Passion vs Curiosity

For the last 7 years I had job I either hated or I hated the circumstances like being away ect. It's been tough as hell just to ignore my feelings and work to make money. Work because I had to - financially but also having the feeling that I had to; that I had to suck it up and do what I thought most people do. Work for a living - no matter what. It's only been a month since my contract has ended. I still have savings t support us for another 4-6 months, Mr S has his super we can access at any time should we require  it. So why am I panicking that I cannot find a new job? I have been applying for lots of job, also I must honestly say none of them took me by my passion, none (except for one), I would be excited about. So why am I doing this to myself? Do I really want to be stuck again in a job I don't enjoy just for the sace of having a job?

Since I'm a control freak, I sat down and started writing down what I want in my new job:

* I want to be able to live at home, so I need a local job.

* I want a work-life balance, so I want a job with 'normal' working hours. I don't want to work 84 hours a week anymore and I don't want to have to get up at 4 am to be able to get to work.

* Once I leave work, I want to be off. I don't want to be on call constantly.

* I do get bored easily, so I love a busy job.

* I go to work to work and make money. For me working isn't a social outing and I don't want to feel obliged having to attend social gatherings with people I work with.

* I know how much my salary needs to be for us to live comfortable. 

* I like a job where I have a balance between office and field work.

* I love being a manager and I know I'm really good at it, so I'd like to continue with a management position.

That all sounds like I have a fair idea of what I want / don't want. BUT... What sort of work do I really want to do??? Stay in my field? Explore a different direction? Which one? Do I have to re-train, go back to uni or do some courses? Maybe I shold become self-employed? But what can I do?

There we are again - the same question the career counsellor asked me a few months ago: 

If you could not fail, what would you do?

I had no idea. And I still haven't. That makes me panic.

But why? Our finances are in order and I certainly deserve a break after years of professional misery. All of my friends are saying to take a break. They're great friends! They say I'm smart and driven and that whatever I would do, I would succeed. So what's my problem?

I recently read an interview with Sir David Attenborough. As he just turned 90, he was asked if he's likely going to stop working anytime soon. He explained that he loved his work and doesn't want to sit at home doing nothing. But one sentence I cannot get out of my mind:

"We all have passion for something when we grow up. Then when we get older, we loose this passion. I was lucky that I was able to retain the passion for all of my life."

Passion! What am I passionate about? What has brought me to where I am today? From a young age I loved nature and animals. I had a passion for ecosystems even if I didn't know what that meant. I disliked plastic bags and was preaching to my family and friends to buy free range eggs, cosmetics which hasn't been tested on animals and to use/make green cleaners. I wasn't a natural at school. I had to work really hard. When I started studying, I choose biology because I had so much passion, I knew I would be successful. But it was sooo hard. I never understood why something I enjoyed so much was so difficult for me. I still don't understand it. I have become an expert in my field - well recognised by Government and industry but if I would have to sit a uni exam again, I'm sure I would fail. Maybe it wasn't the right choice after all? Perhaps this is showing me that I'm not destined for my choosen path. But then what am I supposed to do? There it is again - uncertainty and that panic...

I've been thinking, I've been contemplaiting, I have ideas but nothing excites me.

In her book "Big Magic" Elizabeth Gilbert explains how to bring creativity into ones life. Elizabeth is the author of "Eat, Pray, Love" - one of my favourite books. She's always been a writer and really just wrote her bestselling book to free herself of all that emotional burden. It was a bestseller by accident. In one chapter of "Big Magic" she writes about having run out of passion to write. "This is where curiosity comes in", Elisabeth says. Once her passion has flagged, she thinks about what would interest her right in that moment. In one occaision this had lead her to gardening and she was so curios about it that she researched plants and after three years she began writing "The signature of all things" - novel about a fictional family of nineteenth centuary botanical explorers. 

So I decided for now to turn my attention to my curiosity and temporarily forget about my passion. Once I'm ready, it will return to me and I will find my way. Until then, I will concentrate to learn more about this beautiful country of ours!

Francesca

Pamper me!

Last week we visited Daylesford - a place I wanted to visit for nearly a decade - it finally became reality! Daylesford is 90 mins drive northwest of Melbourne and popular for its natural occuring mineral springs and therefore it's named the Spa capital of Australia. 

When we arrived, it reminded me very much of Germany - it was cold with daily maximum temps of 10 deg C, the autumn leaves were on the ground and hardly on the trees anymore, the sky was greywith occasional showers and everybody wore black! It was the right weather to have some 'Gemuetlichkeit' (=cosiness) and so I booked myself into a Spa for a whole day - heaven!

