Do we have any garam masala??

It didn’t dawn on me until I attempted to make my first real curry dish: I had no idea whether we had the right spices. I couldn’t reach most of them. The other half were in unmarked baggies.

My spice cabinet was an organizing project in waiting.

Since this is a home office blog, my spice cabinet is a stand-in for just about any organizing project you might have in your office.

• You might be out of shelf space and have no room for all your books.
• The cords under your desk look like a pit of vipers.
• You’re planning to teach a number of classes this year and have nowhere to put all the related ideas and information.

They’re all spice cabinets of the mind.

When you have an organizing project ahead, it’s helpful to know the terrain. I chronicled the steps of my own organizing process in the hopes that you’d gain some tools for your own.

Here’s what my starting point looked like:

The 6 things any organizing project needs

1. Vision

Inspired by Darcy and the images of organized spice cabinets I found on Tea & Cookies, I imagined an ideal image of what our spices cupboard could look like. I fell in love with the idea of enjoying cooking because I could find all the ingredients without swearing or knocking something to the floor.

The more photos I looked at, the more excited I became. Consistent sizes! Easy to read labels! Alphabetized! Pretty spices in pretty jars!

2. Spending plan

Being averse to the word budget, I created a spending plan. We use our spices a lot and we had some gift money from Christmas, so I planned my spending. Even though I wasn’t sure it was possible, I decided to commit $50 for the spice cupboard project.

Money is one consideration. The spending plan is also about time. How much time are you willing to devote to a project? I counted the spices and figured that 45 spice jars would take me about 2 hours to complete. Heh. More on this at the end.

3. Research and Design

With a dollar number and a time frame in mind, the next step is to start figuring out the steps to implement your vision. Research and design have to hold hands to work well together. Do a little research, sketch a rough design. Do a little more research, edit the design. Repeat.

To start, take a look at what you currently have that might be helpful to your project. I took measurements of our cabinet, checked that the shelves were truly adjustable, and counted how many spices we had.

Research your options. After looking at all the jars on Tea & Cookies, I went to a couple of local stores to compare prices and couldn’t find any I liked. I decided to order these adorable square spice jars that are the right size and capacity and were $1.10 each including shipping.

When the jars arrived I thought about how to display them. I googled images of spice racks and ended up on another organizer’s site with this brilliant, inexpensive solution to creating “stairs” that could display the spice labels (the way I saw it in my vision).

Before heading to the hardware store, I drew a sketch — a design — of what I needed.

I didn’t end up with this exact plan, but drawing it helped me figure out a better solution. I bought three 1″x 2″x 8′ boards and a friendly helper-person cut them into 9″ lengths for me (props to Lowe’s for providing this service!).

All told, the supplies and materials cost $49.20. Woohoo for the spending plan!

4. Doing the plan

Note: I didn’t say, “Follow the plan.” If you’ve ever done a project like this, you’re probably aware that it’s not a linear, Point A –> Point B process. There are detours. There are discoveries. Ideally, you roll with them and make adjustments as you go. At least I tried to.

As I arranged the shelves and played with the label maker, things started to come together according to plan. I was so happy to see how well the shelves worked — it was like playing with blocks. Fun!

My new label-maker worked like a charm, although I did have a few labeling mishaps.

It definitely got messier as I worked. This is normal. Don’t be alarmed.

And then messier still…

As the plan came along, I started to feel really great. The first shelf of spices looked awesome — just like I envisioned.

When I got to the second shelf, I realized I had a problem.

Because of my height, I couldn’t see the spice labels on the second row. Or the third. Inspired Spouse is 5 inches shorter than me, so just tippy-toeing wouldn’t work. I figured this issue would be worse up on shelf #3, the highest one. It never dawned on me in the Research and Design phase to measure myself.

I tried redesigning the plan. I played with the configuration of blocks to give the jars a boost up. And then, just like that, I got stuck. Nothing worked. I wondered angrily, “What’s the point of labeling if you can’t read the labels?” I started to think the whole project was a bust.

Anxiously, I sought the ear of my devoted, patient Inspired Spouse who listened as I recounted everything I’d tried.

–  Shit! It’s not working!

– It’s okay. No one’s going to die.

– (pause) (laughter) Oh, right. I’m taking this too seriously.

Sometimes a loving, level head is just the thing. In fact, the shelf issue got better from there and I found a decent solution. A re-re-re-re-re-re-design.

However, lots of people get to this stuck/angry/helpless point and don’t know it’s totally normal. Doing the plan includes getting stuck and taking detours. When it happens, take a little space or share it with someone who’s willing to listen. When you resolve the stuckness, you’ll get moving toward your vision again.

Before and afters — coming up next.

5. Clean up

This is the part of the creative process I usually put off. It’s no fun. I had all these glass and plastic jars left over, old spices to compost, unused wood blocks and new jars to find homes for. This is why I do Office Spa Days — we all have cleanup to do and encouraging support can help. It’s also helpful to build cleanup time into your spending plan since ideally the whole project includes the time it takes to truly complete it.

I did get it all cleaned up — partly because I knew I would be blogging about it and showing you my before-and-after photos. So, without further ado, here they are!

* The big reveal *

Before and after:

6. Celebration

Look at what you’ve created. Really look at it — and partay! It’s so easy to rush to the next thing without pausing to enjoy it.

I called Inspired Spouse back into the kitchen for the nth time and we looked at my creation together. I held up the camera to compare it to the starting point. We marveled together.

It’s okay to feel proud of yourself and pause a while to recognize your accomplishment. In fact, we’re more likely to do something like this again if it feels good. So celebrate you! Celebrate your vision — even if it didn’t come out exactly the way you expected. You did it!

I did it! Yay!

How long did it take?

Good question. Most people under-guess how long a project takes to complete. It’s part of our natural optimism. One of the interesting and fun things we do in the 6-month clutter-clearing class is practice guessing (in advance) how long a project will take from start to finish.

Want to play?

Comment below how many hours and minutes you think it took me to do all the steps mentioned in this project. The first person to guess the exact duration before this Friday will receive a $25 gift certificate to Spice and Tea.com to add to your own seasonings collection! Everyone else will receive Jen’s Semi-Famous Fajita Seasoning recipe (it’s awesome!).

So that’s organizing projects in a nutshell!

Feel free to share your about your own organizing project experiences – past, present or future.

29 comments

January mid-point check in

Having a sane January is my focus this month at Inspired Home Office — is it working? How are you doing?

Since the January Sanity and Rest series is about self-care and proceeding gently, today I thought you might like some practical suggestions about the planning side of things.

The following list of 9 steps are suggestions about how you can organize your thoughts, plans and materials so that you can really enjoy your year.

Look at the big picture

1.Take a deep breath and remember that you’re not behind. Because you’re not behind. You’re exactly where you need to be.

2. Take stock of your successes and accomplishments from the last year – personal and professional. Even if you’re sure you have nothing to show for the last 12 months, grab a pen. You’ll be surprised by what you come up with. Write them down and take some time to celebrate them. Allow some healthy pride blossom inside you.

3. Dream for a bit and create a vision for your upcoming year. What do you long for? This is the most important step of all. Without it, you’ll feel like a resentful, resistant robot. With it, you’ll feel inspired to do some of the hard stuff and inspiring stuff.

Wrap up last year

4. Catch up your financial record-keeping so that you can begin the new year fresh (and less cluttered, mentally and spatially).

5. Take another deep breath and remember that you’re not behind. You’re exactly where you need to be. Honest. You can do this.

6. Go through your files and pull out anything that you haven’t touched in the last 12 months (except tax, financial, insurance information — see the Dear IRS class for specifics). Put it in long-term storage or purge what you don’t need.

7. Wrap up the last year by writing evaluations of your projects and looking over any notes you took or any feedback you received. If you don’t have any, consider asking for feedback from peers or clients. This can help you chart your course forward.

Focus on the future

8. Look at the year’s calendar. Buy or make something big and visible, something colorful, whatever you need to truly see and understand the year ahead.

Think about…

• When you want to take time away from your work. Inspired by Charlie Gilkey, I’m taking off all national holidays, and I’m also giving myself a 4-day weekend once per month. Plus, I’m taking all of the month of December off again. How about you? What time of the month and year do you usually need down-time? How about time with friends and family? There’s a reason why this comes first. Write all your days off on your calendar.
• When do you want to develop and offer specific products, classes, or other works of your art? Write these on your calendar.
• What events to you plan to attend? Write these on your calendar.
• When do you want to attend trainings and develop your craft? Write these on your calendar.
• If you can only see the next 3-4 months ahead, just plan for those. As time goes by, you’ll be able to plan for the next 3-4 months after that. Take your time.

