I had the best office today!

I had the best office today! The hubs & I were driving home from a family visit in Missouri, but took a break at a lovely park in Springfield IL so I could do a virtual tidying session with a client in the Chicago suburbs.

Truth be told, before the Covid situation arose, I never imagined myself doing virtual tidying. Well, obviously I've had to rethink that. And fortunately, I've discovered that for me, it sparks a lot of joy. While video conferencing isn't the same as in-person interaction, it is truly amazing what we can do with the magic of technology. We can see and hear each other, we can show each other things. We can make that all-important connection. 

Just like in-person tidying, virtual tidying can provide emotional support and encouragement, structure and accountability, and inspiration. Advantages include:

✳️Being able to work with a professional organizer, even if there are none located near you.
✳️Being able to work with the specific person you desire to work with, even if they’re not nearby.
✳️The ability to maintain social distancing in this age of Covid
✳️Sessions are often shorter (60 to 90 minutes). Ideal for people with busy schedules. If you prefer to go longer--such as a 3 to 5 hour session with breaks in between--we can do that too!
✳️Some tidying can be completed as homework. More cost effective if you're on a budget.
✳️Offers you more time flexibility--no need to block out a half-day for an organizing session.

Ready to embark on your tidying journey? I'd be honored to be your guide. Contact me to get the conversation started.🌱

What's sparking joy for me lately: cold workouts!

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Not Hawaii

What's sparking joy for me lately? Working out outside, in the cold. Yes, really.

I'm originally from Hawaii, where it's almost always T-shirt weather. But I live in Chicago, and it's winter here right now.

As a dyed-in-the-wool fitness dork, I don't like to let coldness and snow get in the way of what I want to do. I'm a rucking enthusiast (rucking = hiking with a weighted pack), and rucking takes place outdoors, whatever the weather. That includes when it's cold, freezing, or even frigid.

Darn low basement ceilings!

True, I also do non-rucking workouts in my snow-free basement. But due to the low ceiling, if I want to do certain exercises, such as pull-ups or lifting weights over my head, I have to go outside in my yard. Like this:

I don't actually enjoy being cold, and I'm definitely not one of those "hot blooded", no-hat-or-socks people who don't seem to feel the cold.

However, I figured out a while ago that if I decided to like cold weather, and expose myself to it often, it actually ended up feeling much less uncomfortable and more bearable. Not just bearable, but even beautiful. Exhilarating. Whereas if I hated winter, only exercised indoors, and only exposed myself to perfectly climate-controlled temperatures until spring came and the weather turned "nice" again, it made me less tolerant of the cold, and not quite as physically fit. And winter still lasted the same amount of time.

Follow this trail to the discomfort zone.

This doesn't have to do only with rucking or cold weather.

The act of confronting our relationship with our belongings--which is really the act of confronting how we want to live our lives--can be uncomfortable.

It can be hard to leave our comfort zone because it's familiar, and the area outside that zone looks different than we're accustomed to. Just thinking about going out there can cause us to recoil, to stay where we are, even though we're not satisfied with where we are. But it's hard to make any progress at anything if we stay huddled within those boundaries. It's hard to pursue the lives we truly desire, to recognize the things, activities, ideas, and people that bring us joy and let go of those that no longer serve us--if we don't look beyond the fence.

I'm not saying you have to be into winter rucking. Believe me, I understand that's not for everybody. I'm saying get uncomfortable with being uncomfortable some of the time--whatever form that might take for you.

If you've made yourself go outside and you're standing there shivering in the cold and you start moving around, you warm up. You might even start sweating and have to remove a layer of clothing. You might start enjoying being out there, and noticing the beauty of winter. The solitude of having the whole trail to yourself. Naked trees revealing their true shapes against a grey-white sky. The particular blue color found only in shadows cast on snow. The way the winter sun touches the ice, turning it into molten gold.

If you're okay with experiencing a bit of discomfort, you recalibrate your sense not just of what's comfortable, but what's possible.

Winter has its own beauty.

What's sparking joy for me lately: fishing

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I got into fly fishing this year. It was kind of an accident. Back in April, I had set aside a weekend to do a backpacking trip with a group from my gym, but the trip got cancelled due to lack of interest. Disappointed, and determined to use that weekend to do something else fun, I searched around on the internet and found an activity that caught my interest: a two-day fly fishing school in Wisconsin, run by a fishing store here in Chicago.

Turns out, the southwestern part of Wisconsin is a hot spot for trout fishing, with thousands of miles of beautiful trout streams.

I hadn't gone fishing since I was a kid. "I dunno, two full days of fishing might be way more than we're interested in, but we'll see how it goes," I remember saying to my husband. Six months later, we both now own fancy fly rods and reels, polarized sunglasses, waders, and a variety of accessories. We've fished in three states (Illinois, Wisconsin and Wyoming). We've caught actual fish, and have the "Hey, look at this fish I caught!" photos to prove it.

Did I mention I read whole books about fish and where they might likely be found in streams?

My first brown trout

Don't get me wrong, I'm mostly still a newb. There's so much to learn! There have been times I've gotten frustrated (like when I've gotten my line tangled or my fly stuck in a tree). But mostly I'm really excited about it.

So, what's so joyful about fishing? Well, for starters, it's something that my husband and I can enjoy together. It fits right in with our love of camping and the outdoors.

Fishing brings you closer to nature--to the fish, the insects and other critters they eat, the streams, the surroundings, the weather, the seasons.

Fishing is a skill. You learn by experience--and from other people. The hubs and I hired a guide to take us on a half-day fishing trip recently. He taught us so much & we had a blast.

Catching a fish is a thrill. There's this wild animal on the end of your line, all shiny eyes and sharp little teeth and beautiful colors, so alive. (So far, I've let most of my fish go. I've only eaten a few, with gratitude.)

Fishing is physically, mentally, and spiritually satisfying. It's all about being present in the moment, about focusing on what you're doing right now.

Fishing is an activity I hope to enjoy for the rest of my life.

What’s sparking joy for you lately?