My plan last weekend was to change my closets from winter to summer, purge what I haven’t been wearing and figure out what still really feels like “me.” Well, I failed miserably at that seasonal task.
The plan was actually quite simple. Put away winter clothes, bring out spring and summer things, make a donation pile, reorganize a bit, run to the tailor and feel accomplished and polished by Sunday night. Instead, I somehow managed to weasel my way out of it (thankfully sudden Parisian rain and temperature dips certainly helped my case), and I spent most of the weekend lying on my sofa reading and thinking about all the things I “should” have been doing instead.
At first, I felt guilty about it. Me! the person who consistantly says hell no! to guilt and encourages my clients to retire this dreadful G word altogether.
But after sitting with it for a bit, I realized something important. It wasn’t really about my closets.
Yes, part of me genuinely wants to clean with Marie Kondo gusto, but another part of me knew very clearly that I simply didn’t have the bandwidth last weekend to take on such a big energetic task. And instead of forcing myself through it just to feel productive and accomplished, my body chose rest. Yes, I said it. Now take a moment and let that land.
Honestly, I think this is something many high-achieving women struggle with.
We are so used to overriding ourselves in the name of productivity, discipline and keeping everything together beautifully that we rarely stop to ask ourselves a much more important question:
Do I actually have the energy for this right now?
Not “should” I do it, or “could” I do it.
But do I genuinely have the energetic capacity to tackle this project well? And on top of it, with joy, gusto and play?
Those are very different questions.
What I’ve noticed through Feng Shui over the years is that your environment starts speaking to you long before your mind catches up. Sometimes the urge to clean, purge or reorganize is more about wanting more movement, clarity or a reset. But sometimes the resistance itself is also information.
My body said it last weekend and I listened, “whoa, slow down. Not yet. One thing at a time and do only what makes you feel good. You’ll thank me later”. And I trusted and came out stronger on the other end.
Spring creates a lot of pressure because suddenly everything around us becomes active again. Sunnier skies, social invitations and our schedules start filling up and we feel this underlying pressure to get organized, optimized and to become a shinier version of ourselves overnight. Meanwhile, some of us are still tired. And honestly? That deserves some respect too.
So no, my closets are still not done. There are still piles waiting for me and my summer dresses are currently fighting for space with sweaters. But instead of judging myself for not completing the task last weekend, I’ve decided to approach it differently this weekend.
I’m going to change over my seasonal closets with energy, joy, intention and compassion for myself. And take pride in knowing that I honored my capacity and that now I get to reap the rewards.
Yes, Feng Shui is about creating environments that are beautiful and nurturing to you, but it’s also about learning how to work with your energy instead of constantly working against it.
And sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop forcing yourself to perform productivity while your entire system is quietly asking for something else.
