Do What is possible
I’ve been struggling to get some home projects done. Everywhere I look everything feels half finished. And then I get frustrated and beat myself up about it. Which is so helpful and productive. Sigh. This week I challenged myself to do something new. I decided to focus on the things I had time and energy for. That energy part is key!
Every day when I came home from work I spent 45 minutes to an hour on the little things. Monday I managed to cook a nourishing and tasty dinner (if like me you have a surplus of summer zucchini I highly recommend this sandwich. It was quick, easy and delicious. Plus as things were cooking I managed to clean up the kitchen. I cleaned out Sweetie’s litter boxes and watered the plants. It doesn’t sound like much but it meant I was heading into the week with something to eat for dinner, Sweetie had fresh hay, my plants weren’t wilting and the kitchen was clean. Tuesday night I emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, I ground coffee for the week ahead, and I changed my sheets and did that load of laundry.
Throughout the week I kept doing small things— things to take care of me, my house, my bunny and set me up for the week ahead. (FYI- not written by AI, but I’m a lover of the em dash, and an oxford comma) It meant coming home to an already clean house and knowing I had food and, most importantly, coffee.
Often times during the week I come home and the couch eats me. And that’s it. Nothing gets done. But this week I am trying to keep the house in order so that this weekend if I have the time and energy I can work on a house project. Ironically, I was talking to a friend and saying I haven’t gotten anything done and she pointed out all the things I’ve accomplished. That helped, some. Nothing like being a recovering perfectionist and holding yourself to a ridiculous standard. I digress…
All of this to say that sometimes clutter is just the daily stuff. The pile that gets dropped by the front door, the dishes that pile up on the counter, or clothes that end up draped over a chair instead of put away. Or in my case over a ladder because I thought if I put the ladder closer to the project I would get it done.
Yes, we all have busy lives, but honestly time isn’t the problem. It’s energy and capacity. So reframe what you can get done based on how you are feeling. Create space to do the things you feel capable of doing. Find ways to ritualize the daily work of taking care of yourselves and loved ones (this includes plants).
Speaking of energy and capacity, I ended up pushing out my workshop Design the Life you Desire: How to Live Clutter Free will now be September 3rd at 6:30PM CST. There will be a replay so even if you can’t make it live you can get the goods. You can register here.
If you know anyone who would find either my newsletter or the workshop helpful, please forward it on to them. Thank you!
Your mission
How are you feeling? What is your energy level like? What are the things you need to do to take care of yourself and loved ones and what things can wait? Give yourself some space. Who knows you may be ready to tackle all the things this weekend, but if not, please add rest to your to do list.
Life Coaching
If your clutter is overwhelming and you want to find out more about what how Life Coaching can help, please sign up for a free half hour Curiosity Call. You can ask all the questions you have to learn about how Life Coaching can help you. Plus, I was an interior designer so I have a ton of helpful tips.
