LOW-HANGING FRUIT AND RE-HOMING - A story about letting go

A couple of years ago I had Tina to come to my house and help me organize my office. It had morphed itself into a large junk drawer.

I had met Tina a year or so prior at a networking event. We immediately became friends. I had warned her my office was really bad.

I remember one of the first things she said when she went in there. "It's not too bad. I've seen worse."

Made me feel better.

She took before and after pictures. In the middle of the room was a pile of stuff that I'd kept adding to over time.
She taught me about low-hanging fruit. We took out all the empty boxes and packaging material I was 'saving'. Then we re-homed the rest of that pile. Some to other rooms, some to recycling, some to a bin for donations and some to the trash.

Eventually, we had my office neat, tidy, and organized. At least on the surface. All I needed to do was dust.

Recently I wanted Tina to come over again, but the Covid-19 was just starting to become a threat, and everyone was asked to 'social distance'. So I took pictures and sent them to her.

She called me and said, "Not too bad. You kept it better than I thought you might." I reluctantly told her I still hadn't dusted.

She gave me instructions. Daily.

• First Day: I took care of the low-hanging fruit I'd gained back. Kind of like the weight I've gained during this virus crisis. My middle-of-the-room pile wasn’t as bad as before.
• Day Two: She said to look around and ask myself “what doesn’t belong”? All kinds of things I put elsewhere.
• Day Three: Surface. I took everything off my desk that I didn't need there and placed them where they belonged. Then I straightened books on the shelves. I went clockwise around the room until every surface was as I wanted.
• Day Four: After 18 years, I tackled every drawer. I removed all the things that needed to go and re-homed them or put them in the donations bin, recycle, or trash.
• Last Day: I discovered dust bunnies that had been procreating for at least 2 years. Said goodbye to them and vacuumed. Then sent pictures to Tina.

She was proud. I was proud. My office FEELS good and looks good. It invites me in now. Before, it barricaded the door. As a result, I feel more confident and I've been more productive. In my office, instead of the bedroom, the living room, the kitchen, various coffee shops... anywhere besides my office.

This time, I have more tools and strategies that she taught me to keep my office clean, functional, and enjoyable to be in.

Tina is amazing. She is professional and a calming presence. To reach your goals, at your pace (baby steps), she tailors everything with various strategies, processes, and procedures. Assigning daily tasks, I was held accountable. A few times she would ask, "Do you really need that?"

With gentle nudging along the way, she asked me how I felt with each step and applauded me at the finish line. Her organizational skills have been learned and honed over the years and she happily shared many of them with me.

You may not need your office organized, but she can help with much more! During this time of containment, I would say this is the perfect time to get stuff off your to-do list. Call Tina. I did, and I am so grateful.

Laurie Flood
The Crimson Pen
Renton, WA