Third time lucky.

This may be a bit of a boring post for most but it’s basically a blog about a conversation with myself… I guess I get inspired by my own blogs lol. I go back and read them and I get courage from the fact that I am still around and still happy, despite all that life has thrown at me and us as a family 🙂

Just over two years in a new country we now call home and it’s been an adventure, to say the least.

From the time we moved here and lockdown eased up I started meeting people and learning so much about our new surroundings in this unique place we live in, and everything it has to offer. We love you Hoylake.

Being a mom in the UK is very different to being a mom in South Africa. In South Africa most moms / dads have employed domestic help to look after the kids and house, and so they are able to go to work. Here we have no maids, and no family to help and so until we could get our little guy into a nursery I needed to be a stay-home mom.

After some time, I decided to try and work for a few hours during the week for a bit of extra money, and for my sanity. I started a little independent cleaning enterprise, as per the suggestion of a dear friend, and I enjoyed transforming homes, putting things in order and making people happy. It was a huge success and in no time I had a list of steady clients, and even had to turn down new work. Some of those clients are now good friends.

However, after several months of hard work I gave up the cleaning because I was taking physical strain – there are only so many heavy sofas and beds I can swing around whilst hoovering; I once even dismantled and cleaned an oven so thoroughly the client thought a new one had been installed. But most importantly I was contacted and offered to work for a company in a field that I was familiar with. It was perfect timing because I was ready to send my youngest guy to school full time. It was time to get back to the corporate working world. I enjoyed every single second of the training and was ready to make a difference, but it didn’t work out for various reasons and I left after my two months of training, (definitely a story for another blog).

And so , it’s two years since the time we arrived and a very different ME has emerged. Admittedly, my ego is a little bruised and I’m a little hesitant to find another job in the corporate environment. What to do, what to do… hmmm.

I have had this conversation with myself many times but recently it’s been different somehow. “Find something you enjoy doing”, and “Don’t just get a job for the sake of getting a job and because you need the money; this is an opportunity for you to finally do something YOU like”…

At the age of 48, and many grey hairs later, I decided to listen to my inner voice. What did I enjoy doing? It would have to be something which involved meeting and potentially helping people. Adding some value to my life and theirs. Something that was gratifying…. and at the same time I needed something to suit my new lifestyle in this country we now call home. And it had to be something flexible so that I could continue being the best mom that I can be.

I have always loved organising and tidying up spaces around me. Over the years I have read blogs on organising, decluttering and about clever tricks on how to keep your space neat and tidy without spending a fortune. I have always found that organising my “space”, keeping things neat and tidy made me feel like I was in control of my environment. I can be calm in my own space which uplifts my mood and inspires me to start new projects or to simply be at peace.

Whilst chatting to my beautiful sister in law about the dilemma regarding trying to find a job that I would enjoy and that would suit my lifestyle, she mentioned a lady in Holland who runs her own professional organising company. One thing led to another and after getting into contact with this lovely human, Lucie, a mountain of opportunity became available to me.

And guess what – it’s scientifically proven that decluttering, organising and being tidy is GOOD FOR EVERYONE. I am a genius after all, hahahah!

“Research shows that physical clutter incites several stimuli for your brain, making it hard to focus on the task at hand. Because of this, cleaning and organizing have been linked to decreased feelings of anxiety. Seeing clutter around you can be draining. Every unfiled piece of paper and item of clothing on the floor is a tiny taskmaster reminding you of everything you still need to accomplish. Taking time to clean and organize your space can give you some much needed mental peace. Working in a clean space can help you to focus and be more efficient.”

But, just like everything else, some people are better at it than others… and it’s something I am good at and will get even better at. I have registered with APDO which is the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers right here in the UK, and have booked my training course for later on this month. Signing up with APDO also plugs one into the professional organisers’ sphere and carries the benefits of work references etc.

And hopefully then I will be able to do something I thoroughly enjoy and I will get the satisfaction of organising people’s spaces and of seeing the transformation in their homes and lives.

Watch this space for information about my new venture… coming soon

Dramatic music Dun Dun Duuuun