9. Inserting all of these in you calendar will help you determine a budget (can you believe it?). Budget isn’t a 4-letter word, it’s just a tool. Based on your plans in #8, plug your estimated earnings and expenses into a spreadsheet. It leaves out some of the guesswork that makes many self-employed folks nervous – and having a sense of your numbers is pretty cool! You can tweak all of it, too. If you want to increase your income or decrease expenses, make adjustments accordingly.

10. If you’re self employed, allocate time to spread the word about the offering you’ll have coming up during the year. I like to lightly promote things for about 8 weeks to give enough time for . This means that whatever my launch date or sign-up deadline is, I tack on 2 months of spread-the-word time. If you sell things that are not time-sensitive, you can arbitrarily decide  that you’re featuring Cool Thing A on a given month. This is what most retailers do where there are no holidays to promote — think white sales, organizing supplies sales, flat-screen TV sales, etc. Of course, you can promote your own work with more integrity and love than any marketing exec. So, have fun with it!

Organizing so it’s useful and inspiring

11. Once you’ve done these steps, you may want to create containers or folders for each of the projects, vacations, and trainings you are planning for the year. These containers can be physical objects or virtual files — trust whatever works best for you. I keep files like these on my desk (as opposed to lost in a file drawer somewhere) because the contents are current, they’re on my mind regularly, and I want to be able to add to them quickly and easily. They’re also colorful and labeled with pretty stickies that I like.

What to do if you’re overwhelmed

You okay! Just remember that whole breathing thing. Deeep, long breaths. The steps presented here are are just ideas to help you enjoy the coming year.

If you want support in doing these steps, I’m going to do a class in February that will walk you through each one with my encouragement and support. Here’s the scoop:

Inspired Focus for 2011: 7 Jen-led classes

• 3 Wednesdays at 10am – 12pm Pacific (February 9, 16, 23) (your time zone)
• 4 Office Spa Days: (Feb 2, 5 and March 2, 5, 10am – 12pm Pacific)
• All for the whopping price of $40. Yup. By the beginning of March, you’ll have a clear plan that you feel excited about — guaranteed — provided that you attend at least 6 of the 7 classes and do the short homework assignments in between. You’ll get better results that way, too. Aren’t you worth the sanity, peace, and satisfying outcome? Want to get un-overwhelmed and inspiredly focused? Just click the button below (I’ll follow up with all the juicy details).

Warmly,
Jen

7 comments

The myth of January

What is it about January? I flipped the calendar to the new year and was instantly struck by the belief that I’m already behind. Cue the elevated heart rate and pit in the stomach. Whew! You too?

New year, fresh start, right? The resolution is pervasive in our culture. My friend, Jen Louden, wrote a wonderful article about the hype-y kick-butt language marketers are using right now and the damage it causes. Some people are ditching the resolution all together. I want to encourage you to make peace with the Resolution.

If you look at the word itself, it boils down to re-solve. In other words, you do not have to do anything perfectly the first time out of the gate. You can go back and solve it again. For example, if your solution to keeping your workspace neat doesn’t work, you just need to re-solve the problem. It doesn’t mean you failed, it just means you learned something that allows you to make a new, more informed solution. It’s really a process, something you do daily, not annually.

Ultimately, making changes in your workspace and in your life is about responding to your environment. To me, that’s so much less loaded that making a big fat resolution once a year and feeling like a failure come February.

To everything, turn, turn, turn

If you care at all about organizing your business, it’s important to pay attention to December going into January. Here’s why: it is a time of transition.

Really. Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean you have to start doing all those resolutions on Day 1. You don’t have to have a plan all mapped out. On the contrary. If you came into January feeling unprepared, you’re  normal. January is a blank slate. You’re not behind at all.

January is meant to be a month of planning, not doing. Thinking and dreaming. Resting up and recovering from the holiday crazies. The beginning of the year is a great time to look back over the old year and take stock of your successes and what you’d like to improve. Goodness knows there’s not enough time in December to do this. Making time for it now will make all the difference in how you feel for the remaining 11 months of this year.

Personally, there are only 2 things I prepared before January. The first was a series of collages I made while I was on retreat. They are so beautiful and inspiring and when I look at them, my heart feels all warm and happy. That’s what they’re meant to do. Now it’s my job to spend time discerning what they mean — and start planning how I will manifest them in my life. (Want to see?)

