A Pinterest World

Yup, that’s my desk a few weeks ago. It’s definitely not worthy of sharing, but it is what it is and that was the reality of my day at that moment in time. Why do I feel the need to have a neat and tidy desk? Ultimately, the clutter is challenging for my mental health.

I was out recently and heard someone remark that we are living in a Pinterest world, and it made me stop and really think. I’ve certainly heard that about social media; people only show their best side, and rarely do we see the raw, challenging times that live alongside the perfect stories. I thought about it and wanted to dig deeper into the statement.

I’m looking at my desk which definitely would not survive a Pinterest search. I have some mail that the kids put in the wrong place (I have an inbox for stuff to deal with so it doesn’t clutter my desk; instead, it corrals all the crap I need to look at). I also have my leadership binder which I didn’t put away after teaching a couple weeks ago. I have my Dare to Lead binder from my course last week, a bunch of pens that didn’t get put away in the organizer which lives on my desk. There are a couple journals, a Stampin’ Up catalogue I haven’t yet flipped through, a laminator and laminating pouches which haven’t gone back to work, some journals and my camera. It’s a mess. And that’s just one side of it.

I actually hate clutter and mess. It overwhelms me and it apparently breeds and spreads, which then ends in a vicious circle. It’s a Hot Spot for sure. Years ago, I was (sort of) following the Flylady system and she talked about a hot spot as being any place that if you put down a piece of paper, it would multiply (think where you dump magazines, mail or the newspaper). Clutter begets clutter (or at least in my world it seems to).

I purposely left my desk like that for awhile (which was tough) as I wanted to dig through my thoughts around the mess. Why did I feel the need to have a perfectly neat desk? Was it because, I thought it was the “right” thing to do, or was it because I truly wanted it?

In the end, I realized that I am not my best when I am surrounded by chaos; I thrive on order and knowing where things are, being able to find them, and following my system. Otherwise, I waste a lot of time staring at messes and not knowing where to start. When it’s organized, I know I need to start with my inbox.

I also thought quite a bit about this Pinterst world that I metioned earlier, and decided to spend time thinking about how I get caught up in that. Do I feel the need to keep up with others and a certain appearance? Am I drawn to create masterpieces to showcase on social media? The ultimate answer for me is actually no. I’m not trendy. My house does not look like it’s been professionally decorated. I don’t feel pressure to make amazing cakes or plan perfect parties to impress others (I enjoy doing many of those things for me though, and it’s important to not get those reasons mixed up).

Why do we do it then? Why the need to impress others? Has our self-confidence taken such a hit that we need the dopamine rush that comes from a “Wow! That’s amazing!” comment from others. I think in a way that it has. When I was growing up, feeling like I needed to be like someone else mostly happened when I was around that person. Today, however, that pressure can surround us through social media if we aren’t careful. I have heard great advice from different people who say that we need to do a social media audit and ensure that what we are scrolling through makes us smile, rather than makes us feel anxious or inadequate. I have gone through my social media a few times recently and hidden or snoozed people, unfollowed people and instead found pages to follow and groups to join which brought some kind of value or joy to my life.

Do I follow people who have amazing style, beautiful houses or who create incredible things? Absolutely. Do I feel pressure to compete with them? Nope, not really. I know that where they excel in some areas, their lives are not perfect, as is the case with everyone. I admire the areas where they skills and talents shine, and we laugh together at the areas where they don’t. I’m lucky to have good friends. I hope you do too.