Metacognition: Get Organized

My clothes are some of my most prized possessions. I use them to express myself, and I see certain pieces as works of art. This is why I chose to clean my closet; a space filled with opportunities for organization. I made this task especially important because the seasons are changing, and I wanted to eliminate the clutter of my warm weather wardrobe and accessories.

Before the assignment, I felt overwhelmed and frustrated. I asked myself, "How is this possible to accomplish in 45 minutes, and where do I begin?" It took me a few minutes to gather my emotions. However, once I got the ball rolling, I was all set. First, I dumped out out all of my tops, pajamas, and pants from the drawers. Then, I organized them by colors: reds, blacks, pinks, blues, greens, and grays. It was actually an enjoyable process. Mentally, I checked off the finished piles of clothes from the list that I keep in my mind. This made me feel in tune and controlled. Just for kicks, I turned on the song "Cleaning Out My Closet" by Eminem, which really put me in the mood. Next, I grabbed the storage boxes from underneath my bed and put in my summer clothes. Though it was upsetting for me to realize that summer isn't coming back for a while, I felt relieved to make my closet efficient and ready for the winter. Lastly, I folded the remaining clothes and placed them into the drawers where they belonged.

After my work, I felt relaxed and cheerful. I looked through my drawers, and I couldn't believe what I accomplished. Not only did I arrange a massive amount of clothing, but I also did so in only 45 minutes. The project forced me to realize that big things can be accomplished in a small amount of time, if I put my mind to it. Now I know how incredible organization is. Previously, my experiences with organization were always stressful. I believe I felt this way because I've always procrastinated when it came time to getting organized. However, now I know that when you set goals for yourself and eliminate procrastination, organization can be a stress-free and enjoyable experience.

Blogging Around

The first post that I commented on was Katy's. She wrote about the inconvenient truth that our career choice is not chosen based on our passions, but rather what is realistic. She mentioned that when she was a child, her dream job was a zookeeper. But, as she's matured, her career choice has shifted to the medical field, in which she deems "much more realistic." Her post got me thinking about myself, and what I find so inconvenient about this truth. My comment was the following:

"Katy,

Thank you so much for sharing this. As I've grown older, it's become harder and harder for me to face this inconvenient truth. The reason is because ever since I was a child, I've always wanted to be a celebrity stylist. However, as I've matured, I've realized that the likelihood of me becoming the next Rachel Zoe is quite slim. What I find so interesting is that the questions society asks us about our future drastically change as we mature. When we're little, people ask us what we want to be. But as we grow, people ask us what we want to do. There's a major difference between these two questions, and I think that is the root of this issue. Hopefully, most people (myself included) will be able to find the middle path between what we want to be and what we want to do. "

Katy's blog post put me in the mood for reality, the future, and inconvenient truths. So, I picked up Sofia's blog which discussed the idea that we have no control over what is to come. She made me realize that what we've been told starting from childhood is actually false. I commented the following:

"Sofia,

I agree with this post wholeheartedly. It's scary for me to think that I really don't have a say in my future. Yeah sure, I can try my best and work my hardest, but there's never any guarantee. The minute we're born, there's a future intended for us that we ourselves can only manipulate to a certain degree. Yet, time and time again, we're told that we can be anything we want to be as long as we try our best. So, what I think this can tell us about society is that we're all afraid. Most importantly, we're afraid of being afraid. But, I think that the more we try and forgo reality, the more there is to be fearful about. If we were taught from an early period on to accept reality, this inconvenient truth would not exist. "

I loved reading my classmate's thoughts. They provided me with necessary insight for my future, and I loved reading ideas from their point of view, rather than my own.