Nothing’s more distinctive than an Amazon package … especially one that’s got a book hidden inside it!

But when Shareen, my beautiful wife, walked through the door with a delivery package the other night, I was confused.

Firstly because the 2 books I’d ordered earlier in the week had already arrived & plus she very rarely buys books.

It turns out her best friend Tracy was raving about this book, after Susan has been telling them all about it.

I was even more intrigued by this point ….until she said, ‘It’s all about tidying &decluttering!’  (Not a book that’s on my Amazon wishlist)

So the book, ’The life-changing magic of tidying’ by Marie Kondo, sat at the corner of our sofa .. I tried to ignore it  … but it kept looking at me … no actually staring at me.

I couldn’t resist anymore (it had the new book smell), so I started to flick through it.  Then 100 pages into it & the clock saying 1am… I realised that it had got it’s claws into me.

A book about tidying!

If you know me well, you’ll know that tidying is one of my least favourite jobs.  When it comes to domesticated chores, I’m a ‘typical guy’ … not that I’m proud of that but just being honest.  The only time I seem to proactively tidy up is usually before we have visitors popping over … but that’s normal right?

But here I was travelling back from Edinburgh on the train earlier today & I heard myself think ….

“I’m going to sort out my sock drawer tonight” … in a rather excited way.

Yes seriously … what’s come over me?

* Have my 30+ pairs of socks been complaining to me? ….  No!

* Are they all squashed up in that dark drawer? …. Yes!

* Could they do with some extra ‘toe space’? …. I’m sure they’d love that!

* Are some of them lonely because they lost their matching partner … of course … but hey that’s the life of a sock at times ….your partner is on a secret mission & hiding somewhere else!

 

‘So why is it that I felt so motivated to sort out my sock drawer?’  That’s the question that I contemplated for the rest of the journey home in that hot & noisy carriage.

I figured out that there’s a number of things at play here:

* There’s a NEW structure to follow in how to fold things!  A way that I never knew before & because we just sometimes don’t know what we don’t know.

(I hope there’s a chapter on how to load a dishwasher … as Shareen & I have opposing views on the ‘right’ way to do this.)

 

* The author Marie says that it’s not just about the Strategies … but also your Mindset that needs to change.  Two things I know is true when it comes to coaching & mentoring my clients in their business.

 

* It feels like we’ve got a real person to guide us through this experience … like Mary Poppins who’s going to help get our storage (or lack of it) in ship-shape.  

(I’m sure this will save countless ‘interesting discussions’ between us, when we’re trying to decide what gets to stay & what gets ditched.)

 

* Marie hooked me in with seeing the value of it tidying… in a different way.  It’s not about having a clean sock drawer but more importantly, how it can help in overall life.  Like having better relationships & even positive impacts on your business because of the habits that are formed & just being less ‘cluttered – physically & mentally!  That’s true in so many ways, because it’s often not the direct benefit that’s they key for our clients or customer, it’s what they get because of those things that really matters.

 

* I loved seeing someone turn something as simple as ‘tidying’ into a huge business phenomena.  I often see business owners think they have to be so ‘original’ & create something totally innovative or complicated to have success ..but this just proves … you just need to focus on the value you’re offering people.  Plus, it often them time to know that they’ve got a challenge that needs to be solved.

 

* Tracy told Shareen that she managed to condense 6 drawers full of things into 2!  A result like that definitely made me think ….‘Well if Tracy can do that, then so can I & get it down to 1 drawer!” … I’m competitive that way!

 

So there you have it … I never would have thought I’d be writing about a subject like this & sharing about my socks drawer … but hey we’re friends & that’s what friends do.

Don’t worry I won’t send you pictures of the ‘before’ &‘after’ ..but if you’re intrigued then be sure to also follow me over on Instagram (@osmaans) … as I’m loving sharing more about tips around business & what I get up to over there.

Best wishes as always.

p.s. – I bet Shareen wished she bought this book 7 years ago when we got married!