A New Perspective

Does ‘getting organized’ always seem to be on your to-do list?  Do you often find yourself saying “I really 'should' get rid of some stuff”, but then fail to follow up?  Telling ourselves we should do something rarely motivates us to actually take action. Instead, we 'should' ourselves into a guilt-ridden state and then avoid beginning anything!   What if, instead of feeling guilty about our failure to create change, we stopped and looked at the problem from a different perspective?

Try this exercise: Sit down in a comfortable chair and close your eyes.  Mentally walk through your home or office, examining each room and its contents carefully. Once you are finished the mental tour of your space, begin to watch, in your minds eye, all of your possessions floating out of the room and onto the front lawn.  Sit in the centre of each empty room and look around.  Enjoy the empty space. How does it feel?  Ask yourself “What would I do with this space if it could be set up any way I wanted?” 

Imagine your space in terms of the activities you would do in that room.  For example, perhaps you would like to read, do crafts or meditate. If these are things you enjoy, where would you make space to do these activities? How would your space look if it were exactly as you wanted it.  Envision each room in your mind’s eye with as much detail as possible.

Now, look at all the items you placed on your lawn.  Do these items fit with the mental picture of your space?  Go through and choose items that are meaningful or useful and imagine bringing those items back into your space.  Begin with the most meaningful items:  possessions that represent who you are as a person or family—the things you would grab if your house were on fire.  Next choose just those things that you use and love — item by item.  Imagine where you would place each item and how your new space would look and feel when it was organized this way.  What would your space say to you (and about you) every day?

Lining up your possessions with your personal or business priorities will enable you to let go of the things that are no longer meaningful, relevant or useful.  Envisioning the emotional and physical benefits of choosing rather than simply collecting possessions will move you towards creating the life you’ve always wanted.

If you have been feeling discouraged or overwhelmed at the prospect of organizing your space, try focusing on what truly matters and let go of the rest. An environment that truly reflects who you are now and who you will become, will inspire you.

This month, why not try this perspective and see what wonderful simplicity can be created in your life.