The one piece of advice that I would give my 20-year-old self is to learn to love your space despite your circumstances. As I mentioned in my recent podcast on May 7 of 2023 that I didn’t love my space.
It didn’t help ADHD/ADD was affecting my organizational skills. People made judgments saying I was lazy, and I didn’t care. Dealing with RA (rheumatoid arthritis) flared up that almost crippled me. So, I had a lot of resentment towards my space because I thought there was a major flaw with me.
The never-ending cycle of purging items, which I thought was cleaning. Then in a few weeks, the cluttered would return, adding to my resentment.
I didn’t understand was how the RA was impacting my life during a flare-up. Just doing the necessary chores, that was it. What I needed in those times was help and compassion.
Instead, I blamed myself for circumstances that were out of my control. Resentment continued to build towards my space as hopelessness settled in.
I wasn’t flawed.
I had the wrong ideas about clutter and organization.
Then one day, I realized that people who had organized homes and kept them maintained; actually, loved the space that they lived in and wanted the best for them and their families.
By loving my space that I admitted I deserved a clean, welcoming environment, and a peaceful sanctuary from the rest of the world. And that I needed to create a system that functioned for my lifestyle.
Alexandra Mars 