Going home... finding where things live

Like the very sad individual I am I often read articles and links that talk about ways to de clutter your house- I must say that my house isn’t particularly cluttered but I do find these mindset changes fascinating and often they give me good ideas for organisation.

Over Christmas I read one such article which has really stuck with me, you can read it here, the basic principle is that everything in your house has a home, if you constantly find something in a location (like your shoes at the bottom of the stairs) that isn’t where you think they should live then the chances are that you’ll make your life a whole lot easier it if you just accept that this location is actually where it’s home is... so following the shoes through, that’s where you should put your shoe cupboard instead of the utility room.

I was then thinking about that in the context of my own work. I’ve spoken before about my gut instinct and knowing that if I’m avoiding doing something it’s either because I’m not passionate about the work or I’m not invested in the client. This made me reflect about my other patterns of behaviour too, were there other times when my behaviour was like the shoes at the bottom of the stairs?

It’s like my weekly prep, everyone tells me I shouldn’t work on a weekend, that I should take a proper break and not get too caught up in work. So, my system is that on a Monday morning I sit down and write a list for the next 5 days, sort my head out and generally start the working week. I try really hard to do that but I often find that I get really anxious on a Sunday evening, not quite sure where I am or what I’m going into the next morning. Monday mornings were then hectic and full of the school run, answering questions and sorting things out and with the list still to create I was never really starting work until late morning… a situation which left me even more anxious and stressed (and grumpy I might add!)

I was trying to force myself to do something that was, on paper, supposed to help me relax over the weekend and start the week fresh and clear but that was actually causing me anxiety and having the opposite effect. I then did my list and sorting myself out on a Sunday evening – it’s not ideal for everyone but it’s my choice and it’s what works for me and then I’d feel guilty and the next week try and go back to Monday.

Essentially, I thought my shoes should be upstairs but I kept leaving them in the hallway – I thought I should be doing what everyone said and not working until Monday but the fact that I felt better and happier on a Sunday made me realise that I should listen to my instincts and give that particular task a new home – one that made the most sense for me.

So, what sort of things are you leaving in the hallway or other erroneous locations and what can you do about it?