Life skillsRedecorating your life

Kathy Gates

Is it time to do a little re-decorating in your Life? We’ve all heard the expression “out with the old, in with the new”. And that works quite well in a lot of instances in life, when we need to de-clutter not only our physical environment, but our mental space as well.

But in order to experience the value of change in your life, you don’t have to throw out everything you already have and start all over. That’s not only intimidating, it’s usually just not possible, much less practical.

Clever use of your lifestyle ingredients means maximum pleasure. Here are some unique ways to use what you’ve got to help your life work for you instead of against you.

Experiment

Creating a better life for yourself is not necessarily changing what you do, it is sometimes just changing how you do what you do. How is always more important than what. Ask yourself — is there joy and a sense of ease in what I am doing?

Find inspiration

A room can be very dull without an inspiration piece that ties it all together. So can Life. Most people have three-four very “high goals”, or goals that are the inspiration and mission of their life. It might be “create a happy healthy home for those I love”. Or it might be “maintain financial security”. Or “make a contribution to society”. Whatever your highest goals, they serve as an inspiration piece, and all other parts of your life either fit, or don’t.

Organise

It’s not about being a homemaker. It is but about creating an environment that serves you, supports you, and contributes to the lifestyle that you want. Take it slow, as a goal you work towards, not something you can do in a Saturday morning.

Divide and conquer

Also known as ‘compartmentalising’, this is a tool that can work wonders in your life. Compartmentalising works best when you create visual, physical, or even mental boundaries in your life. Don’t spend your time at work worrying about what you need to do at home, and your time at home worrying about what you need to do at work.

Display what you love

In home decorating, sometimes the most eclectic displays are the most interesting. It doesn’t matter if it’s worth a lot to the neighbour down the street or not. If it’s important to you, put it front and centre in your life.

Paint it red

There’s an old saying, “don’t try to hide it, paint it red” Instead of trying to hide the things in your life that you have difficulty with, try a little fixing up instead. It doesn’t matter what other people think — it only matters what you are. If you try to deny a (perceived) weakness, you’ll only end up denying yourself. And that’s no way to live. Accept who you are, and work instead on how it affects your life and others in your life.