🎙️ Episode 7

Title: “I Cleaned My Car and Found My Personality in the Glove Compartment”

Wristbands, flashbacks, and one rogue AirPod that might still be judging me.

🎵 [Imaginary Intro Music: Car ignition + Squirrel chatter + poppy bass drop]

Hi. I’m Angela. Queen of Focus-ish.
And this week, I made a mistake.

I cleaned… my car.

I know.
That sentence alone is triggering for some of you.
But I wasn’t planning to clean it.
I was just trying to find that one missing power cord.

You know the one — the cord that ONLY fits that one device, and now that device is suddenly the center of your entire workflow.
It was urgent. It was mission critical.
So naturally… I spiraled.

🧽 The Car Spiral Begins:

Under the passenger seat, I found:

• An AirPod (LEFT side, missing since 2022, assumed stolen by squirrels)
• A crunchy receipt from a gas station hot dog I have no memory of eating
• Three wristbands from three different festivals
• A friendship bracelet from a stranger named “Thistle”
• And a light layer of what I hope was glitter, but may have been trail mix dust
  
  

Each item was like a memory grenade.

The wristbands alone sent me down emotional rabbit holes:

• This one? That was from the year I camped too close to the speaker tower at TTITD and journaled through a full identity crisis.
• This one? The time we camped out in the car at Okee with no cell phone signal to call the sitter.
• And this one? Honestly… I have no idea. Could be mine. Could be someone else’s. There’s a mysterious aura on it and I’m not ruling out time travel.
  
  

🎯 The Realization?

Cars are portable doom piles.

Tiny, rolling memory closets filled with lost tech, old snacks, and echoes of our burnout.

But also?
They’re time machines.
They hold moments of music, movement, and full-body meltdowns.

So yes — I vacuumed.
I cried.
I reunited my AirPods.
And I found the dang cord.

And I labeled a pouch “Tech That Deserves Better.”

Because that’s what this was really about:
Giving my past self a little order. A little love. A little air freshener.

🎵 Subscribe to Doom Piles & Distractions.
Next up: I inventory my musical instruments and realize I may be trying to heal my inner child with a ukulele collection.

🐿️✨

Learn more at AngelaDiCarlo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I Tried to Label My Emotional Baggage and Ended Up Sorting My Inbox from 2011

1,483 unread emails and a therapy breakthrough, all before lunch.

🎵 [Imaginary Theme Music: Sparkle-chaos piano with the sound of a squirrel flipping through manila folders]

Hi. I’m Angela. Queen of Focus-ish.
And today I decided to sort my emotional baggage.

Which obviously meant opening my email inbox.
Because where else would I find unresolved issues, outdated dreams, and 73 conversations I ghosted out of sheer executive dysfunction?

You see, I meant to clean out my downloads folder.
That was the original quest. Just a tiny digital tidy-up.

But then... I saw the inbox.
And my ADHD brain whispered:

“What if there’s a coupon in there from 2014 you still need?”

And so it began.
The Great Spiral of Gmail.

ACT ONE: The Ghosts of Projects Past

I found:

• A pitch deck for a business I almost launched called “Glitter Strategy”
  
  
• Five unanswered emails from someone named Derek (??)
  
  
• A boarding pass from a flight to a festival that quite literally changed my life
  
  
• And a newsletter from 2011 titled “This Is Your Year” — which was bold, considering what happened next
  
  

Reading it all felt like emotional archaeology.
Like digging through layers of my ambition, my avoidance, my deeply aspirational Canva folders.

It wasn’t just an inbox.
It was a museum of almosts.

ACT TWO: Emotional Baggage Claim

So I made a new folder.
I called it:

“Unfinished But Beautiful”

I started dragging emails there. Old collaborations. Kind words. Ideas I never finished — but don’t want to delete.

It’s like giving my past self a soft landing.
Not every dream needs to go in the trash.
Some just need a quiet place to rest.

Then I made a second folder:

“Return to Sender (Not Your Problem Anymore)”

That's where I put the old guilt, the feedback I didn’t ask for, the “just following up” emails from someone trying to sell me a webinar I never wanted.

That folder? That folder healed me.

