When our stuff, and our spaces do not function well, it makes life at home unnecessarily difficult.
Unfortunately, it’s not always clear how to go about making our homes function better. What if we spend time and energy sorting through our stuff, starting new routines, and reorganizing our spaces, only to find out we wasted our time?
This is especially true for us busy moms. We can’t afford to waste our time! We need a guarantee that we are focusing our energy on the correct project. In other words, we need clarity.
A wonderful way to gain this kind of clarity is to do a Walkthrough Overview.
It only takes about 30 minutes! When you are done, you will see your home with a fresh perspective.
To make the walkthrough even easier, I’ve included a FREE TEMPLATE for you! The freebie download is included at the end of this article.
Here’s How a Walkthrough Overview Works:
STEP 1: Print a few copies of the template.
STEP 2: Do the walk-through.
When the house is quiet, preferably when you are alone, take your template and pencil to the most problematic room of your home. Look around the space, open the cabinets and drawers, and think about how it feels to spend time there.
Then decide which of these cause difficulties in general: the stuff, the organization, or the tasks.
Let’s say the kitchen is troublesome . . .
If the cabinets, pantry, and fridge are all reasonably organized, you probably wouldn’t think of the stuff as a problem. But, if the counters are covered in chargers, toys, paperwork, and other random items, you would definitely circle organization. Similarly, if cooking dinner or doing dishes is more difficult than you would like, you might circle tasks as well.
STEP 3: Rephrase the negative difficulties as positive goals.
I would love clear countertops. I would love a more efficient meal planning system. I would love for the kids to learn to do their own dishes.
You’re not trying to solve the problems, you are simply developing a positive vision for the future of that space.
STEP 4: Move on to the next space and repeat the process.
Head to the family room, the office, each bathroom, each bedroom, the garage, the basement, your car, any area of your home you wish were easier to manage. Each space should only take a few minutes.
STEP 5: Look for patterns!
Sometimes a specific area of the home is obviously more problematic than the rest. If the garage has too much stuff, it’s completely disorganized, and accessing what you need is a nightmare, then clearly the garage is a top priority.
Often, however, the true problems are a collection of smaller issues spread across the house.
Let’s say . . . In the kitchen, you’re annoyed with the coloring books left out on the table. In the family room, it’s the crazy Legos. In the bedrooms, there are books, dolls, and action figures everywhere. What’s the common theme? Toys!
The patterns give you clarity.
A Walkthrough Overview is a great way to get a general idea of which areas of your home merit your attention first.
Before you can create a truly effective plan of action, though, you must first uncover the underlying reasons these areas of your home don’t function well.
The Home Diagnostic Tool is an amazing instructional guide designed to do just that!
Over the course of four phases, you will . . .
- Dig deeper into how your home functions and why.
- Trace the symptoms of frustration down to their true underlying sources.
- Gain confidence and motivation by reading real-life success stories.
- Use all your new insights to create a customized treatment plan.
An audio-book version is available as well for your convenience!
Click the link and get ready to start healing your home from the inside out!
