Makeovers

I adore makeovers.  They can be on people, rooms, gardens, whatever, I don’t mind- I just love seeing the before and after.

This Spring has been the rainiest I can remember since we moved here, and there are many outdoor projects requiring some dry weather that we haven’t been able to get stuck into.  This has meant more time being productive indoors.

The chairs in the featured image are GENUINE chairs from our house which we recently re- covered.  They were an embarrassment: faded, grubby, covered in green marker pen stains from a naughty toddler (our own, from about ten years ago).  But with an hour’s effort, the chairs are good to go for hopefully another ten years, and we can offer them as seating without apology.

We have also been spending time doing outdoor tasks which aren’t so weather-dependent (and which usually get relegated to the bottom of our To Do list. Which we never get to).  One such task is to Clean Up. Boring. We would so rather be working on NEW PROJECTS than maintaining the OLD, but it is an undeniable fact that we all feel happier in a neater environment.  And a neater environment is its own kind of makeover.

Just check out these Magnificent Makeovers:

Of course, this will have to be done again in a couple of years, no doubt.  But it is worth it; the benefits are more than cosmetic.  For one thing, the pathways aren’t slippery anymore with the newly-laid gravel.  And for another, a clean-up always leads to further productivity.  Whenever we feel a bit stagnant, we just choose something small to fix or to clean, and after we have done it- every single time- we have the energy and motivation to start something else.  It’s as if by clearing the clutter (including mental clutter), we make space for something new to start.

So there you have it- Words of Wisdom for the day: when feeling flat and unmotivated, choose a small space and tidy it up.  It will lift your spirits, you will probably go on to other productive tasks, and you will have saved hundreds of dollars in psychologist fees.

You’re welcome.*

* If you feel you have benefitted from this advice, please feel free to make any donations, small or large (but preferably large) c/o The House That Worked Out.  Probably not tax-deductible.