The other thing I did at the end of December, instead of a resolution, I chose 4 words/phrases to describe my focus for the new year (to borrow an idea from my brilliant friend, Cariene MacDonald). Here’s what they are:

Jen’s Focus Words for 2011

• Commit
• Heal
• Deepen
• Give generously

The 31-day plan

Now that January’s here, I’m doing something radical by giving myself full permission to take all 31 days to figure out what I want to do this year. Enter logistics. I have an entire year of classes to put on the calendar, taxes to prepare, financial goals to set. I have 3 big projects to plan (more to be revealed soon). I’m also focusing on how I use my time to make the most of my sparkly, creative hours (in the morning, usually) so I don’t force productivity when it’s harder.

If I’d expected myself to have this all done by January 1, I would be a freaked-out stressball. If you feel that way right now, take January for yourself to plan. Give yourself a whole month to decide your direction and vision. You won’t believe how much better you’ll feel. And you’ll be ahead of the game come February, when everyone else’s resolutions have fizzled out. A little gloating is good for the spirit.

12 comments

In-joke at the Inspired House

When someone makes a mistake around here, we jokingly fire one another. When Inspired Spouse forgets to take out the garbage, she’s fired. When the cats scratch my office chair or jump on the counter, they’re fired. “You’re fired, Pepper!” It’s a silly way to protest something without offending anyone. Humor lightens things that could otherwise be taken personally. Now you’re in on the in-joke.

Unfortunately, I’ve gotten fired for the same thing two weeks in a row. That thing is my failure to check the voice mail which allows an unfortunate number of messages to add up (5 one week and 7 the next). Inspired Spouse didn’t think it was so funny the second time.

Honestly, I hate voice mail. I am tactile — and voice mail isn’t something you can touch. I am visual — and I can’t see it either. Back in the 90′s when I had an old tape-playing answering machine, I was pretty good about it because I could touch the buttons and see the blinking red light. Remember those itty bitty cassettes? I loved my answering machine!

Fast forward 15 years, and now my phone company gives me super-slick digital voice mail at no extra charge. It would be a great deal except sometimes I go a whole week without checking my voice mail. I can hear the little “boop-boop-boop” dial tone thing when I pick up the phone, but I ignore it. Auditory processing is not my strong suit.

It’s not me. It’s not you, either.

Is there something wrong with me because I don’t use this handy tool? Of course not. Is it frustrating and unprofessional? Yes to both.

When people ask about the most effective software programs, gadgets, and apps, it’s a similar scenario. There’s nothing wrong with technology, but you have to first discern whether a particular tool is a good fit for you.

What’s the difference between tools that are truly helpful and those that are a frustrating failure?

The organizing truth: The best tools work the same way your brain naturally does. When you use a tool that’s outside of your natural skill set, it’s less likely to work for you. It will create more frustration.

How can you tell? If you procrastinate using something or dread it or it takes forever, that’s usually an indication that the tool isn’t a good fit for you. If it’s easy and fun, keep doing it. You’re on the right path.

It’s partly the tool, but it’s also…

When you’re thinking about adding a tool (like software, a gadget, or something low-tech like a file folder system), think about what your intention is. Think about how others will benefit when you use this item. For example, I use voice mail because it’s my intention to provide clients multiple ways to connect with me and, in turn, to respond to them promptly, professionally, and compassionately.

At the moment, my intention isn’t matching the reality if I only check voice mail once a week. But I can think of other options that could work better for me and still match my intention.

Thinking about your intention connects you with the bigger picture, freeing you up to see other options besides the tool that’s causing your problems.

Thinking it over

Something really astonishing happened last night when I decided to broach the subject of my firing with Inspired Spouse — and brainstorm a better solution. Since I’m visual and tactile, I shared that the best scenario for me would involve receiving paper messages, placed on my computer keyboard (in a perfect, and probably unrealistic world, I thought). I hesitated to tell her this because I didn’t want her to be my secretary (it is MY business after all!), but I shared anyway.

Here’s what she said, “Do you realize I’ve offered to do that for you at least 3 times in the last year?” Huh! You know, come to think of it, she had - and I had dismissed it! So if you happen to leave a voice mail for me, you now have a new message-taker. And I’ll reply SO much faster now.

If you’re struggling with technology or organizing, think about what would work best for you and those with whom you’re in contact. Talk it out with someone if you get stuck. Try things out — and remember that organizing isn’t a destination; it’s a process of discovering what you need over time and using your creativity to address those needs. You’re worth it!

7 comments

It’s in the air

I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what is happening at the moment, but there seems to be a low buzz of purpose and love reverberating in my community right now. I’m a member of an informal network of heart-based business owners who are doing their part to reinvent what it means to make a living — with intention, with purpose, and with Divine guidance.

