growing your mindset and home together

Ever feel behind in multiple parts of your life? I’m 100 posts into this blog yet still struggle with writing. I’m a mom to two kids, aged 7 and 10, and continually second-guess my parenting skills and decisions. My small home organizing and interior design biz is 5+ years old, but imposter syndrome sets in far too often, especially when it comes to the marketing and content creation.

I know I’m not alone in this. As humans, we tend to think we “should” be better at or further along in what we’re doing. Social media and its BF, social comparison, only make it worse. Simply seeing the highlights or idealized versions of others' lives can trigger feelings of inadequacy in our own. On the flip side, as a creator and entrepreneur, I’ve got to showcase the good stuff, right? How else will the value of what I offer be seen, understood, and appreciated? It’s a double-edged sword that, frankly, has been jabbing me hard…and in turn, leaving me stuck and feeling a little lost.

As such, I took a forced pause over the last couple of months. Winter is typically an emotionally down season for me. I fully recognized and accepted this truth in January, and shared how timely the cold months are for reflecting inward in this post. Well, the universe heard me because my family experienced sequential illnesses that forced us all to stay at home. When we came out of it, my mind was brewing with ideas and a reconnection to my why. Yet I found it very difficult to begin. I felt quite down, lacking both energy and confidence. Probably the closest I’ve been to experiencing seasonal affective disorder. I still don’t understand what happened but after journaling and many talks with my husband, I realized that the biggest obstacle in my way was me.

Cue “Anti-Hero”!

It reminded me of when my kids exclaim, “I can’t do it!”. My response is, “You can if you say you can.” It’s a mindset shift—from the fixed (“I can’t”) to growth (“I can AND…”). My situation was no different and once I clued in, I could start turning my thoughts and behaviour around.

The same can be said about intentionally designing and organizing your house into a home that serves your life well.

Organizing is a learned skill, so even if you didn’t practice it growing up, you absolutely CAN gain and excel at it now. Saying and believing, “I can’t get organized”, puts a mental barrier up before you even try! Similarly, there are brilliant interior designers and DIYers out there who didn’t take a formal education route. They simply went for it. Try. Fail. Learn. Repeat. Designing and organizing your home is a process and a practice. It’s about finding what works for you in the present and slowly but surely seeing yourself reflected in your space over time. It doesn’t have to be a major monetary investment either. Starting small with what you already own is enough. I truly believe that and actively practice it in my own home. Lack of time is another common reason for not improving your space and it’s totally valid. But, time is a choice. There are 168 hours in a week, most of which, we’re awake for. How you choose to split those hours determines what you accomplish. If an area in your home is causing you regular stress, frustration, or conflict, it won’t get resolved on its own. Blocking time for it on your schedule makes it an appointment you will act on.

So the real obstacle to overcome, whether with transforming your home or working through personal insecurities like mine, is MINDSET. Many of us probably know this but it’s worth repeating and reminding ourselves regularly. We’ve got this and much more just by staying mindful, celebrating little wins, and taking challenges and mistakes as opportunities we get to experience.

how do you maintain a growth mindset?

Highly recommend getting your thoughts, good or bad, out of your head. Writing it down and/or talking it out with someone ready to hear you out (no judgment) has worked wonders for me. I'd love to learn your hack or mantra for staying mindful amidst the social noise and unexpected nature of life. Share in the Comments below. Say hello in my DMs over on IG. And let me know what you’re doing with that dedicated time you’re scheduling for yourself this week.

Always,