Making your transitional space work

Most of us are familiar with the safety phrase “stop, drop and roll” as it relates to fire safety.  When creating transitional space, our launching/landing pad, and organizing processes, think about your “stop, drop and roll”. The idea behind this safety phrase is that we don’t continue a moment longer when we sense the danger. We STOP, DROP to the ground and ROLL out the fire.  So think about it this way – when you enter your space, STOP and think about what you need to do first.  DROP your items in the transitional space (which includes hanging up what needs to be hung up) and ROLL into your next activity or space.  By STOPPING in your transitional space, you consciously keep from bringing anything farther into your other spaces that doesn’t belong.  By doing this, it forces you to focus on your next steps.

Stop, Drop and Roll

When you DROP, you keep the appropriate items housed in that space. Did you hang up your coat and work bag?  Are the keys and backpack in their right spot?   Take the time to hang up or put away items as appropriate.  Dropping doesn’t mean dropping everything on the floor or the horizontal spaces.  Use the storage options you’ve created to make this space and this process accessible and to its best advantage.  DROP everything in this space that should stay there so that it is readily accessible for the next exit.  When you’ve done your appropriate DROP, then you can ROLL into the next part of your day with intention without dragging everything into the rest of the space.   Most of us pass through our transitional space so many times a day that we don’t focus on that space or how it can work best for us.  When you use it appropriately, it will be a useful and critical part of your space.

Being organized takes mindfulness.  When you STOP, DROP and ROLL in your launching/landing pad, you are focused on making that space work for you.