We are still at the beginning of the New Year, yet we can embrace a fresh start at any time. You can begin again any moment, minute, hour, day, month, season, or year. Your attitude about ‘new’ can determine an optimistic or pessimistic start. 

While I feel incredibly energized in January, I also regularly experience a positive anticipatory sense at the beginning of each day. Most mornings when I wake, I am energized by the clean slate and promise a new day brings with its plans, surprises, and quiet moments that will unfold. 

To understand other views, I was curious what my thoughtful colleagues’ perspectives were about fresh starts and new beginnings. I reached out to this generous group – Al Bingham, Felice Cohen, Juliet Landau-Pope, Christine Li, and Yota Schneider. I asked them to respond to and elaborate on this prompt-

How do you make the most of a fresh start?

Their diverse responses include having no expectations to delving deeply. My deepest gratitude goes to this inspiring group for sharing their time, hearts, and wisdom with us.

5 Best Ideas to Help You Make a Promising Fresh Start

1. Remain Open

“I make the most of a fresh start by trying to have ZERO assumptions about what is going to happen. That way, I remain open to what might be and not wound up by what I might expect to happen when I often have no idea what might actually happen. When I have no assumptions or expectations going in, I can enjoy the process and the eventual outcome without having them mean anything negative about me — and that is a wonderful thing.” 

Christine Li, Ph.D. – Procrastination Coach, Clinical Psychologist, Make Time for Success podcast Host

 2. Stay Focused

“I think of every day as a fresh start, a new beginning, a new chance to get things done. To help make the day productive, each day starts with a clean To-Do list. A list offers steps to follow, guides you toward a goal, and keeps you on target to avoid falling down a TikTok rabbit hole. (Use TikTok as a reward for finishing a task on the list.) Every task completed, whether easy or time-consuming, motivates you toward completing another. Then another. Remember, you don’t have to get it all done today; there’s always tomorrow.”

Felice Cohen – Author, Speaker, Professional Organizer

3. Be Present

“Faced with a fresh challenge, it’s tempting to look back, reviewing previous efforts and setbacks. Or perhaps to project into the future, speculating on possible outcomes. While there’s much to be learned from looking back and forward, both drive you into your head, fuelling fears and fantasies rather than forward into action. No wonder over-thinking is a common cause of procrastination. If you aim to boost motivation, adopt a more mindful approach to your present situation. Focus on what matters most, right here, right now. Then identify the very first step and take the leap.”

Juliet Landau-Pope MA, PG Cert AP, CPCC, FRSA – Productivity Coach, Virtual Organizer

“We are still at the beginning of a New Year, yet we can embrace a fresh start at any time.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

 4. Manifest Attention

“During the big reveal on makeover shows, the heroes don’t endlessly harp on how lousy things were before. Instead, there are tears of joy, wonder, gratitude, and love for the fresh start they’re receiving. Discomfort and dismay may provide sparks that light the desire for change, but they're a lousy fuel source for enacting it. A fresh start involves three primal actions: bringing something forward, organizing it, and releasing something. Each needs careful attention. Love, wonder, and gratitude helps keep things roaring. When these ‘ends’ inform your ‘means,’ your awareness remains open to finding novel paths forward during the refresh process!” 

Al Bingham, e-RYT500, YACEP, FAFS – Yoga Teacher, Author

 5. Nurture Reflection

"At the threshold of a new beginning, it is important to stay open, curious, and honest. If I don’t want old patterns repeating themselves, I have to decide what to leave behind and how to show up. I love taking long walks and drives and having intimate conversations with myself. I reflect on what I love about this fresh start. Then I ask, what are my fears? What habits, behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes could undermine me? Am I ready to let them go? What’s next? As answers and insights bubble up, I grow more confident, clear, and excited about the journey ahead."

