Photo by Wonderlane on Unsplash
March has been a really busy month for me, and it continues through the 31st. When I get busy, I notice that my life spaces where I work (like the kitchen table) often mirror my inner emotional state.
For example, when my calendar is full and I’m running from one thing to the next, I often feel internally cluttered, claustrophobic even. Very similar to how the office photo makes me feel. There’s no organization or order, there’s no space to think or be creative, and I feel like I’m hemmed in without many choices.
When this happens, I’ve noticed that my kitchen table or living room gets cluttered too. It’s a reciprocal thing, when my emotional and living spaces mirror each other, my anxiety compounds. When my home is clean, I can relax more. And I’ve become aware enough that I make time, even if it’s three minutes, to straighten up the table because we eat there and it causes me stress.
It’s not only about living in a tidy home. It’s about the person I want to become and the integrity of living into that person. I want to be able to host guests at a moment’s notice and have a spacious feeling and welcoming home. I want to experience the emotional calm that comes from living in an organized home. I want to live in an uncluttered space, which means I have to make time to tidy up regularly.
Some people love to clean. I do not. However, I’m choosing to put time and effort into cleaning, filing, and throwing away so that I can consistently have an organized and uncluttered space. I know that as I’m consistently living into the person I want to be (a person with an organized and clutter-free home), it will help me make choices to not have such a full calendar or be content with the amount of activity that’s happening and be able to emotionally regulate.
Questions to ponder:
How is my identity reflected in my home? What does it say about me?
How am I intentionally making choices that reflect who I want to be?
Stay curious friends!
And make sure you’re listening to season one of the Dream Big Authentic Leadership podcast, found on Apple, Google, Spotify, and Stitcher.
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