Do you still fall in love with your home when you walk in the door? Does it feel warm and welcoming? Or does it feel disorganized, chaotic and uncomfortable? Do you invite people to visit or would you rather clean your toilet?
If your home no longer brings you the joy like when you moved in, it’s time for some introspection to figure out why. Without that understanding, little, if anything, can change long term. Here are some questions to get you started.
Do you feel:
- There are too many demands on your time?
- Kids with their toys, clothes, papers, projects and activities have taken over?
- You can’t find anything when you need it?
- Stuff keeps coming in, too little goes out, and clutter is out of control?
- Small repairs go undone until they become emergencies?
- Décor hasn’t been updated so the house looks meh?
- Overwhelmed because you don’t know how or where to start?
- There’s not enough storage space?
- Your situation is dictated by what others think?
Once you understand the underlying issue(s), the next step is to identify solutions. Decide what’s realistic, or not. Here are three suggestions to start gaining control.
- De-clutter: If the house is small with insufficient storage space, and moving to a larger house isn’t possible, it’s time for serious de-cluttering.
- Assign homes for everything: Once things have homes, you have immediate access when you need them and a place to return them after use
- Get motivated: Reflect on what you first loved about your house. By changing your perspective to positive thoughts, the more you’ll want to take care of it.
I’ve worked with moms whose houses were out of control, and they hated living this way. After digging below the surface with targeted questions, I uncovered that these clients had contentious relationships with THEIR mothers, who were controlling neat freaks. As a result, my intelligent, adult clients – subconsciously – were rebelling against their mothers. Once I helped them to understand this unhealthy dynamic, we were able to organize to effect permanent, positive changes in how their homes looked and functioned.
There are solutions for these and most other situations. It’s just a matter of figuring out the WHY, which I love to do! By getting organized and updating your home, you’ll fall in love with it all over again.
Happy Valentine’s Day!