Jill K. came to my rescue when my attic studio/office had reached its breaking point. It became a space I dreaded working in for several reasons. First, it was messy. I am really bad at putting things away where they belong, so my pens, rulers, tracing paper, etc. were all over the place. This made it really hard to clean and the dust piled up. It also made life and work very inefficient. Second, I had never set up systems for where things go, which only added to the issue above. Third, the space had become a dumping ground for household items we wanted to get out of the way (clothes we don't wear, excess records, old bills, unwanted Christmas presents yet to be donated, etc.).
When Jill first came over to assess the space, she warned me it would be a lot of work and decision making. I knew I had to commit to the labor, but it hadn't occurred to me that I would need to make behavioral changes. Jill helped not only with going through literally everything in the room, but asking me tough questions about how often I use an object, how much it means to me, or what purpose it serves. Through these questions, we could decide to keep or purge. If it was something to keep, this process helped us understand where it should go and how accessible it needs to be. Sometimes I did this with Jill, sometimes it was 'homework'. I found this process enlightening. It seems simple, but once you grasp it, it is a game changer. Rather than thoughtlessly keeping everything, I was consciously making decisions about my space.
Since we finished my attic studio, I have loved spending time up there. The space feels more functional and lighter in every way.
Next we will tackle my closet! Thanks Jill! read more