Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Walter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Michelle, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Growing up and through college, I loved expressing myself through art and music. My creative pursuits mostly fell away when I went to medical school, completed residency and fellowship, and became a mom to twins. My life felt too full, and I didn’t make space for my interests. Experiencing burnout at work, and a great deal of self-reflection, I realized how little space there was for me in my life after giving all my time and energy to others. At that point, I decided to be more intentional with my time and energy and refocus on myself.
Now I like to use my creativity and creative problem-solving on projects on my home. Right now I am building built-in cabinets and bookshelves to make a library. My focus is on the process, what I am learning, and how I am thinking about the project. That keeps it exciting and motivating instead of overwhelming or frustrating.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My lifelong purpose is to help others and as such I chose a career in medicine. After stepping away from my clinical role, I dove into coaching and earned a life coaching certification to start a coaching business – to continue to help others in a connected and meaningful way. And, because life is never a straight line, what my business looks like has shifted from my original vision. I recently launched Well & Ordered which on the surface is an organizing business, primarily focused on residential spaces. But really, it’s much more than just organizing and making spaces look pretty. As a physician and a coach, I bring a deep understanding of both why clutter and disorganization happens, and the impacts of both on personal well-being. Working with clients is understanding them as individuals, what their values and goals are for their lives and spaces and also exploring what got them to the place where they are struggling with clutter. I weave coaching into every client interaction to help clients move past the thoughts and habits contributing to clutter and disorganization so there is continued positive change towards their vision for themselves and their spaces.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Openness – being open to new perspectives, new opportunities, and learning is so critical – to learning about myself, changing careers, becoming a coach, becoming an entrepreneur. Being intentional about taking a step back and looking at a situation in a different way is a skill that can be learned and refined. Listening (really listening!) to others’ perspectives and ideas. When trying something new, releasing expectations around being “good” or “perfect” and allowing yourself to be a beginner, to learn and grow.
Learning – being a lifelong learner. Don’t stop learning. There is always something new you can learn or refine. whether it’s at work or a hobby. Try a new hobby! Learn a language. Play a new sport. Do some new art. Walk a different path around your neighborhood. Travel to a new place.
Travel – I think a great way to work on openness, learning and seeing new perspectives is to travel.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
This comes up for my clients a lot, many of whom feel overwhelmed about trying to declutter or organize their spaces or lives.
Whatever it is that feels overwhelming, break it down into smaller pieces or tasks.
What are each of the steps that need to be completed in order to finish the project.
Try to break them down into steps that will take 10-15 minutes or less.
Write them all down and then put them in order.
Focus on one at a time!
This takes away the overwhelm and decision fatigue since you have your plan outlined for you already!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wellandordered.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572799811558
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemwalterdo
Image Credits
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