I arrived at 10 am and started with a 60 minute full body relaxation massage which was beautiful but unfortunately 60 mins isn't enough to loosen up my tied (and tired) muscles around my shoulders. Sleeping in a caravan has left its marks...

Afterwards I jumped for half an hour into the hydrotherapy massage bath which is like a huge bathtub with water nozzles which massage different parts of your body - I loved it! It was so relaxing and felt so warm and nice - awwww! I then had an hour to explore the retreat area. I started with the steam sauna as I was still wet from the bath - the steam was just amazing - especially on a grey looking day with 8 deg C. After the sauna, I quickly jumped in the plunge pool which had only 17 deg C - brrrrr! I tell you, I went in and out. I then relaxed in the Mineral Water which was 37 deg C - now we're talking! The front of the retreat area was open, so I was partially 'outside' but as I was up to my chin in nice warm water, it wasn't cold at all. I looked straight at a beautiful veggie garden which was really nice. When I started to nod of, I visited the sauna with the burning coals. They had like a big brick BBQ there and on one side where the flames with the bucket of coals and every now and then the coals were moved over by an old fashioned wheel and dunk in the cold water. Hmm, I didn't want to leave... But I followed the program, plunged in the cold pool, then relaxed in the spa mineral water, went to the infrared sauna which wasn't hot enough for me. It felt like being outside at home on a nice spring day, so back to the mineral pool...

(Source: http://www.pevonia.com.au/Featured-Spa-The-Mineral-Spa.html)

After an hour, I showered and went for lunch. Lunch wasn't great but it was included in the package and I enjoyed being dry for a little while. After lunch I enjoyed a cuppa in the lounge before going back to the retreat (they only serve herbal tea, so I really needed to coffee after lunch). Then I had the best experience yet: an hour of a mineral cocoon on a soft pack bed! First your entire body gets dry brushed and then covered in a mineral mud. You lay on something which resembles a giant floaty and once you're covered in mud, you're completly wrapped up like a mummy and then you slowly sink int the water but the stuff you're on keeps you afloat, so you don't actually get wet but you feel the warmth of the water similar to a very soft waterbed. It was superb! I fell asleep very quickly. Then I had to try and remove all the mud of me which wasn't that much fun but still worth it!

Last but not least, I received a 60 minute facial including scalp massage. When I left the Spa at 6.30 pm, I was radiant, relaxed and very, very happy!

Mr S picked me up and we had Pizza and red wine for dinner - it was a fantastic day and I'm so happy I've done something for (and by) myself and feel great! Sometimes we all need a bit (or in my case a lot) of pampering. :-)

Francesca

I'm back!!!

Oh my - it's been nearly a month since my last post!!! That certainly wasn't my intention but lack of reception while travelling didn't really help - so please accept my apologies!

This post might be a bit all over the place but lots has happened! Just as a recap, I was struggeling to figure out what to do with my life now where I lost my job. We're still on the road travelling around Australia and also it's nice, I certainly miss my home and I miss animal company. One night I dreamt of all of my past animals. I was in the chook pen collecting eggs and Hera and Quentin (and of course the chooks) were there with me when I saw a pair of Sun Conures. I thought Stormy and Sunny had escaped and upon catching them and wanting to put them back in their cage, I noticed that it was another pair. I was just contemplaiting what to do and where to put them when I woke up. I felt so sad when I realised that they're all gone - Quentin, the chooks, Hera, Stormy & Sunny. I felt so alone and very sad. I then decided to lay my Tarot cards, hoping to find some comfort in my future.

This was the result: 

1. Past: Dog - Loyalty it reminds us to maintain the loyalty we have to urselves as a prime objective, for without it we cannot expect loyalty or unconditional love to be returned in any form.

2. Present: Frog - Cleansing teaching us to welcome and honour our tears and to see them as a healthy way to cleanse the sould of pain, grief, fear and longing. It offers us a chance to recharge our batteries and reclaim a sense of balance and healing, thus affording us a fertile new ground on which to start again.

3. Future: Butterfly - Transfrmation to be encouraged to harness the silence, so yu may better hear those around you, both corporally and etherally; those who might be calling to you from their heart rather than their voice.

Incredible! So I used our time at some of the most beautiful caravan parks with quietness and thoughtfulness. I tried to re-learn to listen to my heart instead of my head. The beautiful surrundings and no reception helped me to see things clearer and to make some decisions. More about that later.

