The newest installment (v23) 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 clutter-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a wonderfully, engaged group. I am grateful for your presence and wisdom.

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 – Clutter Release

If your home is overrun with stuff and you’re ready to declutter and simplify, Who Am I Now? – Realign Your Home and Life, by author, professional organizer, and coach, Kate Varness, CPO-CD®, COC®, MA is an excellent guidebook for you. Kate says, “Your life is a hero’s journey…It will require you to wake up and step bravely into the unknown.”  Her book comes with a free downloadable, printable companion workbook to use with it. This book is especially helpful for people experiencing a life transition, feeling overwhelmed, are unsure of how to start, or what to let go. Kate uses stories and a step-by-step process to help you realign your home to match your current needs. Encouraging you at every turn, she says, “Step bravely away from the clutter and the pain of what’s not working into new possibilities.”

2. Interesting Perspective – Clutter Tolerance

While many believe that there is a “right” way or “one” way to be organized, it just isn’t so. We are different with diverse needs and preferences. For organizing strategies to be effective, they have to reflect your uniqueness. So while I might prefer to have my clothes hanging in my closet, facing the same direction on matching hangers, by clothing type and in color order, you might prefer piling your clothes on the floor. For me, that would feel like too much clutter, but for you, it might not. If “floordrobe” works for you, go for it! Being organized and clutter tolerance looks and feels different for each of us. Do you consider yourself clutter sensitive or clutter blind?

3. Interesting Article  – Clutter Overload

In the Intellectual Takeout article by Daniel Lattier, 15 Stats That Show Americans Are Drowning in ‘Stuff,’ he writes about how much time we spend accumulating and organizing our belongings. Lattier’s insight, which is confirmed by interesting stats collected by minimalist and author, Joshua Becker, says, “Americans simply own too much stuff.” If you want less clutter, own fewer things. Below are several of the stats:

• “There are 300,000 items in the average American home.” – LA Times

• “British research found that the average 10-year old owns 238 toys, but plays with just 12 daily.” – The Telegraph

• “Some reports indicate we consume twice as many material goods today as we did 50 years ago.” – The Story of Stuff

• “Americans spend $1.2 trillion annually on nonessential goods – in other words, items they do not need.” – The Wall Street Journal

4. Interesting Trend – Clutter Transaction

One way to reduce clutter is to stop purchasing things. Several years ago, two friends from Washington, Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark decided to do just that. They began The Buy Nothing Project, which has become a worldwide social movement. Their concept was to create an “experimental hyper-local gift economy.” People join to reduce clutter or to save money by getting things for free. They use Facebook groups as their communication platform. These are their rules: “Post anything you’d like to give away, lend, or share amongst neighbors. Ask for anything you’d like to receive for free or borrow. Keep it legal. Keep it civil. No buying or selling, no trades or bartering, we’re strictly a gift economy.” 

5. Interesting Thought – Clutter Call

This reminds me of The Beatles song, All You Need Is Love. Substitute the four-letter L-word, “love” for “less.” If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the clutter in your life, this may be the inspiration (and song) that you need to let go and experience how it feels to live with less. Sing along with The Beatles and me, “All you need is less, daah-dah daah-dah dah . . .”

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

The newest installment (v22) 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 change-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a beautiful, engaged group. I am grateful for your presence and wisdom.

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 – Navigating Change

Change can be challenging, even for the most adventurous of us. If you are in the midst of transition or know someone who is Transitions – Making Sense of Life’s Changes, author and transition management consultant, William Bridges who died in 2013, provides an excellent guidebook on coping with change. Bridges explores strategies for embracing and the universal stages of transitions- Endings, The Neutral Zone, and The New Beginnings.He writes about, “…the difficult process of letting go of an old situation, of suffering the confusing nowhere of in-betweenness, and of launching forth again in a new situation.” He offers two powerful questions to ask whenever you are in transition– “What is it time to let go of in my own life right now?” and “What is standing backstage, in the wings of my life, waiting to make its entrance?” Bridges message is practical and hope-filled.

2. Interesting Product – Cultivating Change

One of the essentials for cultivating change is to develop better awareness about our present experience. In this delightful and well-organized box of Mindfulness Cards created by author and founder of Mindfulness Everywhere, Rohan Gunatillake encourages users to create “small meaningful moments of mindfulness throughout the day, making it easy and fun to bring you back to the here and now.”  The cards are grouped into four categories- Rest & Balance, Curiosity & Joy, Insight & Awareness, and Kindness. Practicing mindfulness can bring about the remarkable, unexpected changes.

3. Interesting Tech  – Focusing Change

Change the way you focus, relax, meditate, recharge, and sleep with AI composed music to enhance your experiences. The Brain.fm app, available on iOS and Android platforms, plays music designed for your brain to influence cognitive states in positive ways. Specifically composed pieces include the promise to help you focus better to get more work done with fewer distractions, calm your mind from your ongoing chatter, or have a more peaceful night’s sleep. The developers have continuing collaborations with auditory neuroscientists to research the efficacy of their findings. How exciting that positive change can be delivered through your headphones!

4. Interesting List – Organizing Change

Sometimes a bit of humor can go a long way in motivating us to change. I hope that no one takes offense to Knock Knock’s irreverent twist on the traditional to-do list with the Make Shit Happen pad. Setting goals, especially big ones can be a challenge. With this spaciously sized list, you are encouraged to think big and then go small with next steps. If you’re looking to improve your organizational skills and change the way you manage your time, this list could help.

