This is an episode that’s close to my heart! 

For the last six years, my sister, Lisa Amundsen, has diligently been pursuing an organized life. So if you’ve ever wondered what a “before and after” of an organized life looks like, episode 69 will paint the picture for you.

Lisa’s story begins in a place many of us might recognize – feeling frustrated, unhappy, and a bit lost, despite having what seemed like a beautiful life on paper. After having her fourth child, she reached a turning point. She knew something needed to change, but wasn’t sure where to start. 

Here’s what I love about Lisa’s journey: she started small, with what she knew. For her, it was wanting to lose weight. But from there, it blossomed into so much more. She took that first step, and it led her down a path of transforming her entire life.

One of the big game-changers for Lisa was embracing core routines. You’ve heard me talk about my Bootcamp program before, and this was a critical first step for Lisa. The three core routines – Close the Day, Open the Day, and Morning Routine – became her anchors. They gave her a foundation to build on, helping her organize not just her day, but her entire life.

What really struck me in our conversation was how Lisa’s growth evolved. She started with organizing the external stuff – you know, the visible clutter in our lives. But as she cleared that away, she found she had more bandwidth to work on the internal – her emotions, her thoughts, her goals. It’s like a beautiful cycle, each part feeding into the other.

But don’t think Lisa didn’t hit roadblocks on our journey to an organized life. That’s when she went from being a student in Happy Gal (and other) programs, and turned to personal coaching…and she’s never looked back! Having that outside perspective helped her see her blind spots and break through barriers she couldn’t even see on her own.

The result? Lisa has created a life she truly loves. She’s back to teaching piano and performing – passions she had to set aside for a while. And the best part? She’s done all this while maintaining balance in her family life and home.

I asked Lisa what advice she’d give to someone just starting out, and I love what she said: “Say yes to yourself.” As women it is so easy to make everyone else a priority, but Lisa’s success came as she said yes to herself over and over again. Each step in organizing her home, herself, and her mind and heart, have empowered her to not only feel more fulfilled in her life, but be prepared to support her friends and family when they need it most. Organizing your life is the ultimate act of filling your pitcher so you can give to others.

So what should you do after listening to this episode? Take a moment to reflect on your life right now. Ask yourself, “What do I want?” Don’t worry if you’re not sure of the big picture yet. Just focus on identifying one small step you can take towards a life you love. Maybe it’s implementing a new routine, maybe it’s seeking out a coach, or maybe it’s simply acknowledging your feelings without judgment.

As Lisa said, “You’re exactly where you’re meant to be, and you’ll be ready for change when you feel like you are.” Trust the process, take it one step at a time, and before you know it, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come.

Tools mentioned:

“The way you do one thing, is the way to do everything”

“Start with what you know”

“Done is better than perfect — Momentum is better than perfect”