Mentoring, the Universe, and Stupid Little Stuff

I believe in mentoring, even if it’s only something as simple as giving someone a list of resources to help them explore launching a business. I spent two inspiring hours today talking to a young woman who’s curious about opportunities as a Professional Organizer. She came armed with a list of questions – excellent start! And she offered extremely thoughtful observations about the details, gory and glorious, that I was passing along. Conversation with her reinforced for me all the more the fact that I love this work. And I forget how complex this field is until I catch myself inducing deer-in-the-headlights panic in someone. Access the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals’ Directory to find help, and you’ll discover 28 specialties to choose from. The Institute for Challenging Disorganization, a second, equally profoundly impactful professional society for Organizers, coordinates 18 pathways for certification.

My good deed done for the day, I went in search of a library. Libraries have big tables. Big enough for me to lay out the business cards of all of my BNI Sky Valley Business Boosters Monroe chapter mates, to put together packets that we gift to visitors at our meetings. Stupid little stuff, boring, frustrating work because I ALWAYS manage to leave cards out and have to start again, spend endless minutes fumbling to get the needle-hole tiny openings of the ridiculously slippery bags we use ready for shoveling in the cards…  Nuisance work. And so it was the perfect chance to try out “mindfulness,” a concept many Professional Organizers teach. The Tao of Time, which I review in a previous blog, is only one of many possible introductions. Brief and limited though my experiment was, it worked. I slowed myself down to enjoy the feel of the jumble of different weights and finishes of the papers. I noticed the colors on the cards. I think it kept me from making as many mistakes. And I was undeniably more relaxed at the end of the task than the start.

And in between conversation and cards, the Universe smiled on me (it’s been doing that a lot lately. I’m grateful.). The last question answered, the last sip of Starbucks (of course) tea savored, I hadn’t the slightest clue that I was seconds away from a gardening decor shop I’ve lusted after for years. Drove right by the main gate. Which was open. Which of course I U-turned into as quickly as possible. Barone Garden Decor has beautiful, splendidly unusual fountains, pots, benches… It’s the kind of place gives folk ambitions to own a house. I chanced by the Renton location. The Mt. Vernon shop does NOT have identical wares. I’m doomed.

Just spreading a little knowledge around, encouraging young things to learn. Who knows the reference I’m making an awful allusion to?