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Dear Sue,
 I recently returned from the annual conference of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (which announced that its name will be changing to "Institute for Challenging Disorganization" on 1.1.11). I'm always amazed at how many new things I learn at each year's conference, and this year was no exception. I'm excited to share some of my newly-gained knowledge with you in this month's newsletter. I hope this information will help you gain insight into your thoughts, emotions and behaviors and their impact on your organizational situation.
I also want to share that even professional organizers can dread coming home after being out of town for a period of time - upon my return from my ten-day trip, my snail mail and email backlogs were quite impressive and yes, a bit intimidating. But I did what I help my clients do - I reviewed one item at a time, decided what to do next with it, and moved it along on its journey towards completion. Oh yes, and I took a lot of deep breaths. Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,
Sue Becker, CPO-CD®, ADD Specialist
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Quote of the Month
"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change"
~Wayne Dyer |
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What I Learned at Conference
 Dr. Wanda Bethea spoke about Positive Psychology:
Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life worth living as people strive to live meaningful and fulfilling lives and cultivate what is best within them.
The goal of positive psychology is to change one's focus from a preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building positive qualities.
One effect of feeling fulfilled and satisfied is a greater chance of creating an environment that supports one's ability to thrive and focus attention on sources of psychological health rather than upon only disorder.
A "positivity ratio" of 3 positive emotions for every negative emotion increases your ability to become your best version of yourself. Creating an environment that promotes the following emotions (and removing objects that detract from these emotions) will help increase your positivity ratio: joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love).
Dr. Rich Handley spoke about Emotional Intelligence (EI):
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of one's self and others.
Broad categories of EI include intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, stress management, adaptability, and general mood.
Awareness of your strong and weak areas of emotional intelligence can help you identify what's causing a drag on your potential, including what obstacles are in the way of your getting organized.
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Success of the Month:
Retiree releases her emotional attachment to paper
 The Situation: Julie, a retired social worker, had a strong attachment to information: magazines; newspapers; instruction manuals; product information on boxes; etc. - if it was printed on paper, she felt a need to keep it. Her home, which she shared with her husband, was becoming severely cluttered with the papers and clippings she felt compelled to save. She asked me to help her release the papers that were stealing her happiness and affecting her relationship with her husband.
The Solution: Julie and I discussed the role her collection of papers played in her life. She felt anxious at the thought of letting go of any tidbit of information that she might need some day. We worked slowly to establish her level of comfort with the process of paring down, and to help her realize how much the paper were robbing her of a happy and fulfilling life. Bit by bit she gained confidence and felt liberated as she moved papers from piles into the recycling bin.
The Outcome: Julie continues to work on paring down her piles and files of papers, both with my help as well as on her own. She's made huge strides in letting go, and although she still gets occasional twinges of anxiety, overall she's well on her way to reducing her paper clutter and reclaiming a more satisfying quality of life for herself and her husband. "Thank you for patiently helping me as I struggle to resist the lure of the printed word. Although I still have quite a bit of work ahead of me, you've made the journey manageable and enjoyable."
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Want to use this article in your e-zine or website?
You're welcome to share this article. When you do, please include this complete blurb with it:  Internationally known professional organizer, author and speaker Sue Becker is the founder and owner of From Pile to Smiles®. Sue's company helps business and residential clients live more stress-free and harmonious lives by removing obstacles such as clutter, disorganized paperwork, and poor time management. To learn more about how to discover the freedom of an organized home and office and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit http://www.PilesToSmiles.com or call 630-724-1111. I would love to hear from you!
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www.PilesToSmiles.com P.O. Box 903, Downers Grove, IL 60515-0903, 630-724-1111
Copyright 2010 Sue Becker, All Rights Reserved Worldwide | 
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