As I get clearer and clearer about my work (Inspired Home Office) and what it’s meant to do (clear cluttered minds and hearts so one’s purpose shines through), I see my peers coming to some of the same discoveries about themselves and their own work. Like, today.

Can you hear it, too? Here’s the recent writing and life work of three people who have influenced me beyond measure by their teaching and lives and example.

Mark Silver, from Heart of Business, wrote an article yesterday called, The Two Costs of Being Heart-Centered in Business. It’s so affirming to read about his own recent spiritual growth and the validation that running a heart-based business is worth the challenges.

Marissa Bracke just had (possibly) the biggest a-ha of her life and recently went public with her new business offerings in her post: My A-ha! Moment. Marissa has been my accountabilibuddy for well over a year. Having benefited from her clarity, compassion, and eagle-eyed insights this whole time, I’m beyond thrilled to see her share these gifts with the world.

And Jen Louden, the Comfort Queen, the woman who first introduced me to the self-guided retreat, wrote a post today that affirmed everything I believe about living your purpose in life: You are Called. I loved it so much, I even commented.

If you have 10 minutes in the next few days to do some reading that will nourish your spirit and inspire to do your creative work in the world, these are my three recommendations.

Lots of love,
Jennifer

One comment

I’m a corner-cutter.

Always have been. I’ve been cutting corners since the pink-dawned day in my childhood when I realized that the world wouldn’t ever value my imagination as much as productivity. Yet in my heart, there’s still a fanciful, wacky, tulle-skirted ballerina who need to be fed. Here’s my story of why cutting corners helps.

Corner-cutting is what I call the skill I’ve developed to do just enough to get by, but not poorly enough to arouse any suspicion. Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails miserably, painfully and publically. I sometimes wonder how much better things would be if I went whole hog and did everything at 100%. Could I pull it off? If you have ADD or know someone who does, you know that painful refrain, “If you would just apply yourself…” The very idea of going at 100% all the time sounds exhausting, but that doesn’t stop lots of people who try.

What corner-cutting looks like

In my early years, corner-cutting was something I did to get through uncomfortable, boring situations. At school, I’d wow my teachers with my vocabulary and my sense of humor, hoping that they’d care less about the homework I’d forgotten to complete (which worked with varying degrees of success). At home, I’d get my bedroom clean enough to pass the Mom Test, concealing lumps of clothing and detritus in drawers and under stuffed animals. A a child, the only thing I did at 100% was play.

As an adult, I’ve learned to cut corners on everything from timely bill paying, to meal preparation, to paid presentations. The older I’ve become, the more skilled I am at doing just enough to get by. I take out the garbage at the last minute before the truck rolls through. I only vacuum when company is coming (or when it’s annoying me).  I market my business when I have something to sell, and less frequently when I don’t. Admitting to this rouses all kinds of shame in me. It’s similar to the shame my clients feel when they work up the courage to show me photos of their home offices. 

The reason we do it

With so much on our plates, something has to give. The thing I choose to give away, to release is perfection. For most of us, there’s no enjoyment in that release, just shame swaddled in guilt to be hidden away. We forget that we’re surrounded by messages that perfection (perfect floors, home, kids, fashion) is the only viable option. So, choosing to abandon of the Perfection Dream isn’t something we’re encouraged to go public with.

Living in a culture where everything is buffed to a polished patina, where is there room for human-ness? Where is there permission to just be?

Another way of looking at it

When I step off the Perfection Train, when I admit that there is more in life than I will ever do — and so little of it done perfectly – corner cutting becomes a kind of renegade act of resistance. Choosing to let myself off the proverbial hook, to cut corners, is a radical act of self-kindness. When you lower your standards to healthy levels, it’s amazing what you can do — and do well. You are free from the oppressiveness of perfection, to act from enthusiasm instead of guilt and dread.

What’s more, going public with your humanness is a statement to others they can do the same, that it’s safe to be good enough. Can you imagine a world in which every member believed they were wonderful the way they are? You might resist this idea, fearing a lack of excellence or effort. But truly, when a person is celebrated as they are, that is the moment when transformation and innovation become possible.

What does this have to do with office organizing?

I know – sometimes I get really big picture on you, but there is a connection.

If you’re ashamed of how your space looks today… or you feel guilty that you’re not keeping up your business the way you think you should, this dumps a daily dose of feelings that thwart your efforts. Deciding for yourself what your standards are can make a world of difference in your workspace, work flow, profitability, and more. Think about it. When was the last time you didn’t feel stressed out? Wouldn’t you benefit from a release of pressure?