I was still determined not to buy any clothes this year but I did buy some fabric to make a few things. My Grandmother wanted some oven gloves and pot holders, so the red ones on the left will be for her. The bottom ones are for a nice clover shaped table runner, while the oilcloth will become a pegbag and  picnic placemats. And the little blue birds with cherries will become a nice winter nighty for me. 

I started with the peg bag as we really needed one and here it is - perfect!

Yes, I said I wouldn't buy any clothes, but I didn't say shoes. On contraire to most women, I don't like shoe shopping and I don't have a lot of shoes. I bought new sandals at the end of last year and as I really liked them I bought 2 pairs - one in black, one in nude when they were on sale, so I only paid $80 for both of them. But other than a pair of Sneakers I didn't have any closed shoes - you never need them in Queensland. But here is starting to get cooler and I know there will be snow and rain and my sneakers will get wet. I decided a while ago to invest in a good pair of RM Williams boots. Not the cheapest but they're very good quality and should last me for a decades. So when we went to Dubbo, I bought myself an early birthday present and I have to say I absolutley love them! They look classy and dressy, they're comfortable and I now wear them every day. What a great investment!

Since we're at this magical location, I have become a bit happier and I reckon it shows. I feel more at ease, more balanced and slowly all the things I love doing and were important to me are coming back. I feel so much better despite having shed a lot of tears but I guess that's part of the healing process.

As we drive a lot, I knit whilst driving. I really needed some winter staples, so first thing of the rank was a beanie made out of beautiful soft non-dyed Alpaca wool. Turned out alright, didn't it?!

While travelling, we see a lot of places and I try and gather ideas for our home. These hanging pumpkins are a great idea! They also would provide some shade, I will most certainly give it a go.

When we continued our journey to another caravan park where the wild animals weren't that wild anymore unfortunately. I think we only had 2 breakfasts outside as the birds and roos kept taking our food. However, I love this pic I photobombed when Mr S was trying to take a pic of the big Roo right next to our breakfast table.

One day we went to Canberra to visit the war memorial and this sculputre really touched me. I so miss the loyal companionship of a dog!

I'm trying to enjoy our travels more and some of the things we do I absolutley love. So I was looking forward to climbing Mount Kosciuszko but unfortunately on the day we planned, I woke up with a terrible migraine. I walked over 14 km in icy cold weather with one of the worst headaches I ever had. I was so dizzy that I walked all over the place and people stopped to ask me if I was alright. Mr S went ahead because I stopped too many times for pics in his opinion. Well I didn't know it was a race, so I took the time I needed and made it to the top at 2228m high! I was icy cold but very proud! Actually I enjoyed the quiet time in nature and just let my thoughts venture - it was a great experience!

Other than sewing, knitting and hiking, I also enjoy cooking and so I took the Thermomix out tomake some nice bread, rice pudding with steamed cinnamon apples and some other yummy dishes. Hmmm, cooking in the cold is a lot more enjoyable and it's nice to cook some hearty meals.

In case you were wondering what kind of gloves I was wearing while I was walking up the mountain - taaadaaa! I made some beautiful cable fingerless gloves. They only took me a couple of days and they are my first cable pattern. I'm happy with them and the soft merino wool is keeping me nice and warm.

Just before Hera passed I made a shaped vest - it was my first ever knitted garmet! I made it way to big but I pinned in some wool lining, sewed it tgether and voila here it is. I know it's not great and a bit uneven but I wanted it to wear over my PJs in the evenings - so it needed to have something warm and that is exaxtly what it is! It certainly has tought me a lot about how to knit clothes and how to see them together.

Despite not having done much exercise (I only have shorts & a t-shirt and it's just way too cold!), I lost some more kgs. My clothes are looser and I feel a lot better, also I do miss regular exercise but there never seems to be any time as the days seem a lot shorter due to the cold. In a few weeks time we're going to travel through warmer areas and I hope to pick up the exercise again. But in the meantime, I just eat healthy and don't overindulge. We normally take our own lunch and I cook dinner, so we eat out a lot less than we used to which is good. I've started t just order 1-2 entrees instead of 1 main as they're always to big. I also cut down on my wine intake. I think, I look a lot happier and healthier.

Knittingwise I'm still working n my shawl which I hope to have finished before I travel to Germany in July. I just completed a present for my friend, so I can't show it here yet. My next project is a sleeveless shirt I can wear in summer and of course my Mum and Grandma ordered a couple of scarves. Ah well, lucky we drive a lot. 

