SO…my oldest (length of time, not age!) and dearest friend Ginny came for a visit a few weeks ago from Florida. About a year ago, she started a company called Mindful Organics, (www.mindfulorganics.com) and she needed to take some food-related courses here in NY.

While we’ve been friends forever, we couldn’t be more different when it comes to food. Ginny only eats organic foods and is a vegetarian, while I consider M&M’s to be one of the four basic food groups. But while we differ in what we eat, we have a lot of similarities; we’re both very passionate about what we do and she lives organic, the way I live organized. Ginny teaches you how to take control of your life and your health through proper nutrition. I teach you how to take control of your life and achieve peace of mind by organizing your time and space.

SO, if you’ve been feeling that you’re life is a little out-of-control lately, maybe you’re ready for a change. Keep in mind, change is hard. And because it’s hard we often find ourselves slipping back into our old ways without even realizing it. How do you know if you’re ready to do what it takes to make a change? As my friend and fellow organizer, Diana Zimmerman likes to say, “When the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change”, you know you’re ready.

Ginny and I both work with clients who are motivated and ready for change. Our clients recognize that change is a process; they didn’t arrive where they are overnight, and their issues won’t be fixed in a day. But if the desire to change exists, then you’ll be successful.

Sometimes you want to help someone make a change, feeling it’s in their best interest. I often receive calls from people who want to purchase my organizing services for a relative or a friend as a gift, and the first question I ask is if the recipient wants to become organized. If the answer is no, then it will be a waste of time and money. The person has to want to change or it’s not going to happen.

I experienced this first-hand when Ginny came to visit. I’ll admit, since my last visit to her, I’ve swapped almond butter for peanut butter. But I’m not a fish eater and I’m not giving up my meats. The truth is, I don’t want to change what I eat or how I eat, but I’m willing to admit that I could be a little healthier. So, Ginny encouraged me to replace the whole milk for my family with organic whole milk and to use organic meats and organic veggies. That I could do, without it being too painful. Besides, when she got through telling my daughter all the terrible things that were on the blueberries I’d bought (non-organic) she wasn’t eating them anyway.

SO…while I’m not ready for total change, I am willing to take small steps to being healthier. Change is hard and sometimes change can happen in little steps…as long as you’re ready for it!

I’d love to hear your thoughts about change…