What I'm doing

So in my last post, I wrote about how I'm trying to curb my obsession with DOING things and just be, just relax. And in order to help me with that, I've decided to redecorate.

I know, I know. That sounds like work. And my goal this summer isn't to do work. (Aren't I taking the summer off of work? What is this madness?) But my main goal isn't really to avoid doing anything that involves effort - it's to do things that help me de-stress.

Things that stress me out:
1) Having a bunch of things to do, but not quite being sure what they are.
2) Having things on my to-do list that aren't done.
3) Clutter.
4) Mess.
5) Dirt (dirty spaces in my life - rooms in the house, dirty car, dirty classroom, etc.)
6) Unfinished projects.

Number 1 is an easy fix - a to-do list always helps me organize my brain before I start working on something. The problem is when I get to Number 2 - things on my to-do list that aren't done. When I have things on my list that aren't done, I get stressed out because of that annoying desire to have everything finished right now. I'm learning to take baby steps and let myself relax when a project takes more time than I can devote to it in one sitting. It's really hard, though. Patience, patience. 

 I currently live in what might be loosely called a "bachelorette pad." The phrase "bachelor pad" makes me cringe because I think of pizza boxes on the living room floor and trash everywhere and dirty laundry, on the furniture, which is not at all what my house looks like. However, it is the kind of house a recent college grad might live in - mismatched, donated furniture; ugly-colored walls with ripped/damaged paint; sparsely furnished; no small accents or homey touches; not altogether functional. It's very much a "starter home." But now that I've lived here for three years, it's time to change all of that.

I want my house to feel more "homey". I want to get rid of the clutter and the mismatch and create a space that I'm really happy to come home to every day. I want my living room to feel very peaceful and zen, and I want my office to be a vibrant, productive, and organized space. That way I'll be happy and cozy and less stressed when I'm home. Plus it will be more incentive to keep the place cleaner.

This project will probably take me all summer, so I'm definitely going to have to work on being patient enough to take baby steps. But I'm really excited to get started!