Tuesday, April 8, 2014

The power of vulnerability, and a new laundry room!

I am always thankful to my clients who are willing to let me into their home or open up during a coaching session. Neither action is easy, and both can be uncomfortable and definitely make one feel vulnerable.  As scary as it can be, being vulnerable is absolutely necessary when trying to be better tomorrow than we are today.  Revealing your inner core – the real you – can be freeing if you are willing to go with it.

Now it is my turn to be vulnerable and I am going for it.

Our house is 22 years old and has very little built in storage. We supplement with clear plastic containers and shelving units in many areas. The playroom,  laundry room, and garage are all good examples of that. As much as I want the beauty that you see in Pinterest, my priority and how I define personal satisfaction is less about how it looks and more about knowing where everything is.  

Last fall our washer broke, and we were going to get a new one. Getting a new washer forced us to unstack our washer and dryer, which changed the whole dynamic of the room laundry room. I decided that I was going to give the room a makeover in the process. Not just a little makeover, but a real one. We ripped out the built in shelves, patched the walls, painted, and went to The Container Store for new shelves, drawers and much more.
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As someone who helps organize spaces, I am putting myself in a vulnerable position by showing you the before and after pictures of my laundry room. Some of you might not have hired me if you had seen my laundry room before today! 

Here you go - don't judge! Before...




And after...


 
I love the new room. Every bit of it. I smile when I do laundry, and have every desire to keep it in perfect condition.  I am sure you noticed that the washer and dryer don't match. I was a little self conscious about that at first, but knew deep down inside that wasn't important to me.  It is very much in keeping with one of my core values, "personal satisfaction, not perfection!" 
The excitement is contagious.  We moved to the garage before the elfa sale ended. Stay turned for garage pictures.
In keeping with my goal of being better tomorrow than I am today, I am excited to announce that at the end of April, Up a Notch Consulting's de-cluttering services will be in an exclusive partnership with The Container Store. I am excited to be part of their new ATHOME program and one of their ATHOME Organizers in the Austin area. 
For those of you that need help taking control of your space, don't know where to start, or want a new storage solution, but don't want to measure and get to the store yourself, call me!  I will still be de-cluttering as usual for those of you that just need help getting your space in order. For those of you that want more - I can do that too. Either way, you will book through The Container Store and pay them directly.
As always, if I can help you with your home or office- let me know.  I look forward to hearing from you.
Take Control. Simplify. Make it Happen. - Meredith