Give Yourself Permission!

For the most part, my job is pretty much as you’d expect:  I help people declutter their homes, offices, and schedules; recommend organizing systems and products; rearrange furniture, accessories and artwork; stuff like that.

But there have only been a few clients who haven’t needed my permission to do one thing or another. Like what? Like to hire a cleaning company once a month. To get rid of the vase/dress/painting that they just told me they hated. To relax with a good book. To take time for exercise. To spend a little money on themselves. To spend time enjoying a favorite hobby. To quit a committee or two. To (gasp!) watch a little TV now and then.

Lest you think they don’t really need MY permission, you should see their faces melt in relief once I’ve given it! We may have discussed all the pros and cons we can think of and then, sensing inexplicable resistance, it will (finally) occur to me to say, “Oh! Do you need permission to do this? Well, you’ve got it!”

My clients often view their desires as selfish. I, on the other hand, have always subscribed to the “airline oxygen mask theory” of selfishness: In cases of emergency, if you don’t put the oxygen mask on YOURSELF first, you won’t be ABLE to help anyone else with theirs! And why wait for an emergency? Give yourself permission to take care of yourself!

What do YOU need permission for? If it supports your priorities and goals, and there is room for it in your budget and your schedule, chances are I’ll give it to you! And if you haven’t examined your priorities and goals in recent memory, or can’t give yourself permission, it might be time to schedule a Time Management Consultation.

You’re worth it; give yourself permission!

 

Copyright 2011 by Hazel Thornton, Organized For Life.

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Tags: oxygen mask, priorities, selfish, time