On Wednesday, our THBreflection’s post was about Dr. Lacrecia Dangerfield’s Reimprint Your Life program.  Today, I want to follow-up with a question,
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<p style="text-align: center;">“Whose life are you living”?</p>
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When you look at your life as it is today, is it yours?  Are you doing things that you want and should be doing or are you doing the things that your parents, spouse, children, friends or colleagues want you to do?  Do you THINK people expect something from you and therefore establish impossible standards for yourself?  Often times we set expectations on our lives that shouldn’t be there.  Don’t get me wrong, I have done it myself…trying to look or speak a certain way because that is what is expected of a speaker or trying to meet the “perfect” mate because that’s what fits into your circle.  Let’s get one thing straight…your life is YOURS uniquely.  It is not going to be a cookie cutter to someone else’s.  Just because your colleague and you have the same pedigree and the same job etc. doesn’t mean your life will be the same.  As Dr. Dangerfield’s post last week stated, you have imprints on your life that effect the way it progresses.

The reason I wanted to ask that question is because I see this issue a lot when working with Clients in their spaces.  They have this vision of what their home should look like and when I drill down into the why’s and the how’s of their lifestyle, their vision doesn’t fit their reality.
<h1>Unrealistic EXPECTATIONS</h1>
An example of what I am able to discover after a little prodding is that my Client has a co-worker who has three kids but their house is super organized.  My Client is feeling overwhelmed because they begin to second guess their abilities and how good a housekeeper, parent or spouse they are.  What they fail to realize is that the coworker they are looking up to is stressed out to the hilt because they are always trying to maintain this lifestyle.  They typically only get 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night and are exhausted trying to maintain this façade.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying all neat homes have sleep deprived and exhausted individuals attached to them.  What I am saying is that you shouldn’t begin to second guess your abilities because you have set unattainable goal for yourself and your family.  Don’t read a blog or see a photo on pinterest and then set out to make your space look exactly the same way. PLEASE STOP THIS!  You need to create the system that works for your home/space.  It is ok to use those images and stories as inspiration, that is what they are there for, but understand this...a lot of the images are staged so they look good online.  Even with our before and after photos, yes those photos are real, but we try to make sure everything is in just the right place before snapping the photo.  Focus your energy on establishing your own systems and what works in your space and for your life and you will be a lot happier and more successful in maintaining your home.

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The THB works with Clients who are experiencing life transitions, to provide them with the tools they need to organize and maintain their spaces so they can live their happiest lives.  If you haven't already, make sure to participate in one or both of our challenges: <a href="http://thehappinessbucket.com/30daychallenge/" target="_blank">The 30 day declutter challenge</a> or the <a href="http://thehappinessbucket.com/the-thb-clarity-challenge/" target="_blank">The Clarity Challenge</a>, they will change your life!

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