Since teaching my Goals workshop, I’ve been on a health kick. It started by refocusing on exercising and drinking eight glasses of water a day. That felt really good…so inspired by a student in my class, I picked up a copy of Flat Belly Diet. I’ve always wanted one of those (a flat belly, that is.) But my body design is such that, for most of my life, there’s been a bit of roundness in the midsection. After hitting the milestone birthday last year…that roundness has become…well…maybe this is too much detail. Let’s just leave it at this: there are good reasons the title of that book resonated with me.
In the last week I’ve dramatically changed my eating habits, and have even given up sugar in my daily cup of coffee. (I can’t specifically say whether coffee is or isn’t part of this eating plan; for me the coffee was non-negotiable, though the sugar was surprisingly easy to let go of. Go figure.) I’ve also stepped up the exercise, vowing to walk for at least thirty minutes a day, six days a week for the next month, at which time I’ll reevaluate the midsection, the eating plan and the exercise plan.
So you may wonder what any of this has to doing with getting organized and “home confidence.” Well, walking for thirty plus hours a day gives my brain lots of time to wander…and believe me, in my mind I have been sharing lots of terrific blog posts. The trouble is translating those posts to my fingers, since my schedule is now overcrowded with walking and concocting new, belly-flattening recipes. Though I have saved 3.5 seconds per day by no longer putting sugar in my coffee…sadly, blog posts take longer than 3.5 seconds.
Anyway, during one of my walks while pondering my midsection, I realized my goal for changing my eating habits came down to this.
1) Health. Reading about the connection between belly fat (I know, I don’t like how that sounds either) and diseases like diabetes (which my Mom had for years), heart disease and cancer, well that was pretty motivating.
2) Body confidence. As I was walking one night, I realized that I simply want my midsection to be a non-issue. If someone invites the kids and (gasp) the parents to go to a swimming party…I’d love to simply go without giving it or my midsection a second thought. I want my body to be a non-issue.
And, since everything in my life always leads to a connection to organizing, I thought wow, this is a huge reason why people want to get organized and be organized: home confidence. We want our homes, like our bodies, to support us in living our best life. We want our homes to be a place that welcomes us after a long day and we want our homes to be a non-issue when visitors arrive.
Body confidence will allow me to do anything, without giving my body a second thought. Questions like, “Will my favorite pants fit?” or “Will I look OK in my bathing suit?” won’t even enter into the equation. Same thing with home confidence. The doorbell rings, and you don’t gasp thinking, “Ah…who’s on the other side of the door…can I let them see my house like this?”
With home confidence, your home is a non-issue. It supports you in living your best life. Ah…now there’s a reason to get up, take action, and get organized! So, if you were looking for yet another reason to get organized this year…there you have it: home confidence.
I’m wondering what your motivations are for getting organized. I’d love to hear. Is anyone else out there striving for home confidence and had you thought of it in those terms before? Thanks, as always for sharing. I love reading your comments!
What a way to think about it! My body a “non-issue”… my home a “non-issue”… loving those!!
You always make me think Aby! Thanks for that! I’ve missed your blog posts. :0)
Talk to ya soon,
rachel
That is absolutely true! I’ve never thought about it that way, but the turning point for me was when I decided I would never be embarrassed to open my door to an unexpected visitor again. Home Confidence is exactly what I feel now…perfect!
How true this is Aby, I have spent more years than I care to mention not opening the door. It would be nice not to feel embarrased about my home (well, it is coming along nicely thanks to your classes of course). Good luck with the exercise and new regime; I really need to address those areas too!
I haven’t thought about it in terms of “confidence” and being a “non-issue” but those would be great side benefits of being truly organized. My real motivation right now, however, is that visual clutter simply makes me insane. I can’t think straight when there are piles of “stuff” (keeping it “g” rated) everywhere I look. And if you figure a way to connect the dots between that and my belly fat… then we’re getting somewhere!
This blog post also resonated for me. This is definitely what I am striving for – home confidence. Even though my home generally looks OK with all the cupboards, closets, etc. closed. I know what is lurking behind those doors and it weighs VERY heavily on my mind. I am reading a booked called “How to Simplify your Life” by Kustenmacher – SIMPLIFY is my 2009 word (and was my 2008 word since I don’t embrace it last year), so this book was a natural for me to pick up. I really want to get to a place where my home is a “non-issue”. Where I can walk in and not start thinking about all of the things I want to do or, worse yet, start thinking of the Must Do’s before I even walk through the door. I am currently taking GOBI and working through my scrap room – I will then start working through every other room in my home.
Thanks for the thoughtful post!
Suzanne
Thanks! This is exactly what I needed to hear before heading to the gym…a little encouragement and perspective! Hope you have a great day!
I would love to hear more about your Flat Belly Diet. I, too, have the same mid-section problems. I am striving for home confidence and body confidence with an attempt at simplifying my life. Thank you!