Cut some corners and find relief

Seriously, what is so great about a perfect 90* corner? I’m of the opinion that a rounded corner is more pleasing and easier to navigate. Cut some corners off the hard edges of life — here are three suggestions that can help you move forward:

1. Acknowledge that you’re human. Consider that being a human implies certain limits of energy, mental capacity, and productivity. There is only so much you can do in a day. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just true.

2. Give yourself permission to do something well enough. The next time you encounter something hard, give some thought to whether you can make it easier on yourself. Let completion be your goal, rather than perfection. Celebrate the small steps.

3. Find out what it is that you do at 100% when no one is watching. When I was a kid, it was play. As an adult, it’s singing and teaching and (dare I admit this?)  creating art. Make time in your life to do more of that thing, even if (especially if) you do it imperfectly. The world needs your humanness and imperfection. Truly, “the woods would be very silent if the only birds who sang were the ones who sang best.” ~ Henry Van Dyke

Much love,

Jennifer

8 comments

By guest blogger, Darcy Prince.

One key ingredient that can make a project feel daunting to me is doing something unfamiliar/new. My typical method of dealing with daunting projects has been to wait until something magically shifts on its own and then say to myself, “Oh yeah, no wonder I wasn’t doing that before, X, Y or Z was getting in the way.”

In the spirit of being a little more proactive when I am stuck and of being gentle with myself before instead of only after the fact, I decided to play with the idea of how to address the unfamiliarity/newness aspect of projects. My idea is to schedule a first date with any new project. Like on your first date, you don’t go for dinner and a movie and hot hot lovin’ (well, not on most of the first dates I went on at least, although I expect it depends how you met the person).

Dating your projects

My first date recipe was usually to meet during the daytime, somewhere public, for something like coffee, an activity easily brought to a close in case no spark occurred, so the exit could be quick and painless (finished my beverage, time to go!).

Here are some other things I would do on a first date that might help new/unfamiliar projects go more smoothly:

• Make sure I’m at the top of my game or at least have my game face on. When I am starting a new project, I get myself mentally psyched up to feel like I am at my most competent. Even doing things like taking a shower and getting dressed and brushing my teeth before I start seem like they would do me just as well for unfamiliar projects as they would for dating.
• Don’t expect too much. First dates are for figuring out whether or not you like someone. I often make up my mind that I will do a project before I know whether I will actually enjoy doing it or not. Maybe I could try toning down my expectations about how good of a fit any given activity will be for me.
• Get to know the other player. I tend to be impatient to start doing things once I get a mind to do them. Slowing down and gradually learning a new activity isn’t my usual habit– I want to dive into the deep end and fly before I walk. I could maybe benefit from a longer get-to-know-you period with certain activities.
• Give myself a break. This piece I figured out a while ago. Dating was tiring—always being on, putting my best foot forward. Sometimes I would just want to stay home in my jammies and eat ice cream and watch chick flicks, ie, do something familiar and easy where I didn’t have to stretch at all. Mixing in easy/familiar activities, ones I’m already good at, can be a way to keep up my energy for doing new things. The comfort that comes from doing an activity I’ve already mastered is a gift I can give myself any time.

How would you like dating your projects? Do you have other ways to make starting the process easier?

4 comments

Brain labels. Ever had one attached to you?

• attention deficit
• hyper
• depressed
• anxious
• autistic
• distractable
• anti-social

I feel yucky just typing these. When I was in grade school, my teachers said I was “not performing to potential”, “talkative”, “a daydreamer”. The worst was “Queen of the Space Cadets”. Ouch. Years later, as an adult, I got the label “attention deficit disorder”.

Brain labels erode confidence

Although I’m sure my teachers meant no harm, their labeling made me feel different – in a way that isolated me and prevented me from asking for help. Somehow that label meant that the behavior was my problem. If I would just try harder… (ever heard that one?)

In my heart of hearts, I knew I was fine just the way I was — I loved being creative and imaginative — but not everyone is that lucky. Over time, we unconsciously absorb the belief that being different is not okay. We fall prey to the belief that we’re inferior, not intelligent, or as good as those who easily fit the norm.

Intelligence is more than your IQ

Ode Magazine recently published an article I’m crazy about. It’s called Your Brain is a Rain Forest, by Thomas Armstrong, which explores the concept of “neurodiversity”. Instead of a one-size-fits-all model brain, he suggests that there’s an infinite variety of brain types — all of them useful in their own right.

