What are you not noticing? Something that needs fresh attention?

Ros Hoare ACC

Over the summer, with my husband’s help, we spent a few weeks reordering the top floor of our house. It was a huge task: moving furniture, dismantling his study, sorting, cleaning, and painting. In the end, we created a smaller, more organised shared workspace and a lovely new guest room.

What stood out to me was how much we noticed in this focused, creative process. We saw things that had previously gone unnoticed, hidden in the chaos of everyday life. Pictures leaning against the walls, waiting for hooks; a bedroom that, though seemingly fine, revealed scuffs and chips once the furniture was moved. Boxes of books and charity shop items that hadn’t yet made it out of the house.

Noticing is crucial because it guides what needs attention next. Without awareness, it’s hard to take the necessary next steps. Sometimes, we “normalise” things—like the imperfections in a new home—and stop noticing them altogether. If you don’t address things early on, your brain will adjust and you’ll stop seeing them.

Often it’s the small, quiet things that we stop noticing—those little details that, when we take a moment to pay attention, reveal a lot about what’s missing or out of balance in our lives. For example, maybe it's a neglected hobby, or a relationship that needs more nurturing. In work, it could be a project you’ve put on the back burner or a goal you haven’t fully pursued.

Have you noticed anything in your own life that’s been flying under the radar lately? Something that might need a bit of fresh attention or even a small shift to bring back some balance?

How about booking a coaching session with a member of the Start Here coaching collective to kickstart the process of noticing?

Ros