5. Interesting Thought – Directing Change

Change is almost always unsettling. We’re traveling from a known to an unknown destination. We might be riding way outside of our comfort zone as we stretch ourselves to grow and experiment. The path is rocky and unclear. Yet is because of our struggle, those times of challenge, and uncertainty that we find our way forward.

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

The newest installment (v21) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my recent discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and better balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring life balance-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a fantastic, engaged group. I am grateful for your presence and wisdom.

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 – Balanced Habits

As this year comes to a close and you prepare for the New Year, thoughts about habits, those good and not-so-good ones, begin to surface. Do you want to be more organized, get more exercise, or be less stressed? While you might not be ready to change, you’re likely considering the possibilities. In this affirming, practical read, Atomic Habits – An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, author and speaker, James Clear, shares practical strategies based in biology, psychology, and neuroscience that will teach you how to build improved systems to support better habits.Clear says, “All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.” If you are interested in shifting your balance towards more positive habits, you’ll benefit from reading Clear’s book. He says, “Small habits don’t add up. They compound. That’s the power of atomic habits. Tiny changes. Remarkable results.”

2. Interesting Resource  – Balanced Break

Life is busy. Super busy. Figuring out how (or when) to push that pause button and restore a piece of balance can be challenging. Be Time, a NYC-based company, has figured out a brilliant solution. Their high-end mobile meditation studio (housed in a bus,) brings the break to you. Parked in busy areas, Be Time invites you to “Step in, unplug and just breathe. A calm, quiet, inspiring place for some mind space.” Even though the bus is currently just available in Manhattan, I’m hoping that the concept will catch on to expand to other locations.

3. Interesting Product – Balanced Accessories

It’s no fun hunting for keys, sunglasses, or tissues in the depths of our tote bags. Have you experienced your things entering that deep abyss never to be found again? There’s something downright liberating about creating organization and balance with one simple step. The felt tote bag organizer from My Smart Organizer delivers. This versatile insert, available in an array of fun colors, will help you find your essentials in no time. 

4. Interesting Tech – Balanced Practice

As many of you know, I began practicing mindfulness meditation a few years ago. This daily practice has become an integral part of my life. Starting my day in this way creates more balance, calm, and gentleness towards others and myself. While I continue to take classes from various instructors, I practice guided meditation at home using recordings and apps. I’ve been experimenting with the Insight Timer app, which is available on iOS and Android platforms. Apparently, I’m not the only one that likes the app. They have over five million meditators that also agree. The practices are given by 3,000 teachers and include over 14,000 free-guided meditations that can be sorted by type, length, and a variety of other parameters.

5. Interesting Thought – Balanced Choices

Decision-making is a powerful thing. Each day provides a new chance for healthy or not-so-healthy options. We aren’t robots. We are human. Whether we are eating veggies or sweets, power walking or snuggling up on the sofa, remember to be kind to you. It’s not about perfection. It’s about finding a balance that works for you.

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

The newest installment (v20) 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 success-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a fabulous, 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 – Accelerating Your Success 

The Happiness Track by Emma Seppala, Ph.D.

If you are struggling with how to achieve the success you desire, this book has some helpful ideas and strategies that are opposite to what most of us have been taught. In The Happiness Track – How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success, science director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., shares ideas backed by research which support that happiness is “not the outcome of success but rather its precursor.”  Seppälä explores six keys to happiness and success that include living in the moment, tapping into your resilience, managing your energy, doing nothing, being good to yourself, and showing compassion to others. She says, “… you already have all it takes to be happy and successful; that a stress-free and fulfilled life is not only possible but also the secret to personal and professional success.

2. Interesting Season  – Organizing for Success

The truth is that every season is a great season to get organized. In fact, the change of seasons presents us with an opportunity to reset our organizing goals, redefine what success looks like, and bring some balance back into our lives. With fall just starting, the cues for change are all around us. 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 you work side-by-side with someone else. I’m here to help and am just a phone call (914-271-5673) or email (linda@ohsoorganized.com) away.

3. Interesting Product – List for Success

There are so many approaches to and preferences for managing to do lists. Some of us like paper and others prefer digital reminders. One thing I’ve noticed is that no matter what the list form is most of us crowd them to the point that we become overwhelmed and stuck. So instead of getting a few things done, we do nothing. How can we be more successful list makers? Give Knock Knock’s Reality Checklist a try. The customizable list adds humor and focus to accomplishing not just what’s most important, but what’s truly realistic. 

4. Interesting Video – Secrets of Success

If you’re curious about why people succeed, you’ll enjoy watching this short Ted Talk by analyst Richard St. John. He spent seven years interviewing 500 people and asked the question, “What leads to success?”  The research was distilled into eight common factors (passion, work, focus, persist, ideas, good, push, and serve) that every successful person he interviewed had in common. 

5. Interesting Thought – Bluntness for Success

We can be our own worst enemy when it comes to success. And why is that? We tend to have a litany of reasons why we aren’t good enough or smart enough or worthy enough or fill-in-the-blank-enough to succeed. We decide even before we begin that “it” won’t work. So why try? Let those excuses go. You deserve all the small, medium, and large successes that are waiting for you to experience. 

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