Why do we do anything?  In his famous TEDx talk Start With Why, Simon Sinek powerfully speaks to the fact that “what” never motivates us.  It’s always the “why.”  “Why” is what fuels us to do anything of importance.  Why have any of my hundreds of clients ventured into getting organized, sometimes in the face of inertia, resistance, or even dread?  What is it they all have in common (besides being out-of-sight-out-of-mind?) 

First off, I’ve met so many people who swear by their Franklin Covey planners.  This is NOT a criticism of the Covey planner.  I repeat, this is not a criticism of the Covey planner.  In fact, for many of my clients, hard copy lists and planners are the answer, and I actually dissuade them from attempting many digital solutions.  

Something big is happening: I’m in the process of actually finishing a book.  In fact, I’m slowing down so I can savor it.  Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals that Brought Me Home is a beautifully written memoir by a woman who suffered and survived a brain aneurysm.  

Here’s a very short review of a book I haven’t read.  A client recently shared with me her excitement for her new copy of goodbye, things by Fumio Sasaki.  It already has me thinking, though I haven’t read any part of it.  Of all she was telling me, these two pieces have really stuck:

I don’t live and die by Marie Kondo’s word, and actually rarely prescribe her method to my clients, but I’m a huge fan. I love that her name has become a verb and that she’s layered the world with a fresh awareness of the impact of things on our spirit and mood.  

When I tell people I’m a professional organizer, one of the first questions I’m often asked is, “Have you always been organized?”  I certainly have been, but as you can see here, I wasn’t immune to the occasional messy flare-up!