Spring will be arriving at your doorstep in just a few days. What will that mean for you? Will it represent a time of personal or business growth and renewal? Will it act as a sign to make room for something new to enter into your life?
Consider the power your clutter currently has over you and your life. Once you begin facing instead of ignoring your clutter, you will be thankful you did. Why? - Because it can energize, relax and free you: It is a light form of exercise, gives you a feeling of accomplishment, and quiets and helps clear your mind. Since de-cluttering increases your clarity, you see more possibilities than before and make life-changing choices that were previously obscured from your view. Lastly, it acts as a useful reminder to revisit your vision of “an ideal life”, and assists you in keeping your path free of obstacles so you can continue or begin achieving your goals.
How can you get started? First, you need to decide who will do the de-cluttering: you, an assistant, or a Professional Organizer or Feng Shui Consultant. Delegating or hiring a professional to take on this project is highly recommended if:
- You use cleaning to avoid tackling the high priority items on your list
- You have perfectionist tendencies that prevent you from making progress in your business or relationships
- You get overwhelmed just thinking about this topic
- You feel comfortable being surrounded by stuff
If you have volunteered to take this on yourself, identify which clutter you want to clear and divide it into these categories: tangible (i.e. physical), e.g. storage items, papers, books and e-mails; and intangible (i.e. spiritual, mental, emotional) e.g. thoughts and feelings. Keep in mind, “Everything is energy”, as you take this next step: If physically possible, touch and emotionally connect to your clutter. Then ask yourself: “How well is this form of clutter serving me?” Rate your clutter using a 5-point scale, where 1 = not at all to 5 = very. Or ask yourself, “Am I keeping this clutter out of fear (as a safety blanket), or love?”, and answer using this alternative scale: 1 = unhealthy to 5 = very healthy.
Once you have rated each piece of physical clutter:
- Pare it down and/or organize it better: to things you will... i.e. “keep just in case” (tax-related papers); and “look at someday” (books: What do they tell you about your passions, interests and potential future business or career?)
- Recycle it, or throw it away
- Donate it to a cause, or give it away to family or friends
- Sell it to a consignment shop, or feature it in a garage sale or auction
Do not underestimate the power of de-cluttering, for it has spiritual, mental, emotional, physical and financial payoffs. Give it a whirl – and let me know how you feel and what you attract (including clients) as a result, will you?
Monique MacKinnon is an internationally recognized creativity expert, speaker, and e-book and article author. Her specialty is helping passionate entrepreneurs who need more direction, focus and accountability to monetize their abundant ideas, talents and interests. Monique’s work is grounded in both practical and esoteric principles and includes expertise in hand analysis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Monique has 21 years’ experience in marketing, management, training, consulting and coaching. She was also featured in Time magazine for her inspiring workplace fitness leadership role and contributions at Fitness and Amateur Sport Canada. Rate yourself on these 6 Costly Mistakes to Avoid... Being Your Own Boss. Sign up for a free self-assessment and article, here: http://www.energeticevolution.com (go to "F.R.E.E. Expert Advice From Monique").