closet DIY / part 2 “choose what matters”

Remember our mystery closet DIY project? Don’t blame you if you don’t. It’s been a YEAR since I shared the before photos and my excitement to reveal how it turned out. The last step was hanging artwork—a piece I designed digitally in 2022. I thought painting the piece on canvas would be fun and quick once I got started. Turns out, there were a couple hurdles for me to clear…and important lessons to relearn that are worth sharing with you.

the hurdles

First, because my design is all text, I needed a PROJECTOR to reflect and trace the words onto the canvas.  Buying a projector for this lone project wasn’t an option even though the odds of finding someone I knew who owned one seemed slim. I also didn’t want to simply print my design onto a canvas. It might have saved time and energy, but the piece wouldn’t hold the same value. I’m all about putting myself behind the creativity in my home, so long as I enjoy the process.

The second hurdle was MAKING time for it. There’s always a to-do list. Unexpected things that pop up every day, every week, that carry more urgency. Looking back, I know I let random urgent things consume my time, especially when others were relying on me to provide the answer or information. 

the lessons

Truthfully, those activities you want to do may never feel urgent enough to demand attention. You have to decide they matter enough to go on the calendar. You have to CHOOSE them in favour of something else.

Staring at a blank canvas for a year kinda broke my heart. We’re moving in four months, so it’ll only be displayed for a short while. But it matters to me. It’s a piece intended for this DIY space, inspired by my girls and their love of literature. Turns out, SHARING this desire with my husband was all I needed to put the process in motion. He remembered a colleague had bought a used projector to watch videos at home, so he reached out to borrow it and voila! Biggest hurdle solved! From there, it was on me to begin, and once I traced the letters, I had the MOMENTUM to do more.

Any step, big or small, is progress...and the momentum to move forward.

Momentum is magic fuel for your wellbeing. And it doesn’t just come from spending time on activities you’re passionate about. The same momentum builds when you spend a little time improving your home. Whether it’s a simple shelf swap or clearing space in a drawer or closet, spending intentional time on the space where you spend most of your days decreases stress and resentment. It boosts clarity, creativity, and confidence. And that positive energy ripples into other areas of your life. It’s like a hack for your brain. A way to say, “I’ve got this” no matter how big or small that first step. The key is protecting the momentum on your calendar—time for yourself and your home. 

As parents, we are SO good at not doing this for ourselves! Always finding a reason (time, energy, cost) to put off the things we really want to do and the tiny home improvements that would make such a positive difference to everyday life.

Life’s too short and wonderful to wait for the list to clear and everything to align.

what personal activity (a class, an outing, a creative idea) has been on your heart to start? what’s one small momentum move you could choose to make this week towards that?

Once you’re through the initial hump of starting something, your momentum becomes a FLOW state, which in my experience, is the sweet spot. You see progress and knowing you’re almost there amps you up to see the task through. This is what I love about meeting clients exactly where they are at. It’s often the messy middle, when they’ve tried it all and finally had enough. When they choose to reach out, I know they see the value in partnering…creating a fresh wave of momentum to get their home where they need it to be, supporting the life they want to lead.  If you’re struggling to protect or find time for you and your home, Comment below and let’s start a conversation.

I hope you’re doing well, and choosing to take much deserved space and time for you and where you live.

Always,