“So, what is SQUIRREL! Syndrome? According to the experts, it is a spontaneous reaction to what the experts call “shiny objects.”
–Tabitha Erck
I promise! This is the last of “The Move” emails. I learned so much that I just had to share.
The first learn/reminder is the SQUIRREL! Syndrome. Unfortunately, when moving, but its this syndrome may occur at other times, but its presence was really in my face during the packing and unpacking. A question or interruption (shiny object) while packing, would send me on a rabbit trail to the other end of the house. Hahahaha! I got to the other end of the house and forgot why I was going there. SQUIRREL! I also noticed that if I didn’t label the taped box before I was distracted, I forgot what was in that box. There were a few boxes that turned out to be incorrectly labeled.
I spent a one afternoon looking for the canned items. I could see the box in my head. I knew it was in the new house, but where? I searched high and low and finally threw up my hands and went to bed. When grabbing coffee the next morning (I knew where that box was,) there were the canned goods. They were right where they should be–in the cupboard on the Lazy Susan. I had unpacked them the day before and forgot. Geesh. SQUIRREL!! I must have been gathering nuts in my head rather than focusing while unpacking that box.
Speaking of focus, I am always amazed at what the brain stores. For the first week, my brain thought my dishwasher was on the left and my bathroom garbage can on the right. Not in the new house. My brain remembered that my closet light switch was on the inside of the closet even though the switch was in my vision on the outside in the new house. My brain automatically helped me out by remembering these mundane things for me in the old house.
Staying in the moment as I moved about the new house helped my brain learn the new ways. It also kept the SQUIRREL! in hibernation and prevented frustrations and distractions caused by lack of focus. Hmmm…I have to apply this same focus when I am goal-achieving, or I can be tempted by the shiny objects that can side-track me or move me away from my goals.
The SQUIRREL! syndrome was one of big learns/reminders from The Move. Here are just a couple more:
1. You probably will break every fingernail.
2. You may not have enough outlets in your bathroom for your power tools (blow dryer, curling iron, lighted mirror.) This is easily remedied by cool power strips from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
3. Twenty-five boxes in your kitchen is overwhelming–it’s okay to sit in your fat chair (if you can find it) and cry for a bit. What is not okay is taking it out on your husband. It’s not his fault.
4. It takes a lot of mental bandwidth to live a new way in a new home and place. Give yourself massive amounts of grace and time to adjust.
5. Pack your coffee beans, grinder and French Press last–this is for your survival.
6. Lastly, Butterfinger ice cream and Dove Chocolate nuggets help with the frustration.
Loving the new home–finally,
Jan
Jan McDonald
The John Maxwell Team
jan@jan-mcdonald.com
www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/janmcdonald
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janmmcdonald
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