So, You Want to Be a Zone Steward!

That’s admirable!
We hear increasingly of corporations and other large groups taking stewardship of their zones of operations, but what if we could each take stewardship of our individual and household zones? How hard could it be?
Okay, in some instances it could be really difficult or seemingly impossible. Especially if we’re renting, boarding, couch surfing, or the like. Yet we still each have a zone – our little circuit of operation with all its home-like functions, its travel routes, its destinations, its people and all the ‘stuff’ we deal with as we move around that circuit. We can begin to take small steps to improve each part of that zone from whatever position of influence we hold in it, right now. This is great for our zones, and really great for us!

The idea of stewardship is fantastic to embrace on an individual level, whether we are the home owner or not. As any good dictionary will tell you, the basic  meaning of ‘steward’ reads something like ‘one who looks after and guards another’s property, valuables, etc.’ This is perfect for the growing awareness we have today that, in decision-making today, we should factor in the long-term health and wellbeing of our current and future generations and the environment. I’m not talking about grand gestures here, but about the nudge approach to reaching out in ever-wider circles from our current zone to make small improvements every day.
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I know you’ve heard it before: “If everyone did that, the world would be a better place.” Right? Well, it really would, but your own world being a better place is where it starts – even if it’s great now ;-) This first Zone Steward blog post will introduce how I might be able to help you do that.

Introduction to the ReVibe Checklist
If you are familiar with the concept of decluttering, you may be aware that it can create seemingly magic effects. For those not familiar: Decluttering is the action of sorting through clutter and rearranging or disposing of it in such a way that the area is now orderly, relevant and efficient for its purpose. There are all kinds of potential benefits – improved health, finances, relationships and more, depending on the type of clutter dealt with in the home. I’ve only made brief forays into this area I’m presenting here in its bigger picture, but I believe the magic of decluttering becomes even more diabolical when the concept is applied to one’s whole neighbourhood. It can be an easy, gradual and holistic approach to harmonising your entire living environment. I broached on this usage in The Everies Book, as an inspection one can do every 3 years or so as part of a regular revamp of wherever you live, described in this loosely updated :-) excerpt here:

An assessment tool called the ReVibe Checklist can be done to establish a wide range of possible home-life improvements – the immediate result is a complete, holistic home inspection. It’s a non-superstitious, highly practical inspection that embraces my understanding of compatible parts of theory in Professional Organising, sustainability, passive solar design, interior design, and the placement arts -- mainly Vaastu, Feng Shui &Wabi Sabi -- along with associated sub-topics in those 5 umbrella areas. It includes elements where I can see the standalone logic in them and also how they support each other. There is not much that would escape this inspection! Therefore, it is quite long.

The initial inspection is cost-effective and easy to do. Patiently walk around your home and neighbourhood with the ReVibe Checklist on a clipboard, and follow the sheet line-by-line. If you run into any trouble doing the inspection itself, write that on the sheet – it may point to some disharmony that can be improved in the end program.  It’s a good idea to walk around in conditions of both night and day, rain and shine, if possible -- and if safe to do so. If it’s not safe, definitely mention that on the ReVibe Checklist! Then skip the unsafe parts and do the rest. One can reasonably address the risk in those areas as part of the assigned program.

When you send the completed Overview Sheet back, I will analyse the results and send you the next relevant sub-section to inspect, along with some suggested starter activities based on the overall picture. Further deskwork for each sub-section has its own cost and you would be told up-front what that is, based on the Overview.

So, who actually does the improvement work? This used to be offered as a service known as the Vibe Squad. A 'squad' of helpers in the form of tradespeople and other professionals is likely to be needed to carry out the full range of gradual improvements. While that is still true, I no longer provide personal services, so would not be involved in arranging this squad for your project(s). It would fall to you to hire contractors and/or engage family and friends to help where work is out of your personal scope. The good news is that you can do this checklist in small bites over a period of time that suits your own budget and requirements, without having to additionally hire me! The really great news about it is that, in your quest to raise the vibe of your home zone, personally enlisting such help may be the most valuable aspect -- by prompting you to engage with more people in a way that deepens your connection with others and your wider environment :-)
  
Of course, I would offer reasonable support with understanding and following the Checklist, as with any other information product. If you’ve ever wanted to do a home makeover but couldn’t think of a way to afford it, this is your inroad!

The best way to understand it is to go ahead and try to do the inspection as you read it. And if you’ve read this post down to here, there’s a reward: Type ReVibe Gift into the subject line of a Contact Form, and I’ll send you a sample sub-checklist to practice with at your discretion. I’ve added The Everies Book glossary to the website, which should cover most terms in the sample, but note down any questions you have and send them to me if that and your physical walk-around with the Checklist at hand don’t explain the steps well enough.

I expect the blog will take many directions, all spring-boarding from the 27 categories on the Checklist. The posting schedule will be irregular, though, because I’ll be working through another round with my Finish Your Pet Project! Program to construct a new lifestyle now that I've retired with a hearing loss. (Btw: I have been enjoying that long-lost hobby I mentioned resurrecting during my first round on the Program, and it's going quite well, thank you.)

Talk soon,
Heidi.