Creating Personal Space

Wow! I really took my time with my office project. My pace is usually very quick but balancing my time with editing my book, working with clients and completing my office was definitely a challenge this go around. 

Here are my top 3 tips to help you stay on track and persevere to completion:

1. Your vision needs to be clear and inspiring: I started this project because I couldn’t believe how quickly my office had become a dead zone in my home filled with piles of crap. Granted, I had organized piles of crap - and they were absolutely uninspired. I avoided walking into my office because it just didn't feel good to me. This was the perfect opportunity to walk my talk and look at what was missing from my life: a place to do handstands, a place to meditate, and an inspiring and creative workspace. These were truly important to me and the touchstone to keep me moving throughout the project, even when weeks went by without time to work on it. Your vision doesn’t have to be a picture, it can be a feeling, a memory or even a new way of being. When things get tough or you get off course, remember that everything is ok and keep connecting to your vision. 

2. Take it step by step: While planning sounds boring to some, I love it. Sure, I have my moments of flying by the seat of my pants and making changes on the fly; being adaptable is absolutely necessary. It’s also really important to understand the steps needed to get to the end. Getting the project out of your head and onto paper is the first step, and it creates ease. When the next step feels overwhelming, it means it needs to be broken down further. Sometimes a step may simply be to keep going when your amygdala is trying to protect you from the scary reality of change. Talk kindly to it and say, I am safe, change is good. Anticipating and welcoming these steps are signs of progress. I was blocked trying to figure out these shelves and IKEA came to the rescue with their perfect made-to-fit partitions.

3. Celebrate the small victories along the way. As a culture, we are trained to focus on what’s wrong. During a transformation, you have to get through a mess in order to see the light. There is a lot of trust required to get through. If all you can celebrate is that you gave your neighbor an appliance or put a book out on the stoop, celebrate the fact that you were able to let go. It gets easier as momentum builds. Some celebrations may be that it didn’t turn out exactly as you expected. Look for the surprises, happy accidents are part of the fun. The vision and the plan are what help you take action, they are not the absolute end point, merely a direction. Many people get frustrated when they can’t find the exact solution they wanted. Rather than making it (or yourself wrong), expect that something better is on it’s way. 
 

I didn’t plan on this little creative station on my desk, but I became inspired when I was at The Container Store for a meeting and saw this gold tray. The cup for the paintbrushes is technically for toothbrushes and the glass container I found in the kitchen department.  Remember to think outside of the box when looking for the proper containers. As I mentioned last week, trays are a beautiful way to create order. This little detail may be may favorite part of the whole transformation.

What could clearing some space in your home invite into your life?  Please share in the comments!