ACT THREE: Labels, Liberation & Letting Go

Yes, I labeled my emotional baggage.
But I also realized this:

Every old email is proof that I’ve tried.
That I’ve dreamed.
That I’ve been deeply, beautifully alive.

And even if I never reply to 90% of those threads…
I am still worthy.
Still enough.
Still exactly where I’m meant to be.

🎵Subscribe to Doom Piles & Distractions.

Next episode: I organize my junk drawer and end up reinventing my identity.

Until then — bless your inbox.
Bless your ambition.
And bless the parts of you that still believe it’s okay to try again.

🐿️✨

Learn more at AngelaDiCarlo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🎙️ Prequel Episode

What Even Is a Doom Pile?

Spoiler: it’s not trash… it’s delayed decisions, emotional luggage, and at least one hot glue gun.

🎵 [Imaginary Intro music: whimsical, slow build with soft squirrel chatter and the sound of something toppling over]

Hi. I’m Angela. Queen of Focus-ish.
And before we spiral further into this podcast… we need to talk about something important:

Doom piles. Didn’t Organize Only Moved

No, not the kind you see in fantasy shows where a dragon guards a pit of bones.

We’re talking real-life, everyday, lovingly-ignored-but-slightly-judged-by-guests doom piles.

Let me explain.

✨ A Doom Pile. Defined: Didn’t Organize Only Moved

A doom pile is a stack of deferred decisions.
It’s not trash. It’s not clutter. It’s… limbo.

I learned about it on a random Instagram scroll day. The words lit up in my brain as I watched in awe. Didn’t Organize Only Moved. Doom pile. Yes, that’s what I have everywhere.

It’s:

• That bag you brought in from the car but never unpacked
  
  
• That stack of papers labeled “URGENT” in 2019
  
  
• A bunch of objects placed together not because they belong together… but because you couldn’t deal with them separately
  
  

Doom piles are sacred.
They’re where ADHD, perimenopause, and creative brain energy all collide like glitter in a tornado.

🧠 Why We Have Doom Piles (ADHD Edition)

Because ADHD brains often struggle with:

• Object permanence ("If I put it away, will I ever see it again?”)
  
  
• Time blindness ("That was three months ago??")
  
  
• Decision fatigue ("Keep, donate, toss, cry, scream?")
  
  
• And executive dysfunction ("This item now weighs 400 emotional pounds")
  
  

So we pause.
We place.
We promise ourselves:

“I’ll come back to this when I’m in the right headspace.”

Spoiler: that headspace doesn’t exist.

🔥 Why Midlife & Menopause Make It Worse

Because on top of the usual executive overload, now we’re:

• Forgetting why we walked into the room
  
  
• Sweating for no reason
  
  
• Feeling overwhelmed by the memory of a sock
  
  

Hormones? Chaos.
Focus? Fragile.
But doom piles? Oh, they wait. Patiently. Looming. Judgmental. And also… weirdly comforting.

🎨 Why Creative People Are Especially Vulnerable

Because creatives live in loops — not lines.

You make, you tinker, you start five things at once.
You see possibilities, not just objects.

So that pile of fabric scraps and beads and old receipts?
That’s not trash. That’s a multimedia art experiment that might become a gift for a friend named Tinsel.

🌀 And Most Importantly: Doom Piles Are Not Failure

They are proof that you’ve been trying.

You’ve been:

• Parenting
  
  
• Creating
  
  
• Navigating life
  
  
• Mourning old versions of yourself
  
  
• Attempting inbox zero while simultaneously reinventing your identity in the junk drawer
  
  

The doom pile is not your enemy.
It’s your unsorted story.

And this podcast?
It’s a love letter to that story.

🎵 So if you’ve ever had a “pile corner,” a “box of mystery,” or a “drawer of shame”...

You’re not broken.
You’re brilliant.
You’re overdue for a laugh.
And you are so welcome here.

Subscribe to Doom Piles & Distractions.
Next up: I try to find a power cord… and accidentally reorganize the spice cabinet, three closets, and my sense of self.

🐿️✨

Learn more or join the squirrel squad at AngelaDiCarlo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I Just Wanted to Find That One Form…

…and now I’ve been emotionally hijacked by a folder from 2009.

