The New Year is right around the corner, what better time to improve your home, improve your life, than starting right now. Do you like what you see surrounding you in your most personal space? If not, what do you want to change?
Your home, the space in which you live is a reflection of you. You are the one who created it. As we step into a new year, take a good, hard look and describe for yourself who lives there. What do you like about it and what needs to be changed. Make an inventory of your life by creating an inventory of your physical surroundings.
It is a powerful exercise. You’ll be surprised just how much the physical space describes your life or shall I say life choices. The good news is your surroundings are created by you and therefore it is easy for you to change them. The process starts with honesty, honesty to yourself in the way you describe and inventory what you see surrounding you. From there it takes a bit of courage to live life differently.
Ask yourself why are things the way they are. What reasons come to mind as to why certain elements are the way they are. What excuses do you use to rationalize why things are the way they are? Write them down.
Here are five common reasons that I often here:
I don’t have the money to change/upgrade – So, where do you spend your money? How can you shift it toward more effective spending habits? So often the simplest upgrades can actually save you money in the long run, think of it as an investment. Further, if you look around your house I’m sure you’ll find lots of areas for improvement that won’t cost a fortune, but can dramatically improve your life. How can you really put a price on overall life improvement?
I don’t have the time – This is often the biggest hurdle that homeowners today face. The reality is that improvements that focus on organizing spaces, and reducing clutter actually have a positive, time saving impact. Just devote one weekend afternoon and tackle one area of the home – break it into smaller portions and simply commit to doing each one in a realistic timeframe. Make yourself a winner.
I am not really here that often so it’s not that important – Even a day in a space can impact your overall stress and wellbeing. Why put yourself in a space that doesn’t feel right? Why be there at all? Try to make every location where you spend time a peaceful and enjoyable space. When you want your life to be joyful give yourself happy surroundings. Space has an imprint on your life – what do you want to wake up to every morning?
I would live differently but it’s my husband/wife/partner who messes things up – Many of us can relate to this, the battle of the sexes or just shear personality types. In these areas communication is key. Make sure that you and your partner are on the same page and be sure to vocalize your desires. Working together is key to creating a harmonious household. I guarantee there is an answer both parties can happily agree on – find it!
It’s not that important to me – This is the ultimate “checking out” on creating a happy, good and meaningful life. Use your home as a training ground toward more connected living. As I mentioned above, take small steps at first tackling just one closet, or work area of your home, clean it out, organize and get a sense for how that feels. If that seems daunting, take a look at our recent article on Hygge – it might be as simple as the incorporation of a plant or decluttering one room.
Try to have fun with this exercise. Write down your observations, your thoughts. Honesty is the key and the first step to change the direction you want to take in your life. You can create your life goals but create you must. First, you understand the details in your home that bring you harmony and then convert them into actions. Let your home be your testing ground, experiment and play with new approaches to design, organization, and harmony. That’s how you break bad habits and you move toward providing you with the “nest” you deserve in life.
Let’s make it a fantastic 2017 in every way!