Until next time - take care!

Francesca

Do what you love

A couple of days ago, I wrote about my Top 5 priorities. Today, I spent an entire day doing what I love to do - and it felt fantastic!

Mr S and I took his parents to the Hunter Valley to see the son/brother(-in-law). We started with a visit to a little Handmade Market which sold a few of the items I'm planning to make. Good to check out the competition, hey ;-)

Look how lovely Mum & Dad walking hand-in-hand over the market.

Over at the Brother & Sister-in-Law place, we meet Kevin Bacon - he is such a friendly pig who lives with the chooks.

Kevin raced to the fence to get a pat and made a fair bit of noise when we stopped patting him. 

The chooks were looking for some food - typical.

Meldoy enjoyed some cuddles and I enjoyed the soft kisses. Is there anything better than feeling the affection of an animal?!

This is the chook/pig pen.

The horses live right next to the pig/chooks - what a beautiful setup!

Mr S's brother quit work as a Tradie to start this B&B in the Hunter Valley. They're slowly setting up their estate and have lots of ideas to grow and improve their business. So far they have been very successful and it's great to see how opportunistic they are. I'm looking forward to spend a few days over there and get some ideas what to do with my future.

But for now, we enjoyed some drinks at the estate, followed by a beautiful lunch at a local brewery and a drive back to the parents place.

Today, I did what I love: just being with people I love, taking pleasure in lots of animal cuddles and indulging in some good food & wine. All that while the sun was shining and it was neither hot nor cold. All in all it was a perfect day! How did you spent your Saturday?

Francesca

Evaluating my time and comitments

Today I had a meeting with a career counsellor. Why? Because when I took on my first FiFo (= Fly in Fly out) job in 2009, it was only supposed to be for 18 months. Nearly 7 years later and I'm still doing this kind of work. We have grown accustomed to the work routine but it's been hard. Being far away from home, working 12 hour days for weeks at the time is tough. It's tough for me but it's also tough on Mr S - living a lonly life without his wife for over 6 months of the year. So after I was told my contract is not getting re-newed I was shocked at first but then thought to myself, maybe now I can do something I like and be home more often. I did kind of like the job but working for 12 hours a day is tiring. And I never could get continuity at home. I always calculated how long it will take for fruit and vegetables to fruit, so I needed to plant them while at home and ensure I'm back home when they fruit otherwise they would be wasted. There is many more examples but I want to concentrate on the future, not the past.

Mr S and I discussed and decided that I would get away from FiFo to improve our life and our relationship. So what to do? I went onto Seek to try and find a job and nothing really grabbed me. I worked in Oil & Gas all my life and now we live in a rural area with lots of agriculture around us, so I can't and don't really want to continue with the same sort of career. I decided to go and see a career counsellor to assist me with examining what I'm passionate about but also what I'm trained in and how I can build on that. Yes, in general I knew the outcome. However, as I feel a bit overwhelmed with everything at the moment, it's good to discuss those sorts of things with a person who doesn't actually know me. Once I saw what he saw in me, I remembered what I do enjoy and like doing. 

I started with the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers–Briggs_Type_Indicator) which is one of the best known personality tests. I'm an ISTJ (Introversion Sensing Thinking Judging) Typ, which means I'm quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. I'm practical, matter-of-fact and responsible. I decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. I take pleasure in making everything orderly and organised -  my work, my home, my life. I value tradition and loyalty. I received a lot of information about this personality type - most of it didn't come as a surprise but reading how I feel black on white is kind of strange. The next thing was the O.S.I (= Occupational Search Inventory) Test by Dr Robert Pryor. It uses preferences in workmtasks, work environments, leisure activities, occupations and work skills to determing your profile which you then can research further via ANZSCO codes as well as the Federal Goverment website www.joboutlook.gov.au. Unsurprising to me, my top 3 scores where in Nature and Science (which was a tie for 1st), Organising and Technological. Then you can look at potential careers and we narrowed it down to 3 areas I'm interested in: 1. Management, 2. Agriculture, 3. Science/Engineering. I have to say it was a relief to see that I still like doing what I studyied and learnt. My next step is to research some of the options with assistance of the above mentioned wegpages. I already have a fair idea where this will lead me but especially the Joboutlook webpage will show me job prospects, current vacancies, income ect. 

