Ready for a Change?
Try Life Remodeling
by Kathy Gates
We've all heard the expression "out with the old, in
with the new". And that works quite well in a lot of
instances in life. But have you seen those TV shows
that take an old window and turn it into a wonderful
bulletin board or shelf?
Something that was destined to be thrown out,
suddenly has a new life. There's definitely treasure
in your life as well, but you may need to find a new
way of handling some old problems.
Just remember that in order to experience the value
of change in your life, you don't have to throw out
everything you already have and start all over. That's
not only intimidating, it's usually just not possible,
much less practical (who are we, Madonna?).
Try a little Life Remodeling instead.
Step 1: Identify Your Inspiration Piece:
A room can be very dull without an inspiration
piece that ties it all together. So can life. Most
people have three or four very "high goals", or goals
that are the inspiration and mission of their life. It
might be "create a happy healthy home for those I
love". Or it might be "maintain financial security".
These are things you value, that are important to you.
For example, if creating financial security is your
highest goal, let it inspire you daily on what you
spend and what you save. Let it help you make
decisions on everything from where you go for
vacation, to what you wear. If you were decorating a
room using a rug with brown, gold, and rust colors in
it as your inspiration piece, it's not likely you'd add
lime green and purple accessories to the room.
The same is true when you tap into that inspiration
piece in your life. Whatever your highest goal, it
serves as an inspiration piece, and all other parts of
your life either fit, or don't - just like the lime green
accessories. Be willing to re-vamp any pieces that
have crept in over the years, but don't fit in with
your overall scheme.
Step 2: De-clutter and Organize:
Organizing does not mean giving away all the
things you love. But it does mean making room in
your life for the things you love, instead of trying to
squeeze in everything. Holding on to things that
aren't beautiful or useful to you, just means that
you're taking up space for something that you could
find useful and/or beautiful. It means creating an
environment that serves you, supports you, and
contributes to the lifestyle that you want.
At my house, I had a beautiful formal living room -
that nobody ever went into it. It was just something
else to clean. Meanwhile, my office was stuck in a
jumbled, crowded, windowless corner of a
bedroom. Finally, I moved out the living room
furniture, moved in my office, and now that space is
being used in way that's beautiful and useful to me.
Make room in your life for what you really want.
Start with your wallet/purse. Then clean
out/organize the car. Next a bathroom cabinet, or
drawers, then the closet. Take it slow, as a goal you
work towards, not something you can do in a
Saturday morning.
Organizing your life is definitely not a silver bullet,
but it is one of the best tools you could ever have
for creating a better life for yourself and those you
love.
Step 3: Divide and Conquer:
Also known as 'compartmentalizing', this is a tool
that can work wonders in your life.
Compartmentalizing works best when you create
visual, physical, or even mental boundaries in your
life. Don't spend your time at work worrying about
what you need to do at home, and your time at
home worrying about what you need to do at work.
Instead, divide your time and energy into
categories, and focus your attention where you want
it at that particular time. In decorating, we are
advised to group like items together to give them
the importance they deserve. I have a collection of
Norman Rockwell paintings, and I had them
scattered all over my house. When I got them all
together in one room, the impact was amazing.
Use the same premise in your life. Focus your
energy on one thing at a time, and do it well.
Housework a problem? Exercising a problem?
Schedule it, and focus on it, then forget it. It will
free up not only your time and physical energy, but
your mental energy as well.
Do a little remodeling with what you already have.
There's treasure to be found. Just keep looking!
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Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates is the author of
several e-books and e-courses designed to help people
live happier, healthier, easier lives. Sign up for her ezine, "Make It Happen" at
www.reallifecoach.com.