How a Badass Lady Organizes to Move
We interrupt our regularly scheduled Bookshelf programming with…
My dear friend called me up the other day, and blew my socks off.
She started the call with, "Hi love, can I make a request of you? Can you be with me on the phone for the next 20 minutes? I have a big pile of stuff I need to sort in order to pack." She was packing to move into her very first, very own apartment. Of course I said yes, being the sorting lover I am, and she proceeded to make decision after decision like a badass. When my timer went off after 20 minutes she was done. Done! And she had gone through a huge pile of random things.
This whole situation blew my socks off for 3 reasons:
1. She asked. Most people don't even think to ask for support when organizing their life, which I think is a big shame. I wish asking for organizing help was like asking for help with cooking dinner - people practically expect you to do it! You deserve support with something as vital as organizing your life.
2. Her 3 piles. From the heap on her floor, she picked up one item at a time, and decided if moving it with her was a 1) "Hell Yes!" or 2)"Meh," or 3) a "Hell No." She was clear that bringing anything a Hell No to her new home would be a mistake. And with a "Meh" pile filtered out from the Hell Yes's, it was easier to discern which Meh's were necessary items (like batteries or toothpaste) and which ultimately were No's.
3. It was FUN! For those 20 minutes I had a blast with my friend. Packing is often approached with a negative, "hate it but have to do it" attitude. But by taking full control of the situation, using me as accountability and a container of time with a timer, my friend OWNED those 20 minutes of packing fun. And I got to enjoy the ride. We laughed over some of the things that were a Hell Yes, like this silly stuffed animal she loves and uses while teaching.
I asked if I could get a little blurb to feature in my newsletter, and she said, "Doing this was SO helpful to me as I'm packing to move states in just 3 days. I've been nervous and in my head about making decisions on my things. Sara helped me by holding space and allowing me to feel into what I want to pack and what I still need to consider."
By the way can you tell we're both Virgos? :p
I brag I have a friend that uses the tools she knows to get things done (accountability buddy, timers), actually makes packing a fun experience (by including a friend/support and sorting by Hell Yes's and Hell No's), and that elevated my and her day through PACKING - conventionally a boring, un-fun activity.
Let's all learn from her example, shall we? When you're in transition and need to make myriad decisions on your belongings, give yourself permission to get friend or professional support.