Yota Schneider – Life Coach, Retreat Facilitator, Blogger

While January is almost over, there will be more opportunities for fresh starts. What helps you make the most of a fresh start? Are there specific periods you are more energized than others? Which ideas resonate most with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

As we wind down one heck of a year, many of us reflect on the past twelve months and the year that is about to start. 2020 has been full of intense emotions and experiences, along with amazing conversations we’ve shared together on the blog. We’ve walked side-by-side as we’ve navigated turbulent waters, made discoveries and wrestled with life balance. In our free-flowing exchanges, insights and new perspectives emerged.

Our conversations about life balance, change, mindfulness, clutter, letting go, motivation, organizing, coping, resilience, hope, pandemics, and more have provided immense comfort, connection, and joy. Thank you for being part of this generous community. You inspire me to show up, write, think, explore, and engage.

I am deeply grateful for the thoughtful words and beautiful sharing of this community. I’ve curated twelve of my favorite quotes of the year from my top engagers, selecting one from each month and topic. Thank you, Deb Lee, Diane Quintana, Ellen Delap, Janet Barclay, Janet Schiesl, Julie Bestry, Melissa Gratias, Nancy Haworth, Ronni Eisenberg, Sabrina Quairoli, Seana Turner, and Yota Schneider. You are the consistent voices and readers that bring our conversations to life. My gratitude to you and everyone who reads the blog, contributes to our discussions, or shares the posts. You bring hope, light, curiosity, perspective, and learning to each day.

Enjoy the year in review- one quote, insight, and inspiration at a time!

12 Best Quotes From Our Conversations This Year That Will Make You Inspired

1. Fresh Start - How a Simple Change in Perspective Can Spark Your Fresh Start

“. . . sometimes a slight change can encourage a fresh start. Whenever I’m feeling stagnant, I will change location, for example, working from a different coffee shop or running on a different trail. Just a location change from my normal routine can sometimes help me get out of feeling stuck.”

— Nancy Haworth, Certified Professional Organizer

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2. Embrace Change - 7 Valuable Lessons I Learned About How to Navigate a Big Change

“Change is inevitable, whether we like it or not . . . Gathering a support system is critical for navigating change and situations that are less than comfortable. It doesn’t matter if it’s brainstorming, consulting, or comforting; we all need a team to help us move forward.”

— Ronni Eisenberg, Professional Organizer & Author

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3. Next Step - How to Cope With Your Anxiety That Accompanies Next

“Every day, we’ll have to approach things with discernment. What can I reasonably do now to keep myself calm and focus on the true priorities? What must I put aside (anxiety? fear? perfectionism?) to get through this moment so I can be present for the next one?”

— Julie Bestry, Certified Professional Organizer

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4. Letting Go - How to Know When It’s Time to Let Go of the ‘Shoulds’

“I’m spending a little too much time ruminating and over-thinking past events. The words that float through my brain are ‘If only I’d had the wisdom to ... I would have ...’ I know it’s not possible to change the past and that all I have is now. I’m giving myself the grace to live in the present.”

— Diane Quintana, Productivity and Organizing Expert

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5. Clutter - 5 Authentic Ways to Declutter Your Life

“Authentic decluttering for me is letting go of the item as soon as I know it has served me well. That is the case for any item. I release it sooner rather than later.”

— Ellen Delap, Certified Professional Organizer

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6. Time Management - 5 Ways to Take Time for Delight Especially With Life is Hard 

“I have had to redefine ‘delight’ this year, and it has been an excellent exercise for me. I have taken better care of my physical and mental health, savored the small moments that may have eluded me before, and learned the joy of ‘time affluence.’ I feel that I will be a different (better) person for having had this experience.”

— Melissa Gratias,Ph.D., Productivity Coach

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7. Motivation - One Powerful Strategy for When You Can’t Get Motivated 

“. . . when I can’t focus on something, I start by doing small steps that are in the process. Sometimes steps do not have to be in order when completing. Randomization is OK if you are still working toward your goal.”

— Sabrina Quairoli, Small Business Administrator

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8. Enlisting Help - How to Know If Virtual Organizing Will Benefit You

“Virtual organizing can be a great way to keep the momentum going. It keeps you in touch with your organizer and moves you forward even when you’re pressed for time.”