Instead of automatically labeling brains that deviate from the norm as aberant or inferior, Armstrong  argues persuasively that brain labels are, among other things, an indicator of our culture’s bias. Western culture is fast-paced, highly social, driven, and productive, so it’s inherently biased against brains that process slowly, are introverted, methodical, or dreamy. This is a loss, since all brains (and their people) have something valuable to contribute.

Just look at the life of Temple Grandin, autistic genius and creator of a humane cattle chute.

Caring for your brain in a sped-up, overstimulating world

As I’ve been writing this, the grass is being mowed outside my office. I can’t change this fact. I’ve gotten up about 6 times, turned on classical music, closed the door, closed the window, and put on my noise-canceling headphones — all to manage my focus.

In Armstrong’s article, he emphasizes the importance of constructing what he calls “positive niches” for your kind of brain. Just like birds or plants, different brains thrive in environments that compliment their unique qualities.

In addition to communities and geographic areas Armstrong discusses, at Inspired Home Office we create micro-level positive niches. My purpose is to help you create an environment that supports you and encourages your creativity. I never focus on your brain’s weaknesses. Instead, we explore what your brain does well so that you can integrate it into your work environment.

Some of the the unique traits and intellect that clients demonstrate include:

• emotion
• sensitivity and intuition
• creativity
• vision
• movement
• placement of physical objects
• systems
• relationships

When viewed through this positive lens, “deficiencies” become assets that are used to inform the creation of a nourishing environment. For example, someone who is highly visual might need something beautiful (window view, painting, collage, inspirational quote) to look at while working. Someone with a lot of energy might use a bouncy chair or treadmill while using the computer, so she’s not rigidly confined to a desk. Someone who craves solitude for reflection and renewal can set up systems that buffer her from interruption.

Your brain is a unique and beautiful gift

Take a moment to entertain this idea: if you struggle in your work environment, the problem isn’t your or your brain, it’s simply your environment. It doesn’t yet match your brain’s needs.

Don’t let a label run your life. Take a few minutes to read Armstrong’s article for full impact and begin to celebrate the brain you have.

Then explore: What’s one (small or large) adjustment you can make to your current workspace so that it more closely matches your brain’s strengths?

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It’s happened to all of us. We’re in the process of clearing off a space and we come across something we really want to let go of, but can’t. We freeze — stopped in our tracks by obligation or grief or fear. All clearing efforts come to a screeching halt.

Has this happened to you before?

What do you do?

Things that work for me

When it happens to me, I like to pause for a moment and see if there are any emotions that need some space. This is especially effective for things that I have sentimental attachment to. Old purses. Sweet cards from loved ones. I pause and feel the feelings.

If it’s a more practical item, I like to ask myself, “What do you need?” and really listen to the soft reply that often comes. I also ask myself, “Do you need this? Do you love this? Does it support you and your spirit?” These questions really help me get to the bottom and release the frozenness.

These usually help clarify the next step.

Things that don’t work so well

Well, there’s always good old denial. “Oops!  A whole drawerful of miscellaneous power cords?! Let’s pretend I didn’t see that! Moving right along…” When something it too complex or I’m already overwhelmed, this is quite effective – in the short run. In the long run? Stuff doesn’t get released and it builds up.

Saving it for later is my other strategy. I do this especially with binders full of information from classes or workshops I’ve attended and paid good money for. “Someday” I’ll go through them all and make even better use of the material in them. Never happens.

What works for you?

When you’re clearing and you find something you want to release, but can’t, what do YOU do?

Please share your thoughts below…

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During a recent class, we discussed how important it is to celebrate your accomplishments (big and small) before moving onto the next task. Celebration creates energy. A fun discussion about energy, fuel, cars and organizing ensued. I invited two of the participants, both named Sarah, to write about their perspective on the topic. Enjoy!

Part 1:

Sarah Tieck, guest blogger

My Toyota Corolla’s fuel gauge says there is a quarter tank of gas left. Noticing that, I added a stop at the gas station to my list of errands. Simple as that. There was no agonizing about if I should stop for gas or where. No cursing that I have to monitor my car’s fuel and maintenance needs. No weeping because my tank has gotten low. There is no question. I will stop and refuel — if I don’t, in time the car won’t work.

