Last week I cleaned my office. I got rid of all the clutter. I dusted everything from the top of the cabinets to the keyboard. I did this all on a whim. I was just tired of the clutter. I looked at the mounds of paper that had been on my desk and I just could not deal anymore. I wondered what was the point of keeping papers and files of things I have not looked at in weeks. Since I could not answer that question, I simply got rid of it all.
Some people may find that hard to believe. If you were one of those people who was ever in my office, you know how chaotic everything seems to be. There was no reason to the madness that was my desk and the stuff around my office. I think it provided a certain feel that I am comfortable within the mess that is my life. The problem is, my life is not a mess anymore and I grow tired of the things that are cluttering my path to my goals.
It has been a week and my office still remains clutter free. I am serious about keeping it that way. It makes me feel a bit of peace know that I do not have a mound of paper looking at me. I have also noticed the reactions of many who are not used to this. There is a bit of surprise, perhaps a hint of doubt that my desk will not remain that way. However, there is also a sense of being a little more at ease when sitting down and having a conversation about work or anything else.
It has been all about how I come across to people. Can you trust someone like me if my area is chaotic? While I do thrive in chaos, it gets tiring. I have always been the type to revel in situations when the outcome is unknown. In the 10 years I have been at my job, I have had to constantly find ways to challenge and renew myself. Much of that has to do with new situations because I know I get bored with the same old things that happen. Having my area devoid of chaos is very new to me. I am also forcing myself to think about how I may come across. I may have this exterior (with my ties and vests) that I may put myself above others when that is not the case.
I think about this summer and how I did not achieve what I wanted to. Most jobs will not tell you why they did not hire you and leave us to only speculate. So I think I will work on my appearance in the sense of letting people see who I am. Not sure exactly how I am going to accomplish that, but I think that getting rid of the clutter and trimming the fat from my life is only the beginning.
1 comment:
Good post. Hits home with me. I keep finding myself relating a lot to what you're going through. In many ways I've also grown tired of the clutter in my life/house. I hate that my kids are in that environment. My wife and I both hate it. But find ourselves overwhelmed and not sure where to start.
Post a Comment