What does this have to do with evaluating my time and commitments? Well, most of us - including myself work for a living, not because they really want to. In my case I still have a mortage to pay off and ensure Mr S and my life is comfortable and we can enjoy the things we want to do. So I have t work. But - and this is a big but... Who says you can't enjoy what you're doing? I used to enjoy my work and I want to enjoy it again. I will be working for another 15-20 years and I want to enjoy it. I want to do something I like doing and I'm good at. Even if I have payed the house off, I still would like to continue working part-time to continue to put money into my Super. So what do I enjoy doing? Well I enjoy doing crafts and hiking and gardening and spend time with my animals (see yesterday's post about my Top 5 Priorities). So can I make money with that? The short answer is no. I like doing craft but I just started, I make mistakes and it takes me a long time to do something, so no, I couldn't make money with that. there's no money in hiking and also I like gardening I can't imagine having to do other people's gardens fr the next 15-20 years. I love to spend time with my animals but not necessarily with somebody elses. So basically my hobbies are hobbies and that's it. That doesn't mean I can't make any money with them. For example I could do small easy crafts for people or I could look after peoples dogs on the caravan parks while they spend a day doing something where they can't take their dog. And I'm happy to help somebody with some lawn mowing and weeding or mulching but I don't think my body would do this for the next 15 years. So yes, I certainly can make additional money with it but I cannot pay of our mortage.

So I decided to research the career paths suitable for me and decide on something I'd like to persue. Whatever this is, it needs to give me the satisfaction I need from a job to fulfill me. I also need to make sure that this jobs gives me the time and opportunity to do the things I love doing. I need to have time for my Top 5 Priorities. Knowing that I will be able to design my day in a way that enables me to work, take care of my home and family and gives me time to do craft, gardening and spend time with my animals. This will NOT happen automatically - I need to make this happen. I need to plan tasks and evaluate them - do they need to be done, could they be done less regulary, could Mr S help with these tasks ect. For example I used to spend all day Saturday washing: towels, colours, whites and sometimes linen - that nearly is an entire day of washing, hanging the washig up, taking it down again, folding it and putting it away. Instead I could turn on a machine in the morning when I go to work (as Mr S is at home, otherwise I would get it to start in a way hat it;s finished by the time I get up). I then could fold and put items away when I come home and it wouldn't eat into my weekend anymore. Another thing I observed is how other people clean. When I clean, I normally dust and either sweep or vacuum the house. Followed by a weekly deep clean. I have never mastered to 'just' clean the bathroom or 'just' mop the kitchen. I always do everything or nothing. If I would deep clean a room a day, I just would need to do the vacuuming and mopping weekly and everything else would be already done.

There's a lot to learn for me. I need to evaluate my time and comitments - both privately and in my working life, so I will have plenty of time to actually live and do the things I enjoy. I'm looking forward to learn new skills and improve my time management so my weekends/days off are decluttered and free of must dos and full of want tos. Tke the time and evaluate your time and comitments - maybe there is some room for improvement?

Francesca

Establishing my Top 5 Priorities

As you know, I'm currently going through a lot of changes. I feel very overwhelmed and most of the time I'm not sure if I should be happy or cry. It's not an easy time. I just returned from work and am struggling with loosing all of my beloved pets, my job and life as I knew and loved it. So I need to start over again and find my way to happiness. But to establish who I want to become, I need to figure out who and what is important to me. Therefore I decided to establish my top 5 priorities and ensure that I spend time with/on them.

1. My family and friends 

My marriage is the first thing I have to work on. Mr S and I have been married since November 2015 but we have been together since 2000. Due to my FiFo job and our age gap which sets us in different stages and probably different values, we recently encountered a fair few problems. We need to talk abut this openly and get back to the couple who we once were. We've started to share our best and worst experience of the day each night before we g to sleep. This shows each other what the other person valued and disliked which sometimes is quite surprising.

Also my family lives overseas, I regulary communicate with them via social media, email and telephone. But I need to make sure I spend quality time with them - especially with my Grandparents wh don't have (or want) a computer. I need to communicate with them openly and let them participate on our life. I'm planning to send my Grandparents a letter a month together with some pictures, so they know what we're p to.

I don't have many friends. Actually I think I should become a little bit more social. Maybe this trip will help me to do this. My house used to be filled with people and now I don't even know anyone I could invite for a cuppa. But I want to be selective. I don't want or need people in my life who will make me feel bad or whose friendship is 'work'. They don't have to share my values but they have to accpet mine and I will accept theirs. I'm hoping to have a nice BBQ with some peple at a caravan park soon.

2. My animals

Unfortunately I lost all of my animals. But as they have been such an important part of my life, I know that one day I will get another dog and chooks and I want to make sure I spend time with them - no matter what!

