As we stretch ourselves out of the grey days of winter and greet the new season, we have an opportunity to assess our space. As we look around,
what is it we see?
· Easy access to our spring and summer wardrobe
· Things around our desks we use all the time
· Kitchen utensils we use every day
· Pet toys that are in solid shape to keep our “family” members safe
· Garage access that can ready us for summer activities
· Family photos and memorabilia organized and available for new experiences/events to come
· Legal and financial papers in order and accessible
· Clean spaces that don’t contain winter dust and dirt
Think of this coming season as a way to re-visit areas you may have not have time to take care of. We don’t always listen to that voice that asks us to pause, listen and give us a gentle nudging to tackle a project that we know we need to do but just haven’t done it yet. Now…how do we motivate ourselves to move ahead. Think of the people you love and how they navigate in your home. If you live by yourself, how often have you to had to search for an item you wanted in your hands. Or you had to go out and buy because you couldn’t find it when you needed it. How many times have you said or someone you are with has uttered, "I wish I could find that ______ which seems to have vanished, never to be seen again." It is hiding somewhere or is it? As we search through a part of our space, for example, a dresser drawer, we might unearth that very item. This is the start of organizing -- really.
Being organized is not a gift. It is an on-going process that takes hard work, commitment and a degree of passion. It is often a challenge to do it by yourself alone although for some of us. It can be easier with someone at your side. Doing it takes practice. And that practice takes practice.
As Spring is a new beginning, getting in touch with winter clutter can open a window of fresh air and opportunity for all of us.
Think of the yard or the park after winter. It is often filled with autumn leaves, now brown and grey, no longer the array of earthy colors we admired in the fall. We know that new growth is emerging and requires space to sprout. That’s where the gardener in us goes, out into the leaves, gently raking away the old to make way for those new green shoots gently struggling to come up.
That garden can be an impetus for us to consider how we can clear away the forgotten items we have around, not always apparent. It is now that we can look at and determine if some of our stuff can still can serve us. Those familiar things we may have forgotten we have or no longer feel we must have in our home are ready for a transformation.
What we love, we keep. What has served us well can be appreciated, then donated, re-cycled, discarded to provide space for that new mug with a daffodil we saw on the internet or in the store. In winter, we didn’t purchase it because, well, we didn’t want it enough or didn’t need it or felt we just didn't have room for it. Now Spring is here affording us the occasion to re-visit and find a path through our own “home woods.” Here we can clarify and focus on what is truly important to us in our space and our life. It is time for a new beginning that starts with this new season of sunshine and hope.