A new broom sweeps clean

I have a confession to make – I like shopping.

There is something in the thrill of the new, in making what you covet your own.

More than that though, whenever I start a new obsession, be it going to the gym, starting a new sewing project or even writing this blog, I don’t feel able to commence properly until I have the right tools for the job.

It seems absurd to commit to a regular swimming schedule without first buying a new swimming costume, goggles and swimming cap.  No, my brain tells me, there is no way you can possibly get in that water without the right paraphernalia; that old one piece with the disintegrating Lycra just won’t cut it.

I do, however, think there is something deeper than just the need to shop involved here.  I firmly believe that by getting your ducks in a row and buying new equipment, you are committing yourself to your new fixation.  You are promising to yourself that you will not give up as well as saturating your obsession with positivity.

The beginning of each school year saw me begging to be taken to WH Smith to buy all new stationary – a love that continues on to this day. I think it does the soul good to be treated to pretty new things that will inspire you.

I arrived on the first day of my new job in January with a recently purchased notepad, mug and water bottle in a bid to bolster my self-confidence and inject my desk with a piece of my personality from the word go.

As for the tools needed for this blog, it seems it’s now time to buy a laptop.  So for now, this is my current brain-occupier.  To Mac or not to Mac, that is the question…