Part 4: The Traitorous Exit
Confessions of a Faithful Who Finally Left the Castle
This is the four story in my four-part series, Tidy Up My Life: 2.0—a deep clean of the professional baggage I brought home after thirteen years in one place. If you missed Part 1 (The Devil Wears a Necktie), Part 2 (Sorting With The Enemy), or Part 3 (Receipts, Proof, Timeline, Screenshots) start there. This installment is about the final step in the decluttering process: Plan. It’s the step that everyone wants to begin with!
🎧 Want to hear this story in my own voice? An audio version, narrated by yours truly, is available for paid subscribers. Paid subscribers: You’ll find the audio and video just below the iconic “Traitors” meme.
By the time I received the official “no” on my 80% hardship request, I had burned through every season of Vanderpump Rules, and Real Housewives of New Jersey. The only thing left in my Peacock queue was The Traitors — a reality show set against the moody backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, hosted by none other than Alan Cumming. Twenty contestants are divided into "traitors" and "faithfuls," with the traitors secretly eliminating faithfuls one by one.
Season two introduced Phaedra Parks, a housewife I already adored, who turned out to be a masterful traitor. At one point, Alan challenged the traitors to commit a "murder in plain sight," using a goblet at dinner. It was high-stakes chaos. Their plan didn’t work as intended, and when the wrong contestant — the sweet, unsuspecting Ekin-Su — sipped the goblet, Phaedra screamed with dramatic flair:
"Not Ekin-Su! Lord not Ekin-Su!"
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans go completely sideways. And sometimes, you make a mistake you can't come back from.
In my book, Tidy Up Your Life, I talk about four essential steps: Clear, Sort, Assess, Plan. Everyone wants to rush to the "Plan" phase because it feels exciting — you get to order bins, design systems, buy shelves. But if you don’t take the time to clear the space first, sort through what matters, and assess what you actually need, your plan might turn out as misguided as a goblet murder gone wrong.
The same was true for me. When it came time to decide what to do about my career, I couldn’t afford to rush. I needed to slow down. I needed to clear my head, sort through my priorities, assess what mattered most — before I could make a real plan.