Doom Piles: Shoes (Episode 4) I Labeled My Shoe Bins and Accidentally Discovered Boundaries (Ep 4)

I Labeled My Shoe Bins and Accidentally Discovered Boundaries:

Footwear, feelings, and the shocking truth about what you actually want in your hallway.

🎵 [Imaginary Theme Music: slightly dramatic string pluck, then twinkly squirrel flourish]

Hi. I’m Angela. Queen of Focus-ish.
And I’m here to tell you about the moment I labeled my shoe bins… and accidentally discovered a boundary I didn’t know I needed.

It started with a hallway.

Specifically, the hallway that had become a lawless frontier of footwear.
There were hiking boots from optimism.
Heels from events I didn’t actually attend.
One glittery sandal I don’t even remember owning.

And I thought to myself: “I’ll just organize this.”
That was the first lie.

Because what actually happened is that I started thinking about who those shoes belonged to.

Not just physically, like “those are my partner’s”, but energetically.
Some of them were shoes I bought for versions of myself I thought I should be.

The chic conference queen.
The Pinterest Burner in mile-high boots maximalist.
The person who wears shoes with laces regularly, like a responsible citizen.

And as I sat there, holding a leopard print boot in one hand and a roll of label tape in the other, I had the weirdest realization:

This hallway needs boundaries.
And so do I.

So I made four bins:

• Me
• Cody
• Other Grown Human (Glen)
• Costumes & Regrets

I labeled them. I lined them up.
And suddenly… I felt taller.
Not just because the heels were off the floor, but because something shifted.

👠 Here’s the truth:

We think clutter is just stuff.
But sometimes, it’s evidence of where we’re saying “yes” when we meant “maybe,”
or “sure” when we meant “NO THANK YOU PLEASE LEAVE YOUR SHOES AT THE DOOR.”

So now, my hallway is clear.
My bins are labeled.
My soul feels… moderately empowered.

And every time someone asks, “Where should I put my shoes?”
I point to the bin.
Smile.
And say:

“That one’s for you. The rest are mine.”

Boundaries. They’re not just for people anymore.
They’re for hallways.
And footwear.
And expectations.

🎵 Subscribe to Doom Piles & Distractions.

Next episode: I try to label my emotional baggage and end up sorting my inbox from 2011.

Until then — protect your space.
Label your bins.
And wear the shoes that feel like you.

🐿️✨

Learn more at AngelaDiCarlo.com

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