🎵 [Theme music: bright + slightly unhinged piano flourish, like a raccoon learning Chopin]

Hi. I’m Angela. Queen of Focus-ish.

And today’s episode is sponsored by… the paper pile I just emotionally excavated from the back of my office drawer.

Let’s talk about paperwork.

No, not fun paperwork like coloring books or divorce forms.

I mean the other kind.

Mysterious folders filled with expired coupons, inspirational quotes I printed in 2013, and a sticky note that says “CALL BOB” — I do not know who Bob is. Or was. RIP Bob.

You know what I realized while sorting papers?

Paper is emotional.

Every piece of it is like a tiny time capsule from a version of you that thought:

“I’ll need this someday.”

No. No you won’t. You won’t need the instruction manual for your 2007 printer. You don’t even have the printer. What you do have is a mild panic attack every time you open the file cabinet.

So I gave myself permission.

I made a little system:

• 📸 Take a photo of anything I’m scared to throw away.
  
  
• 📦 Put the “unsure” pile in one box.
  
  
• 🗑️ And then I lit a candle. Played a power ballad. And started tossing like a confetti cannon of freedom.
  
  

I even found swag tucked inside the papers.

Because of course I did.

Burner stickers. Unused wristbands. A note to myself that said “Organize this stuff before it multiplies.”

I didn’t. It multiplied.

But here’s the moment that hit me:

I kept holding onto the paper because I was scared to let go of the dream attached to it.

A business I didn’t launch.

A workshop I almost hosted.

A project that fizzled, but still feels… tender.

And instead of judging myself?

I took a picture.

I whispered “Thank you.”

And I let it go.

So if your dining table is currently a “paper staging zone”…

If you’ve got a file labeled “IMPORTANT” that’s just old receipts and one Taylor Swift lyric sheet…

If you haven’t seen the surface of your desk since the Bush administration…

You are not broken.

You are thoughtful.

You are overwhelmed.

And you are very, very brave.

🎵 Subscribe to Doom Piles & Distractions.

Next episode: I try to sort my swag boxes… and discover 47 memories, 2 craft projects, and a missing ex-boyfriend’s bracelet.

Until then — remember:

You are not the paperwork.

You are the fire that can recycle it.

🐿️✨

Learn more at AngelaDiCarlo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vitamin memorial...

Is This a Closet or an Emotional Portal?

🎵 [Imaginary Theme music: whimsical, sparkly, slightly chaotic]

Hi. I’m Angela… Queen of Focus-ish.

Which is ironic, because I once tried to find a power cord and ended up reorganizing the entire kitchen, pantry, and possibly my sense of self.

I’ve spent the last five days decluttering my house. Every cabinet. Every closet. Every expired bottle of optimism labeled “Ashwagandha.”

Turns out, if you ask an ADHD brain to throw away vitamins, it will hesitate. Not because they’re useful. But because you paid for them. During a phase. Possibly at 2 a.m. after watching one too many Instagram reels that promised “clarity and emotional peace” in a capsule.

And now I have a vitamin graveyard.

I should make a memorial shelf. With a candle.

“To all the supplements I never remembered to take… we barely knew ye.”

[Sound: tiny ghost vitamin voice: “Take me with food…”]

Anyway. The closets.

There is nothing more spiritual than cleaning out a linen closet that has not been touched since Obama’s second term.

You find things.

Like mystery cords that don’t connect to anything made in this decade.

And paperwork that feels like a ghost of your most ambitious self.

And swag. SO MUCH SWAG.

Regional burner swag.

Glittery name tags from events I don’t remember attending.

Half-melted lip balm labeled “Radical Self-Care 2018.”

I should start a podcast just for that.

“Swag Spiral: What Is This and Why Did I Keep It?”

Tagline: One trinket. One memory. One emotional crisis at a time.

[inhale]

But you know what happened in all that chaos?

I found clarity.

Because while I was scrubbing, sorting, and whispering apologies to my spice rack, I was dancing to songs I forgot I loved.

Voice-recording book ideas.

Writing blog posts in my head.