3. Alone Time

It might sound strange but I miss being alone. Yes, I'm alone at work but I cannot do what I like doing, so that's not the same. I like being by myself and just do what I feel like doing, listen to music I like listening to and just think about things. I discussed this with Mr S and I told him that I want an entire day to myself each week. That might mean he goes somewhere for the day while I stay at the caravan or vice a versa. 

4. Nature

Nature has always made me happy! A stroll through the forest, a sunray on the lake or mist evaporating over a field - so calming and so beautiful! I will spend more time in nature, going for walks, sitting outstide and read/knit and just be. This should get me grounded because no matter how I will feel, the sun will always set and rise again - the circle will always continue and I want to be part of it.

5. Health & Hobbies

This one was actually a hard one to think about. But I guess without my health the rest of my life wouldn't be much, so really that should be a priority. I have been overweight for a fair few years now and I'm sick of it! I blamed work, lack of time and our constant eating out for me not loosing weight, so  now I'm starting again and this time I will succeed! I eat healthier and less and I excercise 6 days a week. I will report on progress. But I'm hoping to wear my wedding dress again in a year's time and to actaully have to get it taken in. So here's to healthy living - part of my journey to the new happy me.

I combined health and hobbies as healthy eating includes cooking, baking, growing food and exercising. All these things are my hobbies and I want to make sure I spend a decent amount of time on my hobbies which I haven't done so far. By including my health & hobbies in my top 5, I ensure I don't 'forget' the thing I like doing the most.

I'm curious to see what priorities other people have. If you like, post a comment with your Top 5. I look forward to hear from you!

Francesca

Declutter before Organising

My German heritage makes me an efficient and organised person. If you look at my desk at work and how I deal with the work load, you can clearly see that: My desk is always clear, I never have more than 20 emails in my Inbox despite receiving about 150 a day and my time management is envied by many. 

So why am I not like that at home? Don't get me wrong, my home is always tidy and not cluttered except when I'm in the middle of something. When I cook or preserve the kitchen looks like being hit by a bomb but the cleaning and tidying is always part of the fun for me - I don't mind at all and I don't procrastinate, I just get it done. Visible clutter is not an issue for me at all. But it's the little things which trip me. 

I'm not organised in terms on where I keep my information - I haven't even got an address book in any way, shape or form. I pile paperwork with the intention to sort it and then panic when it's tax time and I can't find all the documents I need or I've forgotten to pay a bill as it's hidden somewhere in the pile. 

Photos are another nightmare for me. Digital file keeping and decluttering is a whole different story but I'm talking about actual pictures - before everybody had digital cameras. My Mum lovingly put together albums from when I was born to when I left home. unfortunately due to the age and the climatic conditions, the glue which kept the photos in their spot is non-existent and everytime I touch the album the pictures fall out. I really need to sit down and look at each album and categorise the photos. I've been wanting to di this for years. But what do I do? I just shift the pics back into the album and try not to touch it. 

Why can't I get my paperwork organised? I did well with the wardrobe.... Thinking about how I cleared out my wardrobe and re-organised it makes me happy - it was hard but the end result felt absolutely amazing. So what was different??? 
I cleared out my wardrobe and then re-organised it. That's the difference! The order in which I undertook the project. how can I organise all my paperwork, photos, fabric and various other bits and pieces when I don't declutter first?!

So before we jump into trying to organise our paperworks or our homes or our lifes, we need to declutter. We need to get rid of unwanted or unused items. Only once we have items we want and need, we can start sorting them and organising them. 

I just started doing this. I've started with my box of sewing supplies and fabric which I packed to take with us. Everytime I see a fabric store, I buy more fabric fr more projects. Enough! This is what I have, so this is what I use first. I will think about some nice projects for my patterns. 

All sewing items are organised and I will complete these projects before I buy any new ones.

I did the same for my yarns. I sorted them all and wrote a project list:

So that's my craft sorted. Moving on to finances. For now I put a small notebook into my handbag. Tracking was always difficult for me. I try to keep all receipts but then there were some items which didn't have one and I forgotten about. So for now a notebook will do but when the new financial year starts in a few months, I will get myself a small tax year diary and started writing everything down, rather than hoping I will find my receipts and remember what else I bought.

I hope to be able to create a system while we're travelling which I have gotten used to by the time we get home and then I can implement it at home. I heard it takes 3 weeks for a new routine to settle, so I want to do this for the next months and hopefully I'm set.

What needs decluttering at your place?

Francesca