Moving On ... Part 1

You may have seen recently that I’ve moved to Edinburgh. Having lived in the gorgeous Highlands of Scotland for over 17 years this has been a BIG change for our family. Over the next few blogs I’d like to reflect a little on how it’s gone, what I’ve learnt and hopefully offer you some useful insight into adapting, simplifying and living with uncertainty! I don’t have all the answers but I am willing to open up as I delve into this reshape.

It all started last July. Remember that time when we were just coming out of the first lock down ?! It all feels like an eternity ago now. Anyway, one day I went for a walk with my husband Neil and the dog. And then it tumbled out of our mouths. Simultaneously we had both been feeling that our future paths would look different. Our marriage may have come to an end but we were still very good friends and wanted to continue raising our teens in the same way.

So, what would be the next step?

Not wanting to rush into anything we decided the house was spacious enough that we could both continue to live there quite happily for some time, possibly up to 2 years for both kids to finish school.

I moved into the spare room and delighted in creating a space where only my needs had to be taken into consideration. This sounds a little selfish written down but, on the ground, this was incredibly

satisfying.

Unsurprisingly, I took the opportunity to declutter my wardrobe a little. Although I had plenty of space available, I wanted to scrutinise what I’d not been using for some time and just leave the lovely stuff and the bits I wear all the time. Due to lockdown the latter was basically sportswear ! There were a few other cherished bits that didn’t get the chop and it felt great to reacquaint myself with some long-lost items. Seeing the “To Go” pile was super satisfying.

Once the wardrobe was done it was time to freshen up the walls. I wanted something bright. So together Neil & I got busy with the paintbrushes and applied a sunshine yellow to instantly lift the room. It felt very positive and collaborative to be doing this together. I wanted to continue in this

vein. Another simple addition was a colourful beach scene picture with very French connotations. I

was definitely yearning for a foreign break at that time but this was going to have to do for now!

All in all, my first step of “Moving on” was fun, uplifting and spoke of “new beginnings” to me. Pretty much the rest of daily life carried on as normal. Well, as normal as it can in a global pandemic!

Now upon reflection it is perhaps the fact that this felt like a small manageable shift to both of us. No substantial change. Nothing overwhelming. Breaking things down to focus on realistic change is nothing new. It’s used extensively in all areas of life from managing your home paperwork to preparing for the Olympics. We know instinctively that this is probably the best way to tackle something but so often we plough full steam ahead aiming to do more and “Go Large”! More often than not this leaves us in a less than ideal situation, overwhelmed and uninspired to continue.

So, if you’re struggling to make a change then perhaps it needs to be “smaller”. Progress is progress, no matter how small. And as Martin Luther King said “You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”

I work with people helping them to declutter their minds and their homes. To discuss how we can work together give me a call on 0797 1530743 or look around my website HERE