Lately I’ve been running on fumes. No, I don’t have a magical gauge, but I knew. All I needed to do was look around. There were pizza and take-out boxes in the garbage can, dishes in the sink, four timesheets where I’d logged into work well after my official start time, and a general feeling of being stuck with no clear steps forward on several projects.

As a creative person who has been steadily working and meeting deadlines, but rarely taking time to replenish and refuel after these journeys, my tank is low low low. And, I’m having to stop more often to refuel — sort of like those times when you only fill up partially at the gas station. In order to create, to do good work, and to savor my life, I’m having to learn how to fuel up. Interesting that the theme I’ve chosen for this year is nourish.

Celebration is a form of nourishment. Many people wait for completion to do this — and even then, barely stop to acknowledge what has been completed and put away supplies and papers. Little do we realize that little celebrations — nourishment — along the way are important fuel to keeping moving with big goals … sort of like fueling your car on a long trip.

To refuel by celebrating, you don’t need to do anything huge. You simply need to find a way to pause and take some time for an experience that will strengthen and energize you. That gives you ideas and images to draw from and fuel your work. It honors what you’ve done. Those important baby steps.

So, when you feel like you could keep going … stopping to play, to workout, to connect, to savor can all be forms of nourishment that will add  fuel to your tank. Things like workouts and fun offer a big boost for a goal — they create movement, energy, and excitement. And, that transfers. That candy bar and diet soda? As temporary as a jump for a dead battery.

Last week, I nourished a writing deadline with a bike ride and some geocaching with my husband. We played in the woods and the next day, I finished the book I was writing. When I take time to fill myself up like this — even when it seems counterintuitive — the things I want (and need) to do are easier! That weekend, I spent some time relaxing on the couch, saw Letters to Juliet, had an evening out with some friends who make me smile. You know what? Even though I rested and filled up first, the dishes and vacuuming and errands got done. And, that Monday morning, I returned to work with a tank full of fuel — as well as the fuel of my vision of what I want to create — to help me move forward.

Part 2:

Sarah DeWeerdt, Guest blogger

When Sarah likened needing to stop and replenish one’s energy to filling up the gas tank of a car, my immediate impulse was to wish I were a Prius. Imagine: speeding down the road in productive, virtuous near-silence, able to travel twice as far between fill-ups as all those other jalopies.

But the truth is, if I were a Prius, I’d just wish I were a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. And if I were a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, I’d wish I were…some kind of zero-emissions flying car thingy that hasn’t even been invented yet.

I’m hardly ever satisfied with the distance I’ve traveled. But maybe slowing down and refueling is actually part of the excitement. I mean, if I didn’t have to stop for a fill-up, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to notice the precise latitude where gas station convenience stores stop selling Dr. Pepper and start selling Mr. Pibb. I wouldn’t get to chuckle over those crazy souvenir snow globes filled with dinosaur teeth. I’d miss seeing, while paying for my gas, that family walk into the store straight from the pages of a Flannery O’Connor short story.

For me, this need to go faster and farther without stopping, ignoring the lurid red “E” on the dashboard, doesn’t just pose a problem when I’m trying to clear clutter and organize—it’s actually the source of my clutter. That is, there are so many interesting and amazing things in the world that I’m tempted to hold on to every interesting newspaper clipping, each scrap of vintage lace, out of the conviction that I’ll do something with it someday.

But I won’t. Because the body is a vehicle that craves rest, and one that can only travel so far. That’s been one of the most surprising and unsettling lessons of Jen’s class so far: confronting my clutter is, in effect, confronting my own mortality.

That epiphany isn’t a wholly gloomy one, though. With practice, I’m starting to recognize the difference between things that are merely interesting and things that make my brain light up with neurons firing in a thousand directions. (I swear it’s a literal scalp-tingling sensation.) I’m letting go of the former category so that I’ll have more attention for the latter. So that next time I pull off the highway into that gas station, I’ll be able to chuckle at that snow globe and leave it on the shelf, and fix the precise image of that Southern gothic family in my mind, because they are going to make one hell of a poem or painting later. Just you wait and see.

Sarah Tieck has authored more than 36 nonfiction books for children and teaches writing classes at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Her articles and essays appear regularly in home and garden magazines, lifestyle magazines, and major daily newspapers such as the Star Tribune and the Chicago Tribune. Contact her at her Web site, www.sarahtieck.com.

Sarah DeWeerdt is a freelance writer and editor in Seattle, Washington. Read her science writing via sarahdeweerdt.blogspot.com and her recipes at smalltastes.blogspot.com.

Can you relate? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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