Feeling… dare I say… proud?

Because here’s the truth:

I used to think I was a disorganized mess.

Turns out, I’m just… a glitter tornado of intention.

So if you’re standing in front of your office like it’s a cursed temple…

If your vitamin shelf is one wrong breath from collapsing like a Jenga tower of regrets…

If you opened one drawer and ended up emotionally reliving your entire 20s…

You’re not alone.

You’re just part of the Squirrel Squad.

We’re focused.

Ish.

🎵 Subscribe to Doom Piles & Distractions.

Next episode: I label my shoe bins and accidentally have a breakthrough about boundaries.

Until then, stay squirrelly, my friends.

✨🐿️

Learn more at AngelaDiCarlo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to your new favorite spiral.

🎵 [Theme music: playful like a glockenspiel playing musical chairs with a jazz trio]

Hi. I’m Angela.

And welcome… to Doom Piles & Distractions.

A comedy of errors, closets, and chaos, hosted by me: The Queen of Focus-ish.

Now listen. I know there are already podcasts out there that promise life hacks, perfect morning routines, capsule wardrobes, minimalist pantries with mason jars that all match…

This isn’t that.

This is the podcast where I try to clean my kitchen drawer and end up emotionally spiraling in a linen closet.

Where I open a cabinet and suddenly remember a dream I had in 2006.

Where I sort through a pile of craft supplies I forgot I owned, while being gently bullied by a squirrel named Snacky.

You’re not here for productivity.

You’re here for permission.

To be a little chaotic.

To be brilliant and distracted.

To laugh at your doom piles while labeling them “Someday-ish.”

💫 What This Podcast Actually Is:

• It’s a love letter to the way ADHD brains organize things emotionally, not alphabetically
  
  
• It’s a confessional booth for craft guilt, expired vitamins, and emotional paperwork
  
  
• It’s an audio journal from the spiral — where instead of getting lost, we find clarity in the mess

And yes, there will be tangents.

There will be loops.

There will be stories that I start and don’t finish until three episodes later.

[Whispering] …Maybe.

There will also be:

• ✨ Surprise insights
  
  
• 🎤 Voice notes from past versions of myself
  
  
• 🐿️ Squirrel side characters who are too real
  
  
• And spontaneous moments of brilliance I catch in a voice memo because I cannot be trusted to remember it later
  
  

🧠 Who Is This For?

If you’ve ever:

• Started organizing a drawer and ended up with three reorganized rooms and one emotional breakthrough
  
  
• Bought vitamins because of a sponsored Instagram reel but never opened the bottle
  
  
• Avoided your office like it’s haunted — but then cried when you found a sticky note that still believes in you…
  
  

You are so in the right place.

You are one of us.

The Squirrel Squad.

The label-loving, chaos-taming, glitter-cursed humans trying to make sense of the mess without erasing the magic.

🎉 What to Expect:

Every episode will be short-ish.

Sometimes funny.

Sometimes emotional.

Always real.

And probably recorded right after I cleaned something and had a realization in the shower.

We’re gonna talk:

• Paperwork piles
  
  
• Burn swag boxes
  
  
• Craft guilt drawers
  
  
• Vision boards
  
  
• Labeling rituals
  
  
• Closet portals
  
  
• And why sometimes, the best way to clear your head… is to clean a junk drawer
  
  

We’re not fixing ourselves here.

We’re witnessing ourselves.

And if you forget to listen for six weeks?

It’s fine.

We’ll still be here. Covered in glitter. Probably reorganizing the bathroom.

🎵 Subscribe to Doom Piles & Distractions.

Because focus isn’t a straight line.

It’s a loop. A detour. A doom pile with a label on it.

And in that pile?

Is the story you were meant to tell.

🐿️✨

Learn more at AngelaDiCarlo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much of our life are we able to document the journey to make today better? Are you going through a journey that is teaching you something that could help others?

What is your long term goal? How do you fit your daily journey into that goal? Is there a series of things you are learning that you could teach others to help them overcome hurdles or help them understand steps along the journey?

Get closer to your big goals while helping others.

References: Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson.

Learn more about Focus and Success at www.AngelaDiCarlo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.