April 23, 2020 | Growing in Crisis
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Growing in a Crisis: From Grief to Gratitude

In early March my business was booming -- my calendar was booked out months in advance, I had 4 speaking engagements lined up and a spring conference in Florida that I was looking forward to. As the seriousness of the coronavirus was becoming known and the shelter-in-place was ordered, the cancellation emails started to arrive. Within 2 days, every single event was deleted from my calendar. I felt disappointed, sad, bewildered, scared and devastated -- the same feelings many of us were dealing with.

All over the world, we are all affected by this global pandemic. I'm so fortunate to be safe at home with my husband and son, having time to develop projects for Efficiency Matters, and work on my house and in my garden. While people are fighting on the front lines, I'm keeping in perspective my own feelings and trying to give myself space to accept them.

Now that days and weeks have gone by, I'm starting to see another view of this pandemic. My constant changes in emotions have started to morph into new routines. I have so much to learn, that is crystal clear.

This crisis is helped me grow in so many ways -- for the better -- although I am still very uncomfortable at times. I am paying attention to the little details of my life, my family and my friends. I am embracing the time I have to be creative, mindful and attentive to important aspects of my life that I was too busy to see before this pandemic. Our fast-paced lives are the way many of us have lived, without stopping to simply take the time to enjoy the important things.

I am moving from grief to gratitude to more gratitude.

In the future, when we are still talking about the great pandemic of 2020, I will be able to say that it was one of the most impactful experiences I ever had and my growth as a human being was profound. I hope that it will have been a time of growth for you too.

Be well and be safe,
Jennifer
Shelter-In-Place Activity I'm Loving:
How a Professional Organizer "Organizes" a Puzzle
Most people do a jigsaw puzzle. During this time at home I have discovered that I organize a puzzle and do not deviate from my plan -- I guess that is no surprise given my profession. Here's my plan:

  1. Dump all the pieces onto a table -- of course, I checked the puzzle size to make sure I have the right size table :)
  2. Turn all the pieces over.
  3. Separate out all the border pieces.
  4. Organize all border pieces by color.
  5. Complete border.
  6. Organize the remaining hundreds of pieces into piles by color.
  7. Systematically match all color pieces together.
  8. Instagram my completed puzzle to friends, so I can prove that I am still being productive. (And face it, I'm a little proud of myself.)
  9. Break down completed puzzle and put back in box.
  10. Put puzzle in "giveaway" box, so I don't keep unnecessary items in my home. Remember, I am a professional organizer.
  11. Borrow another puzzle from a "puzzle" friend and start from step 1.
Life is full of choices,
make sure you get the big ones right.
Jennifer Raftis, CPO ®
Certified Professional Organizer
Owner, Jennifer Raftis is a Certified Professional Organizer ® and member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals. She has earned certifications in both Residential Organizing as well as Workplace Productivity.

Jennifer is also an Independent Representative for The Container Store.
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