HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT REALLY TAKE TO FIND YOUR FREESPACES??
24 hours or less, it turns out. I already knew this, having had repeated success in transforming people’s space (and in so doing, their state of mind) in a mere matter of hours. By just helping them clear out a closet, rearrange a room, empty an attic or systematically eliminate all extraneous paper from their office.
But last week, I witnessed the premise of my philosophy and purpose of my company, FREESPACES, llc in action, in real time, up close and personal. That when we strip out the junk that clutters up our life, get down to the basics and surround ourselves with just what we need, and only what we really love, we find a true sense of freedom and joy. And most importantly, in this over-wired, overscheduled day and age, actually experience the simple pleasure and contentment about being exactly where we are at that moment.
What produced this new “aha” moment? My 14 year old daughter and her
friend, the Instagram generation who never seem to be truly present anywhere or with anyone except their iPhone. I took my daughter to the beach for all of 24 hours! We planned this trip on short notice. We found a cheap motel with ocean view. We arrived at 2 pm one day and left at 3 pm the next. A tease, right? Just when you were getting used to the surf, sand and sun you gotta pack up and go home.
But guess what? Rather than whine about how “unfair” it was, my sweet girl proclaimed this trip “the best vacation ever!”
Now, we have taken bigger, better, longer vacations. But this tiny sliver of time was perfect. Just right. Right size. Right shape. Right time. Right traveling companion. (Me included. Ha!) And just enough of a good thing to make every moment a special, memorable, meaningful one.
The colors brighter. The moon closer. The ice cream more delectable. The water warmer. And the bonding better. Why? Because nothing extraneous was getting in the way, blocking the metaphorical “view.”
We traveled light. We kept it simple. We had what we needed and nothing more. And even my daughter, wired in, iPhone-addicted, left that behind in favor of reveling in nature’s FREESPACES. These girls actually interacted vs IM’d, and played like kids on the beach! Never turned on television. Fell asleep all tanned, tuckered out, salty, soundly.
What does this have to do with a professional organizing company? The takeaway is the same as what happens when I work with clients who want to get organized. And the profound and immediate impact is the same. Freedom. Space. Clarity. Time. Control. An absolute paradigm shift.
Distill your home down to its essence. Create or reclaim what you love about your space, and hit “delete” on the rest. Clear out your home, your office, your life of what you no longer want or need. It doesn’t take long. Less than 24 hours! Surround yourself only with what you need, love or value. Make room for what matters.
And then, sit back, relax, and enjoy the view. That’s what finding your FREESPACES is all about.