#98 - Organize – Making Space for What Matters

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Introduction to the Yabble Framework

Speaker 1 0:00

This episode is part of a special series where I walk you through the Yabble framework , which is the way I help small business owners build inspiring , fun and sustainable businesses that actually fit their lives . If you missed episode two , we talked about wayfinding , the W in W-O-L and how to reconnect with your why . Today we're moving on to the O organize and no , not in the color-coded Pinterest perfect way . We're talking about making space for what really matters . Hey there and welcome to Pattern Shift , the podcast where creative business owners like you learn to build a business that's inspiring , fun and sustainable . I'm Saskia de Feiter , a business strategist , guide maker and all-round creative entrepreneur . I help business owners in the needle and fiber craft world , just like you , navigate all those icky words , branding , marketing and strategy in a way that actually works for your creative brain . Here we talk about everything from running a values-driven business to simplifying your marketing without burning out . Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your business , you're in the right place . So settle in , grab a cup of tea , coffee or , you know , broekladich you do , you and let's get started

Real Organizing Creates Space

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. So about clearing space to support what really matters .

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As a small business owner in the textile craft world , I've had so many moments where everything just felt heavy , overwhelming , like wading through thick mud , and sometimes I can't tell myself if I'm exhausted and motivated or just drowning in decisions , and it's probably all of those things at once . We accumulate so much tasks , tabs , digital clutter , emotional weight . When I had the shop I had so much stuff that I used for decorating the windows , the shop . There was just stuff everywhere . We're so busy keeping up that we don't even feel like we can pause to clear any of it . But organizing I mean real organizing isn't about tidying for the sake of it . It's about creating space , space to breathe , space to focus , space to build your business around your energy and your values , to stop working in your business and start working on your business .

Speaker 1 2:41

So what does organizing actually mean in business ? It isn't about having the prettiest notion set up or the most aesthetic calendar , though I really love both of those things . I actually designed the calendar and I love my notion , but it's a rabbit hole covered in chocolate . It's delicious and it's dangerous . And here's what I've learned over almost hole covered in chocolate . It's delicious and it's dangerous . And here's what I've learned over almost two decades in business Good enough is enough and consistency

Simple Systems That Support You

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beats reinvention . Every single time . It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking the next tool or the next app will magically solve it all , but I can tell you you still have to do the work .

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What works for me is a simple , flexible combo . Bullet journaling brings together mindfulness and productivity in a day-to-day , week-to-week , month-to-month reflection process . A digital calendar brings structure , and Notion is for planning bigger projects , where I want to kind of build a database and connecting things together . So these tools each serve a purpose . I have tried Trello and Asana and Apple Notes , but I've always come back to what actually works for me .

Speaker 1 4:04

So when we talk about organizing , what I'm really saying is build systems that support you , your brain and your real , actual life . Find what's good enough and stop trying to perfect it and , most of all , make space for what matters . Why ? Simplicity is kindness and perhaps especially for neurodivergent brains , the thing about simplicity is that it can feel like a relief and a restriction at the same time ,

Decluttering for Neurodivergent Brains

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and a restriction at the same time . As someone with ADHD , I crave simplicity , but I also secretly fear it . What if I get bored ? What if this feels limiting ? And I've come to understand this that clutter means friction , and friction isn't helpful for my kind of brain and , I dare to say , for no one . Mess , whether it's physical , mental or digital , really just slows me down . A messy desk Hard to think . A full drive it can make my brain feel overloaded . Notifications , random to-do lists , yarn piles , friction everywhere . And when I started really actually decluttering not just my space but also my systems and my calendar , a huge shift happened . I moved from working in my business to actually working on it . I stopped doing busy work and started returning to what brings me joy creativity and alignment , because we sometimes forget why we even started this in the first place .

