I'm rarely certain about anything. I'm also careful about using absolutes like everyone, always etc. But after almost 38 months of blogging I'm convinced I've finally stumbled onto a universal. To prove my point I issue this challenge - Share with someone close to you the satisfaction you got the last time you organized any work or living space. Report back ONLY if that person doesn't turn around and tell you a similar story.
Are we hard-wired to get satisfaction from this mundane task? Did our long-ago descendants get that ping when things in the cave were in place, no matter how temporarily? Immune to this buzz you say? Organizing a closet, attic, basement, car trunk, workbench, garage, shed, dresser drawers, desk, do nothing for you? OK, maybe you're off the bell curve. But try denying getting the junk drawer in your kitchen straightened out for even a day doesn't give you a tiny thrill. You don't have a drawer like that? Now I know you're lying.
Forward this post to as many people as you know. Try finding a single adult who can tell you they're above this. If your search turns up someone, don't introduce me, OK? I'm busy organizing my photos.
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
Well Pat, I just spent a month organizing my Studio gallery and hair salon. I threw out 13 bags of garbage bags of just stuff.. I have it organized down to the simplest of things like a charging station for my electronics. I moved my art studio home to a new clean organized space and now upstairs in my business is the hair salon.. I had a focus group come in and tell me to get rid of the knick knack things and streamline it more so people could see things more clearly.
ReplyDeleteThe place is so AMAZING now that I cannot believe how good it feels. Everything has it's place and if it doesn't fit it doesn't come in. For me it's not something that comes natural, but now I'm forcing myself to stay consistent. I FEELS freeing and really good to have this place organized and clean...not having all that clutter feels like a relief. My partner and I have started doing it to our home and we are really enjoying it.
Here's a great story, I changed the set up in the Studio, had a focus group, stayed open to everything they recommended from the SWOT analysls, and incorporated functionality, esthetics,ets and then actually sat and planned the execution, Lynn made me spreadsheets(oiyee that almost killed me) and then I spent 3 weeks making it happen. Everything started to change in me, physically and mentally during the process also..
The results from this where this:
People coming into the space just flowed through, it was so smooth. Feedback was 100% positive and my first week after opening with all the changes I made I sold 4 times as much artwork as I had in 6 months!!!! This has never happened in 2 years of being open..and it's been great still. It all had to do with flow and being open to the changes that needed to happen. Having too much stuff is paralyzing somewhat, there's no room for air. If we don't de-clutter our lives then we don't leave much room for growth or space or just a nice clean organized life.. Doesn't mean I don't have some little things that mean a lot to me, but that's the point.. I only keep things that have some meaning or connection to someone or is beautiful to look at and oh yeah functional...It feels good to clean out stuff.. we are doing our house now.. I figure in a couple of months we will be clutter and junk drawer free!!
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