This week, I decided it was time I cleaned out a bathroom drawer that had gotten messy enough to really tick me off. Which sounds wildly unimportant. Until I tell you it somehow turned into…
- 5 drawers
- 3 cabinet shelves
- 3 full trash can dumps
- a new dust rag
- and enough expired medicine to qualify me for a pharmacy investigation.
And the funny part?
When I was done, you couldn’t even tell.
The drawers were closed before I cleaned them.
They were closed after I cleaned them.
Nobody walking into my bathroom would’ve looked around and thought:
“WOW. Incredible transformation.”
And that bothered me more than I expected.
Because after spending most of the day cleaning, organizing, throwing things away, and putting things where they actually belonged… it felt weird that there was nothing visible to show for it.
But I knew.
I knew I wasn’t going to start my mornings frustrated because I couldn’t find my brush, my makeup, or my dang comb.
I knew I wouldn’t end my nights shoving things harder into drawers that barely closed while promising myself:
“I’ll deal with this later.”
I knew the hidden chaos wasn’t quietly screaming at me anymore.
I’m sharing this because I don’t think I’m the only one living with a few “closed drawers.”
THE PLACES THAT LOOK FINE FROM THE OUTSIDE… INTERNALLY FEEL OVERWHELMING.
but internally feel overwhelming.
YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.
The places we shove things because we’re tired.
Because we’re moving too fast.
Because survival mode doesn’t leave much room for organization.
Because we convince ourselves:
“I might need it later.”
I get it.
I know what it feels like to live in seasons where you’re traveling for work, juggling kids’ schedules, saying “Sure, I can help,”answering emails from parking lots, reheating the same coffee four times before noon, and realizing you’ve spent so much time surviving that you haven’t had the energy to deal with the hidden things piling up behind closed drawers.
Maybe your version looks different.
Maybe you’re caring for aging parents while trying to hold your own life together.
Maybe work has taken every ounce of energy you have, and the first thing to fall apart is the stuff nobody sees.
Maybe your health has forced you into survival mode, and your “good days” are spent simply trying to put the pieces back together.
Whatever your version looks like, I’m willing to bet that somewhere along the way, you may have come to the same conclusion: “If the drawer closes… we pretend it’s fine.”
Listen…
just because the drawer closes does not mean
all is well.
And eventually, that mindset leaks into more than cabinets.
It leaks into our communication.
Our stress levels.
Our leadership.
Our businesses.
Our homes.
Our relationships.
Our ability to rest.
I know I am not alone in feeling frustrated with my “Wow… I didn’t really get much done today.” thoughts.
That same mentality is what keeps people
(and businesses)
from addressing
deeper issues.
We’re been trained to count visible productivity.
The meetings.
The emails.
The accomplishments people can SEE.
We forget about the invisible work that creates peace, clarity, calm, and capacity.
The conversations.
The systems.
The boundaries.
The emotional labor.
The fixing of the hidden corners that quietly drain us every single day.
This week reminded me that sometimes the most important work we do doesn’t photograph well.
Sometimes progress looks like quietly creating peace in places only you will notice.
Not for applause.
Not for performance.
Not because anybody else will compliment it.
Because you deserve spaces, systems, and relationships that don’t immediately exhaust you.
This is your reminder:
You do not have to fix everything overnight.
But maybe there’s one drawer.
One system.
One conversation.
One neglected corner of your business or life that’s been quietly draining you.
Start there.
Not because anyone else will notice.
But because YOU will.
And sometimes… that matters most.
Thanks for reading — and for entertaining my bathroom drawer wisdom.
Yours Truly,
Julie
Leadership & Strategy Coach (Helping people lead with more clarity, confidence, and connection — at work and in life.)
P.S. The invisible work matters too. The conversations. The boundaries. The systems. The things nobody applauds but quietly change everything. If you’re ready to create more intentional momentum, grab the Leadership Level-Up Journal.