Pixologie welcomes this guest blog from Certified Organizer Coach Tiffany Lynn Lepp!

“Organize my photos.”

There it was.

For the fifth consecutive year, “organize my photos”, made it to the top of my New Year’s resolution.

Year five was the year I did actually organize my photos.

It was also the year I achieved my coaching certification.

The fact that I organized my photos and achieved my coaching certification in the same year are not a coincidence.

My coaching instructor said, “in order to be a great coach you have to know who you are, how you show up, what’s important to you, and why!”

So, for the first part of the program all we did was figure out these questions for ourselves.

It’s because I finally knew my WHY that I was able to complete my photo organization project.

BEFORE, I wanted to organize my photos because:

• I felt like I should.
• I wanted to have them in pretty containers.
• I wanted to find them easier.
• I wanted the extra space in my home.

These are all very good reasons, but they weren’t good enough for me to put in the work.

Once I spent a significant about of time studying myself and creating my values I could finally come up with reasons as to why organizing my photos were important:

• Photos are an expression of love.
• Photos evoke self-reflection
• Photos remind us to be grateful.
• Photos celebrate life.
• Photos make history.
• Photos give hope.

Photos are an Expression of Love. My wedding scrapbook. The photo book I made for my uncle. The birthday video for my mom. These are all an expression of my love for others. Before my photos were organized I would resent these projects because of the work involved. But, now that they are organized I look forward to creating these “love works.” My uncle tells me that he looks at the photo book every morning and smiles. No other gift could have made an impact that like the photo book. That is love.

Photos Evoke Self-Reflection. We can learn a lot about ourselves when we pause and consider our upbringing. Looking at photos creates that pause. When we know why we are the way we are and why we do the things we do it makes changing what we don’t like about ourselves easier. Most of us are so busy running from one thing to the next that we told give ourselves permission to stop and become aware. Photos create awareness.

Photos Remind us to be Grateful. Life is messy. Most of us can’t forget the hard times, but can’t remember the blessings in our lives. Chances are we have boxes and boxes of memories to be grateful for. When we are feeling depressed, worthless, or ungrateful look at your photos and praise God for the many blessings we have been given.

Photos Celebrate Life and Comfort Us. Photo help us celebrate special occasions. They also help us remember and celebrate the live’s of those who have passed away from this earth. Sometimes, there is no greater comfort than a photo of someone we love. This is why so many soldiers in the field have photos with them.

Photos Make History. Going through my photos there were many faces I didn’t recognize. I am blessed that I still have parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles to turn to for help in identifying those pictured. But, I know this will not always be the case. Pull out the photos you might need help with first and get other family members involved before too much time passes.

Photos give hope. There are times in our life when we question what we are doing on this earth. We question our purpose. We question our accomplishments, achievements, and choices. When you feel in despair, pull out your photos. I recall a time in my life when I was feeling purposelessness. I felt like I hadn’t achieved what I wanted to by a certain age. As I was going through my photos it brought me hope to know that I didn’t waste my time, but was going in the right direction even though there were a few detours.

If you have disorganized photos, reframe your thinking. Don’t see them as “just another thing to do.” Instead see them as: love, self-discovery, gratitude, celebration, history, and hope. With this way of thinking, you will surely get excited about organizing your photos.

Now it’s your turn. How can you get excited about organizing your photos?

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Tiffany Lynn Lepp is a Christian Organizer Coach, Certified Organizer Coach®, and Certified Professional Organizer®. She coaches women on how to live a less cluttered and more Christ centered life. She does this through her one-on-one and group Simplification Coaching Programs. Visit her online at www.TiffanyLynnLepp.com

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