Wow. I'm in shock.

Be careful what you ask for....

"Ask and you shall receive."

...you might just get what you ask for!

I'm tossed between conflicting emotions. On one side: Elation, excitement, joy, gratitude, thrilled to my toes and fully on board. On the other side: Shocked, nervous and not quite sure what I've gotten myself into.



Inside I keep hearing, "If you want big change, take big action." Well, this is sure some big action!



Organization 9-1-1 is an event sponsored by the Seattle chapter of the National Alliance of Professional Organizers. I met Linda Deppa at a networking event and immediately knew I wanted to hire her to organize my office. She is so encouraging and passionate about what she does. I love to watch her brain work. She has this great balance of compassion and firmness. What I do as a life coach, Linda does as a professional organizer. She's an organization coach!



Linda and I had actually set an appointment to work on my office. I mailed her pictures of my office. She contacted me by phone and told me about this event. I was in a rush and went to the website and printed the application. Then I was off about my day. I didn't look at the application until the following day. That's when I discovered that I had 24 hours to submit my application.



I sort of wonder if this worked in my favor. Instead of pondering over the application and honing every word I answered the questions quickly, from my gut. The questions on the application are so wonderful and I had a great process just hearing the answers of my heart. I gained deeper understanding about some of what has blocked me in the area of clutter.



For example, one question asked, "What circumstances have contributed to your current situation?" My answer: I keep too much and then I get overwhelmed by all the stuff. I keep shuffling the overflow from room to room. When it is out of hand, I feel like a failure and then I just close the door on it. I’m creative and I see potential usefulness or art or fun in so many things. It is hard for me to let go because to let go would mean that potential (what could have been) is lost.



Wow. Where did that come from?!? The truth of this was less like a light bulb moment and more like a punch in the gut.



Perhaps I'll share more about my process with the application later....



The next step was a home visit from Linda Deppa and Denise Allen. Denise is the Special Projects Coordinator for Seattle NAPO.



I have to tell you that I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions surrounding that home visit. Even before Linda and Denise arrived I began to see my home through their eyes. A layer of dust that I hadn't noticed moments before now seemed glaringly obvious.



My kitchen table is covered with stuff...and if I were to "clean it off" because "people are coming" it wouldn't do me any good because I'd just shuffle all the stuff into one of the two rooms they were coming to look at! Oh me.



I had a sudden rush of anxiety. What if I expose myself and I'm rejected? What if I allow myself to be vulnerable and I'm judged? What am I doing?!? I'm going to let these professional women, women I network with professionally, see my private mess. I felt a rush of shame and I wished I could escape somehow.



I am quite sure that I'll experience all these emotions and more during this process. I'm observant of my emotions, I express them as part of my experience.



Back to the home visit: Linda and Denise walked through the two rooms. Denise is so compassionate to my process. Together she and Linda began to weave a creative vision for my office and my art studio. Meanwhile, Denise is earnestly trying to prepare me --- as much as she can --- for the reality of the process.



The process:

Six professional organizers for six hours a day for three days.

A banner across the front of my house and a yard sign out front. (Sure hope my neighbors love me.)

A garbage truck in front of my house. (Sure hope they really love me.)

Donations from Rubbermaid and Storables.

Oh, and did I mention a news crew from KING 5? (Wayyy coool!!!///Horrors!!!)

Press releases to print news including Voice of the Valley.



Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.

I'm gonna get free! This is my year of freedom! No more bondage!



Kelly

(Oh, yeah. This means I've got to get rid of a bunch of stuff. From here on out I'll refer to it as "releasing anything that blocks my creativity/freedom". It's time to let go in a big way! Please God, help me.)