— Deb Lee, Digital Productivity Consultant

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9. Mindfulness - How to Make a Wonderful Discovery in a Mindful Moment

“One thing I’ve noticed about noticing is that I never do it when I am in a hurry. Hurry and mindfulness seem to be at odds with one another. If I want to notice, I need to slow down.”

— Seana Turner, Professional Organizer

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10. Possibilities - How to Be Open to the Tremendous Possibilities Wonderful Change Encourages

“I love this sentiment. Holding on to change is so much more positive than letting things go.”

— Janet Schiesl, Certified Professional Organizer

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11. Wonderfully Human - How to Increase Your Resilience When You Are Feeling Humanly Depleted

“These days we’re asked to dance in all kinds of weather, aren’t we? We have to start where we are, do what we can, and build our reserves of resilience and joy. For me, it’s always been the little things. Moments of beauty and peace strung together through the day that keeps me grounded and inspired.”

— Yota Schneider, Life Coach & Retreat Leader

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12. Life Balance - How to Effectively Balance the Extremes of Your Holiday Season

“We’ll be doing everything virtually this year, and I’m grateful we have that option. Although it definitely won’t be the same, it will probably be a lot more relaxing than the years when we rushed from one house to another to fit in all the visits!”

— Janet Barclay, Website Designer

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These quotes were taken from the lively dialogue we had on the blog this year. What resonates with you? Is there one idea you’d like to bring forward into the New Year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

As professional organizers, part of our work is about helping clients learn new habits and skills. We also help them release the unessential to create space for the things, activities, and people that are most important. I do this in my own life and thrive on established routines. I know many of my colleagues do too. However, there is something to be said for having solid habits and alternatively being willing to change things up. When life is chaotic, we tend to crave certainty. So our routines create a stabilizing, comforting force. There are other times when we desire change, yet we aren’t sure what that might be. Possibilities exist, but we don’t know what or how to pursue them. We might feel overwhelmed or stuck.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been writing about the “expanding my universe”  journey. The experiments revolve around me trying new activities. The goal was to create an open environment for discovery, surprises, and possibilities to emerge. It’s been an incredible adventure so far and one that I am excited to continue.

Since I was unclear about what to explore, I began collecting ideas. I continue to add new ones daily. I’ll have to live a long life so that I can try them all. To keep some sense of order and balance, I made a list and organized my ideas into seven categories, including creative, education, event, excursion, mind/body, nature, and not my comfort zone. Having just completed two weeks of doing six experiments from the list, I realized that I choose a different thing to do from each of the six categories, but one.

“Every moment is a chance to note what’s happening inside. Every moment is another step on your tour of discovery.”

— Rohnan Gunatillake

By challenging some of our habits, we make space to expand possibilities to learn and grow. While I had multiple takeaways during the past few weeks of experiences, I’m about to share with you one single discovery made from each of the six experiments. I hope that you’ll feel encouraged to explore something you’ve been thinking about. What is possible?

6 Discoveries That Will Expand Your Possibilities . . .

1. Nature – Loosen the Muscles

My first experiment I wrote about in detail. You can read the full story here. For a quick recap, though, I bought food I don’t regularly eat, from a place I rarely frequent, and ate it outdoors at a park I don’t often visit. My biggest takeaway was this . . .

My habits have, at times, prevented me from experiencing new things. Challenging my choices in even small ways will help me gain new perspectives and stretch my possibility muscles.

2. Excursion – Savor the Pace

I spent a gorgeous fall day at the New York Botanical Garden to visit the spectacular exhibit of the Brazilian landscape designer and artist, Roberto Burle Marx. I’ve been to the garden many times with my husband, Steve. However, on this trip, I went on my own during a weekday. The day was lovely as I walked, photographed, road the trolley, ate lunch, and wandered around the garden store. I moved at my pace, respecting my inner voice as it guided me along. There were no negotiating, rushing, or disrupting of thoughts. My most significant takeaway aside from affirming how much I love being surrounded by beautiful greenery and taking photos was this . . .

Making time to explore by myself at my own pace is just as essential to me as the time I share with my loved ones.

