Geeking Out, Solutions, & Compromise

I think I have a solution...

Is it ideal?  No.  But will it work given my current circumstances?  Quite possibly. 

After the severe frustration I was feel last night, post apartment hunting, I knew I needed to figure something out.  And quick.  I either needed to figure out a way to make my current situation work for me OR I needed to figure out how to get additional income, a lot of it, and quick.  It didn’t take me long of weighing the pros and cons of each possible solution, to know that the first would be best for my quality of life.  And isn’t that what this is all about?  Particularly for me this year, I am devoted to improving my quality of life and making decisions that work for me. 

As sad as it makes me by accepting that I can’t afford to move into a new (and larger) apartment, I can’t make decisions that make me live outside of my means.  Especially when I’m trying to be financially independent.  I have money saved but it’s dumb for me to use that to live when I don’t need to.  I’ve worked very hard to save that money for a rainy day or for something for myself.  (Like maybe buying a bike this year!! Oh, how I really want one!)

Anyway, I have sent in my proposal for a reduced rent to building management and now it’s in their hands.  I took the same approach I take to booking shows and negotiating fees, and by that I mean I allowed room for negotiations.  I asked for $100 off my rent and while I don’t expect them to accept that, if they do I’ll be stoked.  If they come back with $50 off each month, I’ll still be happy as that’s more what I’m expecting they’ll be willing to do.  Compromise.  

I’ve also come up with a plan.  A plan that almost made me late to my 9PM shift at work last night because I got caught up in the plan and lost track of time.  I had an idea how I could make a change to my current space and “divide” it up to feel more like there are separate “rooms”.  It all comes down to a bookshelf at IKEA that is long and a couple feet high to divide the space.  This will also act as a TV stand (maybe to even house a new TV someday?!)  There will also be a room divider to help section off my bed even more - that is the sleep place!

Here are two of my floor plans.  Oh yes, I did.  I’m a geek, I know.  The only difference is the placement of my desk, but I think option 1 is better as it will allow me to add an additional bookshelf or file cabinet or cart or something to house my printer and scanner (as opposed to it’s current location on the floor under my desk).  If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them!  Let’s geek out together!

Yes these are to scale.  Or at least pretty darn close to it.  1 square = 6 inches

This plan requires a little spending and a few trips to IKEA, but I’m okay with this.  My thought is that I can some of the money that I would put towards a security deposit and that I will hopefully be saving in rent, and purchase some additional items for my current space that will help me function better and make this feel more like my space and my home.  It’s a compromise I’m willing to make with myself.  

Here are a few things I’m putting on my shopping list:

-White IKEA bookshelf (the one this whole idea revolves around)

-Room divider (there’s one at IKEA I really like)

-New desk chair (mine sits too low for my desk and you can’t adjust the height-useless!)

-Possibly a new microwave stand or something to use as an espresso bar (?)

-Additional organization boxes, totes, etc as needed.

-A new / not cheap vacuum (?)

-A new TV?! :)

DAY 3 POSITIVE THINKING:  You can accomplish anything as long as you put your mind to it

It’s so true.  I was so frustrated yesterday and stressed the past few days over this apartment situation.  And as exhausted as it made me to constantly be thinking about how I could find the right solution that would work for me, I did it.  And when I suddenly got the idea for the bookshelf, I felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders.  I even felt excited at the thought of reorganizing my space and making this work for me.  I feel confident that I can make this happen.  Dare I say, I’m already feeling more inspired to work in this space!?