Changing your environment

Last week I moved house. The contents of a two-bed semi-detached house for two adults and three kids were boxed up. It was bundled into dozens of cardboard boxes, plastic crates, carrier bags, freezer bags and wicker baskets. Any container we could put stuff in was filled. Two cheery and polite chaps with two 3.5 tonne vans rocked up at 7:45 am. They loaded then unloaded the vans. They politely asked what was to move and where it was to go. They were brilliant. 

Then we were left to fend for ourselves. A new house full of our old stuff. 

The rooms feel bigger. The rooms flow nicely from one to another. There is a park 5 minutes walk away.  Two supermarkets are within a 15-minute walk. And there is an awesome view of Leeds city centre. On a night, the city is lit up like a Christmas tree. 

There is nothing like changing your environment to create change in your life. 

There are some things though that are going to take a while to adjust to. 

Time 

When you move house everything takes a little longer to do. At first anyway. 

You want to make a nice cup of tea. You can’t remember which cupboard you put the cups in. It takes a little while to find the right one. The fridge is now integrated. It’s not a big shiny white door anymore. It’s hidden behind a sea of mysterious wooden doors. It’s a lucky dip to find the right one. Luckily you left the tea bags out on the counter with the sugar. Advice is to put the kettle in a specific bag and take it with you to the house. We put it on the van last so we could pull it off first. It still got lost. It was one of the last things we found. 

Be kind to yourself. Except that things are going to take longer than normal. For a little while anyway. 

Uncertainty 

When you move into a new environment you are going to be uncertain as to how things.work.  

You move into a new house and you don’t know which keys are for which lock. I had a tub of keys to sort out. I still have a few left over. I am clueless as to what they are for. You need to relearn how to work the shower, the cooker, the dishwasher. 

You notice the house burglar sensors and keypad. You know you are going to have to sit down and figure out how to set and under the alarm. 

You find the gas meter and electricity meter but realise you have no clue as to who supplies your gas and electricity. 

Be kind to yourself. Accept you will not know the answers. Be willing to learn and figure things out. 

Decluttering 

When you move into a new environment you take things with you. 

When it’s moving home, you take your belongings with you.  

In moving your belongings, you have the opportunity to take stock and see what you have. You can see those things that no longer serve you and that can be gotten rid of. You also see new items that would be of use or service to you. That could help you in this new environment. 

When I moved house, we had furniture, pushchairs, bikes that we hadn’t used for a long time. So we donated to charity or binned the items. Now we have moved in we notice items we could do with and that would serve us in the future.  

An extendable dining table so we can host at Christmas and cope better with feeding guests. New bigger wardrobes for my three boys. To help them look after their belongings properly. A new front door and back door so we can feel safe in our new home. 

Be kind to yourself. Accept there are some things that no longer serve you and you need to let them go. Also, accept that there will be some new things that would serve you well. 

Places 

When you move into a new environment you realise it is difficult to find a place for everything even yourself. 

When you move house, some belongings are easy and straight forward to put away. There is a place for everything and everything is in its place. But towards the end, there are items you struggle to find a place for. Boxes and bags lying around and you just don’t know where to put the stuff. 

I have books and paperwork that I don’t know where to put. In an ideal world, I would have a study. I would have shelves and bookcases full of books. There would be an old desk under a window with a beautiful view. There would be old wooden drawers and cabinets to organise the paperwork. 

You have to create a plan B. You have to create a place for these things. If you want them to fit, you have to find a place for them. You have to find a way for them to fit into the new environment. 

Be kind to yourself. If you want something to fit in, be patient. Time the time to find it a place.  

Takeaways 

Changing your environment is one of the most effective ways of creating change and growth in yourself. Changing jobs. Changing your home. Changing the people you surround yourself with. 

But change is difficult. Be kind to yourself. 

Things are going to take longer than before. Be patient. 

Things are going to be new. You are going to have to learn a few new things. Be humble. 

Somethings will no longer serve you. Other things would now serve your new circumstances. Be responsible for what is around you. 

Things need a place. If something is important to you find a place for it. Be persistent.