3. Not My Comfort Zone – Navigate Wobbly Paths

I don’t know about you, but for me, wearing a harness while navigating a rope course and jumping off of a 43-foot platform at Spins Hudson was way outside of my comfort zone. I didn’t know what I was capable of until I tried. I wrote about this experience in last week’s post. You can read more about it here.  My biggest takeaway was this . . .

Every day requires a leap of faith. Self-doubts, naysayers, and hardships are part of life. Navigate these wobbly paths by drawing from inner strengths and supportive guides. 

4. Mind/Body – Merge Pursuits

For several years I’ve been hearing good things about Encourage, a newish yoga studio near me. My oldest daughter, Allison, loves practicing yoga and has tried on many occasions to spark my interest in doing it too. We even took a class together in Brooklyn a while back. Decades ago, I did some yoga, but eventually, I stopped. I decided to try it again for one of my experiments. And guess what? I loved it so much that I ended up signing up for additional classes. The teacher and studio owner, Al, is a gentle, calm soul. His teaching combined movement, mindfulness, meditation, humor, and philosophy. This single yoga class connected many of the things I’ve been exploring in the last few years. My biggest takeaway was this . . .

It takes time to connect life’s dots, so keep exploring. Enjoy the serendipitous surprises that arise along the way.

5. Education – Put Love in the Frosting

For those of you that don’t know this about me, I love cupcakes. Partly I like eating them (chocolate/chocolate is my favorite,) but what I also love is decorating them. The more colorful and sparkly, the better. I have many happy memories of baking and decorating cupcakes with our daughters, Allison and Cassie.

Inspired by this passion, for my fifth experiment, I took a cupcake making class at the Institute for Culinary Education (ICE.) The school is located in New York City’s Financial District, across the street from the Freedom Tower. While I enjoyed demystifying how to make buttercream frosting (which has a ton of butter) and learning which ingredients define red velvet cake, the entire experience wasn’t as satisfying as I hoped it would be. There was too much chaos in the kitchen when fending for ingredients and supplies. It made me appreciate the organization and process that I have in my kitchen at home. But what I really missed was that feeling of love, connection, and teamwork that has been integral to baking with our daughters. My surprising takeaway was this . . .

It’s not just about doing. It’s about doing things with love with the people you love.

6. Event – Be Brave

For the sixth adventure, my husband and I attended “What’s Your Story?”  This was a storytelling event at Tompkins Corner Cultural Center in Putnam Valley based on “The Moth” format. Eight people from different walks of life shared a true story about their lives that spoke to the core of who they were. When introducing the program, the moderator, and also one of the storytellers said by “sharing them [the stories], we share ourselves.”

After listening to the performers, Steve and I began reminiscing about our life stories. Which ones were significant? What did we remember? What would we be willing to share at a mike in front of a room full of strangers? How vulnerable would we let ourselves be?  Remind me to tell you about the night of the crazy rabbits. It was a poignant and uplifting evening filled with laughter and tears. My main takeaway was this . . .

What a brave thing it is to put yourself out there, be vulnerable, and share a piece of who you are.

There will be many more experiments to come. Possibilities abound. How they will connect and evolve, I don’t know. But I am excited to see what will transpire in the coming months. What resonated with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

There’s hope in numbers. There are possibilities in numbers. There’s opportunity in numbers for a fresh start.

Pick a number. Make a plan. What one thing will you focus on to bring a positive change to your year?

2015 year

1 month

6  day

359 days remaining for 2015

5 years I’ve been blogging

248 number of blog posts I’ve written

When I began blogging in 2010, the thought of writing 100 or even 200 posts didn’t seem possible. 248 posts later, I discovered that a consistent effort over an extended period of time yielded positive outcomes.

These past five years I’ve had the honor and pleasure of sharing incredibly rich conversations with all of you. It’s been an honest exchange of ideas and perspectives. The numbers have spawned wonderful friendships, connections, insights, growth and change.

It’s fresh start time. What will the next 359 days of this year be about for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join our conversation!