The word that drives so much of what I do in my KonMari practice and life is JOY. As I’ve been reflecting on this while living through and processing the effects of COVID-19 in my home, on my family and in my business, I realize the greatest source of my joy in this season comes from one thing: hope.

It’s the hope of what could be in our lives. As the world is on pause, I see this season as an opportunity - perhaps the opportunity - to reset and refresh those areas where we notice and find ourselves desiring change. It invites us to think about our future and to put our hope into practice.

How can we do that during these unprecedented, strange times?

Imagine the Future

Think out three months, six months, and 12 months. Look ahead two years. Who do you want to be? What do you value most? How are you living those values out in your home-life, work, and relationships? How do you want to look back on this season and the coming months? Be specific, and remember, if you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it.

Glennon Doyle asks readers in her new book, Untamed, “What is the truest, most beautiful story about your life you can imagine?” Use this as a prompt and see what surfaces.

Begin and Begin Again.

Consider what is one thing you can do now to help you get there. I added “begin again” because lots of things are beginning and ending in this season. Many of the endings are outside of our control, but we can bring more control and certainty in how you begin things, whether it’s how you organize your home, prepare to pivot your career, work towards a move or take classes in a passion area.

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”
― Tom Bodett

As you hope for something new and something more, I want to leave you with this quote, a new favorite, from Charles Dickens: