Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

Finding Freedom

This pandemic has been tough on so many levels, for me, my husband, my kids, my city, my country, the world. It’s just hard. But as with so many hard things, it has also brought me a new perspective. Despite all the restriction and lockdown, I’ve discovered a new kind of freedom.

Why worry about keeping up with the Joneses if you never see the Joneses?

For example, I don’t need new clothes. None. Zero. Where am I going? Who cares? As long as my mask fits, I’m perfectly happy to wear the same two pairs of pants and five T-shirts day in and day out. Sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy, I wear a necklace. I think of it as my Covid uniform, and I fantasize about recycling all of it when this is over.

I don’t need new anything. With all five of us home a lot, we seem to have broken some glasses, but who cares if we don’t have five matching glasses? No one is coming over for dinner. And if we break them all, we can start using jars. My daughter prefers them anyway; I guess they’re more Instagrammable.

Last week a client who used to travel all the time told me she was going to try to work her way through her cache of travel-size shampoo and body wash.

Your hair doesn’t need to smell like thyme and you don’t need to be wearing a perfectly fitted suit for your Zoom meeting. If you manage not to snack during your boss’s presentation, you win.

Sure, sometimes you do actually need new sneakers. Or you decide you really will use an Instapot, since you’re cooking all the time. Knock yourself out—who am I to stand between you and some really rockin’ bbq chicken?

It isn’t just freedom from stuff. For some people, the reduction in social obligations and committees may be a relief. It’s a great moment to evaluate where you want to put your time as well as your money.

This is dark time, but I do believe that there’s always a silver lining. Look for the freedom in our current reality. What old ideas can you let go of? Do you really need to dress a certain way, or use a certain product, or be involved in all those committees? If you can use this time to recalibrate your priorities, you can carry them with you into our next new reality, no matter what it is.