Rewind Wednesday: Golden Windows of Organizing Opportunity
- Rewind Wednesday: Golden Windows of Organizing Opportunity Lisa Woodruff 41:25
Golden Windows are periods of opportunity that are compounded with energy and free time that, if seized, can propel you into organization and productivity. They’re as divine as they sound! If you’re looking for them, or know when they are coming, you can empower yourself with the resources and community you need (like in The Productive Home Solution®!) and capitalize on the opportunity to organize your home and make it a true haven for your family and your life’s unique purpose.
I will say, however, there are times in life when this is nearly impossible. New babies. Depression or other illness. Temporary crises. Short-term monopolies of one role or the other. During these times, you need to snap into survival mode, control disorganization, and just do what you can to ensure everyone is fed and treading water until the chaos clears a bit and you can come up for air.
There are also times when organization (and the energy to do it) just comes naturally. It becomes easy, almost effortless, and you seem to make progress quickly. I call these times Golden Windows. There are three types of Golden Windows: Chronological, Situational, and Seasonal.
Chronological
These Golden Windows are based on your chronological age. When we are younger it’s on the 5’s and 10’s birthdays and, as we get older, it seems to be the beginning of the new decades. The most prominent and productive one happens around the age of 40. I’m not sure why, but turning 40 brings with it a sense of peace and confidence in women’s sense of self and place in the world. Around 40, women stop worrying so much about what everyone else wants them to be and start thinking about what they want to do.
How do I want to spend my time? What am I really meant for? How do I want to spend the second half (or more) of my life? It’s a general trend, of course, but I’ve seen it happen with women who are married, single women, women with kids, and women without kids
Situational
These will naturally vary based on your life and your different roles, but many women see at least a few of these Golden Windows in their lifetime. Some are full of joy and satisfaction, others are heartbreaking and burdensome. A few examples that I detail in this episode are: moving, new babies, children going to school, children moving out, graduations, weddings, divorce, and remarriage.
Oftentimes, when the youngest child goes to all-day school, a woman who has previously been a stay-at-home mom decides to rejoin the workforce. I say, if you can, wait! This Golden Window is prime time for home organization, re-prioritization, and productivity. It’s a huge family transition and a great time to capitalize on the little extra freedom. Getting your home organized during this time will set you up for this new phase of life.
Seasonal
Every one of us gets three Golden Windows a year. Each season of the year brings with it a new energy that we can funnel into organizing our homes if we choose. Now is the time, from August to September, that we get the most intense organizational energy. For the next 10 weeks in America, we have that back to school, huge transition, productivity energy. End of December into the new year and as school gets ready to let out for summer break, you’ll experience 2 more approximately 6-week chunks of a Golden Window.
Understanding your Golden Windows allows you to get so much more out of these amazing bursts of energy. I hope you seize your next Golden Window and take small steps to true organization and productivity!
EPISODE RESOURCES:
Embrace – Self-Guide Retreat – now available on-demand
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