I would like to introduce you to an extraordinary lady and friend. Whenever I come across an amazing woman who I think can make a difference, I love to share that.
And you can also read on for her profound pinklily experience which is amazing and why I do what I do... more about that in a minute!
First I wanted to share how Jo has positively impacted my life through her extensive knowledge of relationships and human behaviour.
Jo guides me to being better able to openly express how I feel right now. And she has a knack of getting me to focus on myself and feel very comfortable working through my concerns, all the while increasing my confidence and self esteem.
If that sounds like something you’d like for yourself, see at the end for more on who Jo is and her counselling services. But first I really wanted you to read about her experience with pinklily - because what seemed like a simple de-clutter was so much more than she imagined...
Jo's pinklily experience - more than just a storage solution:
 |
| Jo and Sascha |
I tentatively went to my wardrobe, that cavernous space tucked away behind impressive oak doors, and I looked inside and could not see a thing to wear! Sound familiar! For a start it was awfully dark in there, so I vowed to get an electrician in to fit some lights…
And that was the start of an unexpected journey into the psyche of my closet.
The electrician came and fitted the lights requested with the minimum of fuss and conversation, as tradesmen often do, and I thought great! Here we go, my clothes await!
And what surprises did I have in store. Yes there were the contents of my wardrobe in all its glory! An undignified and cluttered mess, complete with the obligatory cobwebs (probably from some exotic spider that had made its way from some remote rainforest in New Guinea), nesting in the safety of the dingy space that my hoarding had created.
It was then that I made the decision to challenge myself; through much resistance and procrastination I might add, to get my wardrobe organised. And that is when I became introduced to the organisational strategies and storage solutions that pinklily provides.
How liberating it was to actually start something I had been putting off for so long and to know there was personalised support only a phone call away. Thus my wardrobe became a journey of not just reorganisation, but a mindfulness exercise in the catalyst for change and where I was able to “check in” on my world. This reflected in my attitude to my priorities within the context of my daily life, and one of the largest positive effects from this exercise was in regard to my self-esteem: I felt a directional shift, a mental shift, to one of self and an increase in wellbeing!
What did surprise me was how therapeutic the exercise of organising my cupboards became and it lead me to wonder why I had let my wardrobe get so chaotic. At what time could I remember not really caring about what went where??
In hindsight I think it was at a time when I gave up work to study and be a mother fulltime. My priorities seemed to shift to a more domesticated lifestyle and not at all in the context of a “domestic goddess”. It should also be noted that over this time I started to put on weight, and experienced that empty feeling that I think can come from repetitive domestic life, something seemed to be missing, was this all there was for me now. I was able to link what was happening in my life and make comparisons to the slow unravelling of my previously organised wardrobe.
I now have a career as a psychotherapist and counsellor part-time, supporting and guiding others, this is along side my role as a homemaker, wife and mother, again caring for and supporting others. The nurturing side of my personality was certainly working overtime! And certainly as a therapist there is the need for ongoing supervision and self care, but did I perceive myself as a sexy, feminine and individualistic woman deserving of some “girl time”, or had I been swallowed up by my “other responsibilities”.
What about the time, effort and money required to obtain those clothes, bags and jewellery? There they were carelessly thrown into what I thought resembled a wardrobe. I wasn’t respecting my space, my time, money and for that matter my identity as a woman.
I think when designing the pinklily products, Sascha had all of this in mind. Cleaning out the clutter involves more than extra shelves or a large bin; it requires clever storage solutions and a deeper look at our psyches. It isn’t just a cupboard/drawer problem; it’s a person problem where we need to change our behaviours learned or otherwise, as our lives can become so full of stuff from our past. From old jeans that we know are never going to fit us anymore, to “ memory or archival clutter” or that specific thing that you “might need one day”. My memory clutter comprises of every exercise book, picture and award my daughter every got at school… I have had great difficulty in parting with any of it. I have collected every tooth that she has lost, every letter ever written to the tooth fairy and every reply, my reasoning of that is that she can have the choice to throw these things away later, but I am wondering that when the time comes anything discarded will still find it’s way back into my “archives”!!
The transparencies of the pinklily products enable one to see what you have, to not lose track and also to assess and access what is needed. By getting rid of a lot of my excess “stuff” and organising the rest, I felt a reduction in stress and it enabled me to keep better routines: I could find my exercise gear and gyms shoes, therefore there was no last minute excuse not to go out and exercise, whether walking the dog or going to the gym, creating that domino effect where one starts feeling better and that only reflects in a better energy and moods, thus you feel more attractive, more gets done and everything is “ramped up another notch”. When I feel better about myself I feel more confident and sexy… a ‘win-win’ in anyone’s book.
So I say to you now through experience have you crammed your life with too much superfluous things? Is the accumulation and disorganisation of clutter stopping you or at the very least delaying you living a more rewarding and full life.
As a woman I say to you, start with your wardrobe and the philosophy of the pinklily products and you will be surprised where the journey will take you.
Thank you Jo - you have beautifully and perfectly summed up why I created pinklily. My products and service gives me an incredible sense of satisfaction and the response from the many women who agree is why I keep designing new ideas constantly. I love how involved my clients get in the pinklily journey, especially the regular feedback I receive similar to Jo's experience.
Joanne Allan is a psychotherapist and counsellor based in Sydney, Australia. Her expertise is in the area of Women’s Issues, helping clients to identify and work through the underlining issues that hold them trapped in a cycle of limitation. Jo is known for her collaborative and respectful approach.
She is a registered member of the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Association NSW (CAPA), has a Bachelor of Counselling and Human Change and also holds professional certificates in Narrative Therapy, The Process of Focusing in Therapy and The Relevance of Spirituality in the Therapeutic Encounter. Currently she works in private practice in the Inner West of Sydney.
If you would like to get in contact with Jo you can email her at jjallan@bigpond.net.au
Sascha x
