Coaching Corner: Take another look!
By Marilou Butcher Roth, Master Coach
Recently in our home we are going through closets and all of those places where clutter seems to migrate. There are times throughout our lives where accumulation just seems to happen, and there are times when it is ongoing. That seems to be our situation. Think about the amount of “stuff” that comes into your home, versus the amount that goes out! A lot! It stands to reason then that we gradually increase how much we have in our homes.
I know I have spoken to this topic before, and yet, it continues to rear its ugly head, beckoning me to pay attention. Okay, I am paying attention! My husband recently painted the closet in our bedroom, and consequently, had to pull EVERYTHING out, dispersing items where they could easily wait for their freshly painted space. Since I was otherwise engaged, he did all of the “unpacking” of our closet, and finishing my day I found my clothes on our bed, my dresser, in the dining room and creeping into his office as well.
He quickly pointed out that I indeed seemed to have way too many clothes. My first response was one of complete denial and justification -- defending mightily my right as a woman to have seasonal clothes as well as the different types, i.e. pants, shirts, tops, sweaters, etc. All seemed perfectly normal to me as I made my very sound case. He meticulously painted the closet, providing this bright new space for holding our clothes, and, as I prepared to rehang my belongings, I began to realize that indeed, I may have too many clothes.
Well, let’s just see what’s what. I began the arduous process of going through each pile, making the determination of size, condition and desire for each piece, as many found their way into bags for donation to various places.
What I realized I truly wanted was some simplicity and ease in my closet -- clothes hanging nicely, rather than squished. Once that realization became apparent, it was actually easy and fun to eliminate, and the end result was well worth the effort. Our closet looks beautiful, both the new color as well as how neatly clothes are hanging.
Do you have similar spaces that hold too many items? This week, take a look to see what you can eliminate to bring more ease and clearing into your own space. Then, take another look because you might just see it differently the second time around!
Marilou Butcher Roth is the owner of The MBR Group, a coaching and training company working primarily with REALTORS who have a desire to work and live from a more inspired place. She is also the Broker/Owner of Group REALTORS in Cincinnati. Marilou is a member of the Ohio REALTORS Board of Directors and past chairman of the organization’s Communications Committee. Feel free to contact Marilou to see if coaching is right for you.