Coffee with out sugar can’t happen for me. I did begin drinking coffee black… then I tried it with Cream and sugar… there is no going back. I am also hooked on Vanilla Carmel Coffee Mate:)
I’ll have to say having someone to my home and not having to think about how messy it is… that is a struggle for me. I invited a friend over last week (my birthday treat to myself) I haven’t hung out with for 6 years because my house wasn’t as organized as hers. We moved here and my goal was to be ultimately organized… but it was such a slow process for me. Reading your blog has pushed me faster showing me that I am trying to hard to make it perfect… which will never happen. I have gotten lots done purging organizing etc… and I had her over and she thought I did great. Made me happy to have my friend back!
Thanks!
“Home Confidence” … I like the sound of that! I’m getting there!
I just read that if you walk 30 minutes everyday, you can count on losing 2 pounds a week, 12 pounds in 6 weeks! I did what you are doing last year after having Carter. Well, not the flat belly diet, but same thing of eating well, exercising and it really does work! What amazed me more than shedding body fat was the transformation of my mind … I really started thinking differently about my body, what I put into it and actually missed the days I didn’t walk. Never thought that would happen! Hey, sort of like decluttering!! After all of your classes, I think differently about what I bring into my home, and I definitely notice the days when I don’t do a daily 15 min declutter! It all comes full circle! 🙂
Good luck on your 30 day plan!! I have been jogging and walking for over 30 years 5 to 6 days a week for at least an hour and my belly fat just stays with me, I am sure I need to cut out something in my diet too, I am just not sure what. Thanks for sharing with us. I look forward to hearing about your results!
Aby, this is an interesting take on organization. The thought of feeling perfectly secure in my home, not having to make excuses for the piles of stuff in my bedroom, or my inability to find something that I need. Hmmm…home confidence sounds pretty good to me!
I have so many reasons for wanting to get organized. I dont have a lot of time during the week and I really dont want to spend my weekends and weeknights looking for stuff I “missplaced” I’m still looking for the 2 credit cards which came in the mail last month to replace those that expired. I barely found my atm card. Spending 2 hours searching is NOT productive. And it would be nice to have friends and family over someday!! It’s so bad I dont know where to begin and spend my weekends not sure of where to start. Confidence at home would probably lead to confidence and organization for me at work too.
It would be nice to be one of the homes that I have envyed my whole life. It’s sad that neither of my parents were good organizational models so I’m following in their bad footsteps. I truly believe that if I were organized in my home that my life would not feel so disorganized in some other ways.
This was a timely blog to stumble upon this morning. I’ve been slowly-but-surely decluttering both my computer and my home. I have a long way to go.
Just this morning, I thought of how I should try to drop the tsp. of sugar in my coffee–a small change, but would be healthier. Then I found your mention of leaving sugar out of your coffee. Too funny.
I’ll be back. You have good, solid tips here. Common sense, but something we all need to hear again from time to time. A beautiful blog!
great post! love the idea of making things non-issues…allowing our enviroment (and our bodies) to support our best lives 🙂 thank you!
I loved this post! It totally resonates with me – things being a non-issue – just being able to go on with life and not get caught up on things that are just getting in the way. I had never thought about it this way before, but it is what I have been subconsciously striving for. Thank you SO much for sharing!!
I’d never thought about it in these terms but this is definitely what I want .. IF I let anyone in it’s always w/an “excuse the mess” .. ugh! I keep saying one day but one day never comes .. I’d love to have Home Confidence and have it be a non-issue!
Hi Aby! I just wanted to share that I am starting to enjoy ‘house confidence’ and it is so freeing!! I’m able to have the living areas and kitchen tidy and fresh every morning by about 9.30/10am — it used to take alllllll day (maybe never!) I’m not ashamed when someone comes to the door, and have even been able, on short notice, to have the playgroup mums and kids over. I have been working at this for a while now, and this in conjunction with your ‘clutter control’ workshop I did last year has made the difference! The systems and strategies I have put in place to tackle the PILES and DUMP ZONES are really working. I cannot tell you how HAPPY this makes me! 🙂 Still to tackle are my bedroom (transition space – ha ha !) kids rooms and study …. but you know, I now have confidence that I can do it if I just keep going.
Thanks so much for your inspiration and impartation!! Blessings on you… XX
Oh, I hear you with the body issue. My belly has always been the problem area for me. I have recently lost >10 pounds and have only 5 left to reach my goal. Hopefully it will come off the belly. I also need my house in order as it makes me feel better as well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
How is it that we are so often on the same mental page? So odd!
I have been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now. Yesterday I finally got up the courage to go for a “run”. (The beach has been calling/taunting me to get out there and run.) I made it a whole mile… more walking than running. But there was running involved! I did get out there and do it! And for this “asthma-girl” that is amazing!!!
Kudos to you for choosing health.
~J
As a recent home owner, I am always worried when people are on their way over, always cramming away clutter and random things. I recently purchased some shelving for my home office. You can actually see the floor now!