Identifying Stagnation

A little over a year ago, I had to say goodbye to by 27” iMac as it had finally pooped out. This wasn’t the first time I’ve had to deal with this but, with all of my talk about living with less, I wanted to explore simplifying all of the gadgets I owned. 

I opted for an iPad Pro instead of a laptop and spent an entire year trying to make it work. While overall it was a success, with the upcoming job of laying out and designing my book, Consciously Creating Clear Space, there wasn’t a solid solution without having access to an actual computer. 

Just before I left for Portugal, I decided to get a MacBook Pro. As much as I love, and still use my iPad Pro, it feels good to have the confidence of not having to deal with the glitchy-ness of apps and know that my book, and all of the energy I have put into this project, is safe. 

That said, with literally cutting the cord from a desktop computer over the last 15 months, a funny thing happened. I abandoned my office. I was so happy to be free from my desk that my entire book was written while laying on the sofa, making room for both the cat and my laptop. I enjoyed my newfound freedom to work sitting outside on the deck or at the kitchen table, and a few times, in bed when Ross was having a meeting upstairs.

One day this spring, I looked at my office objectively and saw what it had become, a dumping ground. It was sad and uninspired, no wonder I didn’t want to spend time in there. The image above may not seem too bad. It does have order, but I didn't like how I felt when I was in there. 

This became a beautiful teaching moment for me: I had to reinvent that space because it’s what I preach about and I would document it along the way. I can’t authentically do my work without walking my talk. And the interesting part is, now I have the first-hand experience of how quickly spaces can become invisible and stagnant and how easily they can be turned around.

I’ve been needing and wanting personal space for a while. I was always frustrated that I had no available walls to do handstands against. I wanted privacy to do my yoga and meditating rather than in the middle of the living room, and as always, a space to be creating, drawing and painting. 

Knowing my needs and creating my vision were all that was necessary to motivate me into action. For the rest of the month, I will give you my process for reinventing my space, along with the pitfalls, struggles and epiphanies that happened along the way.

In the meantime, look around your home, do you see any dead spaces that could use a reinvention? Please share in the comments below.