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Keeping things clear and uncluttered gives you the space to work on the things that you actually love doing , things that you actually love doing . But there's an emotional side to decluttering . It's not easy and there's feelings of guilt , fear , fomo , the shoulds . All those things come up , especially when it comes to things like social media or how we're supposed to show up online . You don't have to do it like everyone else . In fact , I believe you really shouldn't . The more you build your business around what feels energizing and motivating , the better your business will feel , not just to you , but to the people you are trying to reach as well . So take the time to listen to your body , your energy , your actual needs , not what's trending , not what your competitor is doing .

Small Shifts Create Big Spaces

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What do you need ? And being brave and the decluttering is a huge part in getting more clear about you , who you are in your business and what you need . It kind of all works together .

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So if you make small shifts , they can create big spaces . If this is resonating with you , I wanted to give you permission not just to start throwing everything away and like clearing your desk in one big swipe . I know how that can work . Sometimes you get inspired by listening to a podcast or something and you're like I'm going to do it completely different from now on . But that can usually leave you really tired in a room full of mess everywhere . This happens to me and it might not be the best way forward . So just let me say this small shifts are really powerful . Recently I've made a few small shifts that created so much more calm and clarity and space in my business . I've been restructuring how I sent newsletters . I've been simplifying my offers . I'm redesigning my week to fit how I actually function Now , organizing as a creative act .

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Let me talk about that . Planning and structuring your business might feel like admin , like boring , but no , it's creative work , it's an act of care and having systems and boundaries

Organizing as a Creative Act

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gives you freedom . They create breathing room , space to think , to play , to rest , to do what makes you tick . I don't work weekends and I try not to work evenings . That space is sacred . I need it not just to rest but also to integrate what I've been doing , to simmer a little bit , to get some other input .

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That is not just about work , because when you're always on , always going , it's so easy to burn out . And I used to say burnout will never happen to me . I'm enjoying myself way too much and I think I even said burnout doesn't exist , yeah , and then it happens to me , and it happens multiple times . When I reflect back , I know now that what we called different things in the past has been burnout for me and it's been connected to many things . It's been connected to a neurodivergent brain , but also to , yeah , keep just going , going , going , going and never allowing myself to stop , to be that perfectionist that's never happy with what they've done . I am so glad to say I'm not that person anymore . Of course , I still have to pay attention to signs of when I'm doing too much , but now I see it as a creative opportunity . When I feel like something is off , I don't feel good . Like something is off , I don't feel good , I feel like I'm rushed all the time . I see it as an opportunity to do something creative that will help me and my clients to live a better life . So , yeah , try to make those things work for you .

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When you declutter your space , your business , your life , your mind , your everything , you get to create a spacious business . Your business can be soft and slow and structured , and not rushed and spiky and chaotic , and you don't have to

Simplify With Intention

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choose between frolicking in the fields of flowers and getting stuff done . This is not about doing less . It's about creating room for what you love . This isn't all necessarily about doing less . It's about creating room for what you love to do , so that you can be yourself in your business , you can shine and people will find you because you are uniquely you and you take care of yourself .

Speaker 1 11:28

I always like to give you something to try out . So here's a journaling prompt for your journal . Whether you have a bullet journal or just a piece of paper or whatever , you need pen and paper . I recommend writing because the act of writing multiple times have been discovered , that it just lodges in your brain more than when you type . So here we go . You type , so here we go .

Speaker 1 12:06

What's one thing I keep doing in my business that's no longer serving me , and what would it look like to let that go or make that easier ? How can things be more simple ? Okay , let that simmer . You don't have to do this right away . It's something to think about in the coming week and I'd love to hear what you come up with and if you've done the exercise , just let me know . So this episode is your invitation to simplify with intention , to organize , not for perfection , but to give you some peace , some space . And if you would like to do that in good company , come join us in the Yevo community . It's where we explore this kind of work together , with care and curiosity and lots of fun . Next time we'll step into the launch phase , bringing your ideas into the world in a way that aligns with your capacity and your vision . Until then , breathe , simplify , keep knitting and eating your fibers and show up in your own way . Thanks for listening .