In our old house, we had a set of hooks in the hallway where we’d hang our keys.
In the new house, we don’t have a hallway, which is something I’m still getting used to. It has a bunch of other cool things though, so I’m not complaining.
The living area has a narrow cut-off-corner type wall, which is begging for a mirror, both aesthetically and for practical purposes. So, I thought it a good idea to get a mirror that also has hooks or a shelf for the keys, but… we couldn’t find one we liked that was also the right size.
Next, we thought, okay, maybe we should just hang a shelf/hook under the mirror. But then the mirror would need to be pretty short, and it felt like a waste of wall space. Or just hang the hooks on a different wall by themselves. But that would crap up the aesthetics, to have keys randomly hanging in the living area… lol first world problems.
And then it dawned on me. I got out a decorative bowl we’d received as a gift, plonked it on the TV cabinet and threw the keys in. Problem solved. Now we can get whichever mirror we want, without worrying about hooks or shelves.
It’s a silly story, but it got me thinking about how useful it can be to shift your perspective.
We always had hooks, so I tried to find a solution with hooks, and none of the options were working. But what I actually needed was a convenient place to store our keys.
Once I was able to look at it from another angle, it turned out the solution didn’t require hooks. Just because it’s what I’ve “always done” didn’t mean it was a good fit for this house.
I think it’s such a useful tool for getting unstuck in various situations, from pesky plot holes, to major life decisions — stepping away and looking at things from another angle. What are you actually trying to achieve, and do you really need hooks?
What are your tips for getting unstuck (unhooked?) when none of the options appeal to you?
A. ZAYKOVA 