What I love about the power of the pause is it's just that. A pause. My client didn't say, "Look at me taking a half hour to put something away!" It was just a moment. If you collect enough moments, your space and life start to change right before your eyes.

In addition to my favorite products, I commonly problem-solve on the spot with organizing supplies. Below are six products (old favorites and one-offs) that solved six organizing problems within the last few months. I encourage people to first use what they have before turning to new products, but occasionally we do need something new. Buying products usually comes later in the organizing process, once we're 100% certain about what we need. Enjoy!

One thing that most of my clients have in common is that they are out-of-sight-out-of-mind. This means that we can't just throw more filing cabinets at the problem. Cabinets and drawers are helpful for archives, but to-dos and anything else you can't forget about absolutely should not be hidden inside them.

Having sat with countless new clients who feel defeated on day one, I've time-tested 2-3 simple categories that help us sort at lightning speed. With these, we don't get caught up in what the final system will look like. We keep it moving. Anyone can do this and I encourage you to do it before buying any organizing supplies.

Goal-setting is a lot easier though than reaching goals - or rather the process of reaching goals. Creating lasting order is a process of transforming the person, not just the space.

Do you have a story about an item that was (or still is) unbearable to part with from a loved one who has died? Is it something you suspect you’ll be able to let go of one day, but not yet? Did you ever have a moment where you knew it was the right time to part with something of theirs? What happened that allowed you to let it go?