. For example, Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist who pioneered work in child development, identified the “endowment effect.” Early in life a sense of ownership emerges where we value something more highly as soon as we own it. This can make letting go more difficult. Understanding more about our attachments can be the opening you need to start letting go.

3. Interesting Trend – Letting Go Motivation

Margareta Magnusson

Recently, I came across a phrase that made me curious. It was “Swedish death cleaning.” Have you heard of it? Margareta Magnusson, a Swedish artist and author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning – How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter,”uses the inevitability of death as the motivation to let go of your unnecessary possessions. The idea behind death cleaning is to reduce the amount of stuff that you leave behind for others to deal with. As someone that has helped many clients to downsize, de-possess or let go of their deceased loved ones things, I understand the value in taking personal responsibility for your own things so that others won’t have to. Reframing the idea of letting go, as a gift to our loved ones could be just the motivation needed to get you through.  

4. Interesting Product – Letting Go Flash Cards

One of the most innovative thinkers and authors in the organizing industry is my friend and colleague, Judith Kolberg. True to her creative process, she developed the “Get Rid of Your Stuff” flash cards. If you’re feeling stuck with what to do with your excess things, you’ll want these cards. There are a dozen different options for letting things go, like donating or selling them, along with tips for each category. Supercharge your decision-making and letting go skills with this well thought out product.

5. Interesting Thought – Letting Go Breath

Have you ever noticed when you hold on too tightly your body tenses up? Your breathing becomes shallow or you might even hold your breath. Holding on requires energy. When we hold on to things, people and places that no longer support us, we’re expending energy and effort that could be released or used in other ways. Let go and release your grip. Take a deep breath in. Let a big exhale out. Repeat as needed. Let go of what’s holding you back.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

The first of the year installment (v17) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring fresh start-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are such a wonderfully engaged group and I am so grateful for you. 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 – Fresh Start Rituals

With many of us feeling the hectic pace of the New Year, there is an alternative way to live. Instead of going faster, your fresh start could include slowing down. I recently finished reading this small and lovely book, Destination Simple – Everyday Rituals for a Slower Life by Brooke McAlary, an Australian writer and podcast creator of Slow Your Home. Brooke says, “… by being intentional with your daily actions you can create the simpler, happier life you want. And you can do this by harnessing the power of rituals and rhythms.” She shares five rituals to integrate into your day including single-tasking and unplugging. In addition, she suggests ways of establishing morning and evening rhythms, like routines, but more fluid and flexible.  Even if you don’t adopt every suggestion, even making one change can add more calm and happiness to your life. Brooke’s marching orders are to create a slower, simpler days and then, “… go enjoy life.”

2. Interesting Research  – Fresh Start Effect

The beginning of the year is the time when many of us set goals. It turns out that the first day of the year is a temporal landmark, which signals the beginning of a new and distinctly different period of time. Research from The Wharton School shows that these landmarks help us feel the fresh start effect, which gives us a motivation boost to help us achieve our goals. While January 1st is a common temporal landmark, there are many others we can access like a new day, new week, new month, new season, birthday or holiday. If you missed the fresh start effect on January 1st, harness the power of your next, new something. You can activate your fresh start anytime you want.

3. Interesting Experience – Fresh Start Mornings

Are you ready for a truly fun and unique way to bring a fresh start to your morning? I couldn’t resist sharing this one with you. Daybreaker creates morning events for communities in about 15 cities worldwide that infuse dance and exercise into the start of your day. Their fun formula with five core values of wellness, camaraderie, self-expression, mindfulness and mischief are wrapped in a two-hour dance experience with guest speakers and performers. It’s basically an early morning dance party. Maybe starting your day by dancing with 400 strangers isn’t your thing, but how about cranking up the music and dancing in the privacy of your own home to give your day an energizing fresh start?

4. Interesting Product – Fresh Start List

While goal setting happens several times throughout the year, there’s nothing quite like the start of a New Year to reenergize us to aim for new or reset previous goals. One of the most effective ways of hitting our goals is to write them down. This cheery #Goals pad from Knock Knock makes it easy to capture your daily, weekly or life goals. Give yourself the gift of time, grab a pen, and let your ideas fly. This blank slate will give your goals a fresh start boost. I’m excited for you just thinking about what you’ll accomplish in the coming year. Care to share with us?

5. Interesting Thought – Fresh Start Your New

The beauty of a fresh start is that you can use it to alter your perspective, shift your focus, build from your past successes, and energize yourself to experience new outcomes. What will your “fresh” bring?

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

The newest installment (v16) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest 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 an extraordinary and engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Motivating Choices

Wait, What? by James E. Ryan

Finding the answers we seek are in the quality of the questions we ask. Asking the right questions can motivate us to start or stop doing something, move us forward when we’re stuck, or help us understand something more deeply. One of the books I recently read was Wait, What? And Life’s Other Essential Questionsby James E. Ryan, author and dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Ryan says, “Posing irresistible questions…is an art worth cultivating.”  He shares five essential questions like “Wait, what?” which is effective for getting clarification or avoiding quick judgments, and “I wonder…?” which fosters curiosity. Specifically for getting unstuck and motivating movement, Ryan suggests, “Couldn’t we at least…?”  This book is a wonderful resource that will add quality questions to your motivation toolbox.

2. Interesting Perspective – Motivating Action

What do you do when your To Do listoverwhelms you? I came across this pin, which adds some lightness to the serious list-makers among us. To tame those long lists, make a “Today” list. Keep it short … really short as in two to three items. Your list’s brevity will boost your motivation, increase your action, and make you feel good about your accomplishments. I can see your success.

3. Interesting Tech – Motivating Mindfulness

Even the busiest among us can make time for mindfulness moments with the Buddhify app. It provides both solo or guided meditations that help even during the most hectic times. If you need a mindfulness work break, are experiencing difficult emotions, are feeling stressed, or can’t sleep, Buddhify has a unique meditation designed just for you. Your pocket mindfulness coach will motivate you to embrace some much-needed Zen.

4. Interesting Product – Motivating Preparedness

It’s challenging to find the motivation to think or talk about death preparedness. It’s a topic that many of us avoid. We know it will happen, but not yet, not now. So we delay preparing. We delay discussing. We delay until it’s too late and we put that burden on our family. Fortunately, Amy Pickard, CEO of Good To Go created the Departure File, which “eliminates stress, guilt, doubt and provides those you leave behind with the certainty of knowing they are carrying out your wishes.” She was motivated to create this product, along with support to go with it, when her mother died unexpectedly leaving no paperwork and hundreds of details to handle. Maybe the Departure File is just the motivation you need to get your affairs in order for your loved ones.

5. Interesting Thought – Motivating Positivity

Sometimes we need a positive reminder to recognize that we can move forward, we can get unstuck, and we can accomplish the goals we desire. To reignite your motivation, use a positivity mantra like “I can” or something else that feels right for you.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!