Coming Out of the Closet, Bag & Box…#10
Another great revelation from my fantastic client. She has been very brave to share her side of the story and I am truly grateful that she does so.
The dirty secret: process.
There is a certain artistry and spirituality to this process. I entered into it so casually and, now, can’t help but feel like it provides context and deeper meaning to every other aspect of my life and the lives of those around me. So if you and I are talking and I suddenly launch into a story about Miriam and how she’s helping me organize my house, it’s not because I think you need her help. I mean, maybe you do, but that’s really not what I’m getting at… and if you’re reading this, please consider it a blanket apology if you thought I was telling you that you’re messy. I was just talking about myself, for a change. And how I’ve realized that Miriam’s job goes well beyond the tips and tricks she brings to the task of “putting things away.” In all of this, Miriam’s helped guide me to (and through) critical internal conversations about how I want to live my life. What kind of life I want to live. What do I want to be surrounded by? What is important to me, what nourishes me and my family? Why is that critical? How do I prioritize different aspects of my life? Can I change my own behavior?
Miriam calls it alchemy because there’s a certain magic to a process that is, in essence, based in the sciences of psychology and ergonomics.
I call it a system: the process is a system of sorting, defining and storing. The ability to not cave in to despair and depression when four weeks into the program you still can’t quite see it coming together – that’s a belief system, which Miriam supports with unflagging conviction. The ability to sustain and maintain the organization is another system involving behavior modification at its most basic.
I also call it a blessing. Believe it or not (I don’t, yet) the living room is done. The play room is soooooo close – my husband and I just have to find other homes for our memorabilia, clearing up closet space for the bigger bins of trucks, transformers and play kitchen gear. I can walk down the hallway with the light off and not fear that I’ll stumble over a princess tea pot or a discarded computer monitor. The laundry room will soon house my home office, opening up gobs of space in my bedroom for me to finally (and maybe for the first time ever) relax and call my own. I envision a small library corner: shelves, a comfy chair, a reading light, and a small table for a cup of tea. That’s all I want.
And I think I’m gonna get it.
Tags: Process systems belief organizing simplifying habits
We can definitely make that happen!
Your statement, “In all of this, Miriam’s helped guide me to (and through) critical internal conversations about how I want to live my life,” resonated with me. When you know what you want, then you know what you need to have/keep/throw out, etc.
I like to ask myself (on a longer timeframe that what Miriam would probably approve): Is this something I want to be doing in 3 to 5 years? If the answer is no, then out those papers/books/etc. go.