Ever have one of those days when you feel like how this junk drawer looks???
We all have one. You know, that “junk drawer” in your kitchen or office that’s overflowing with all sorts of crap you just can’t seem to throughout but will very likely never use again.
By taking the time to clean out that old junk drawer we make room for the new stuff. We also let go of any attachment we may have had to all that crap. After all do you really need those old reading glasses, or that hard as a rock container of glue, or that cork screw you never use? Get rid of it all.
Perhaps you’ve done it before and if so you already know how good it feels to have that drawer all cleaned out. There’s something satisfying about getting rid of all that junk and freeing up the space. You just feel more organized. But it usually only happens once it’s overflowing and gets stuck when you try to open it.
Our minds are the same way. We can only deal with so much mental clutter before it starts to overflow and simply won’t open. That’s when we begin to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and stuck. This mental clutter tends to eat up a lot of emotional, physical, and even mental energy that cut’s into the truly important things in life as well as the here and now.
By cleaning up that space between your ears you can make room for some new and more important stuff like, empowering new goals, family, and moving forward.
Here’s some quick tips and exercise for helping de-clutter your mind and your life:
Answer the following questions, write down the answers, then draw a line through anything and everything that is either no longer important, no longer relevant, or that you simply have no control over. In essence what you will be doing is making certain tasks “complete” or done. Another term for this is “psychological completion” or just “completion.”
Perhaps you’ve been around someone who simply won’t let go of a relationship even though it has long since let go of them. They hold on – wondering “are we still in a relationship?” Some things whether they ended up as expected or not should be called “complete” and moved on from.
1. Putting up with! Too often we “put up with” things in our lives that cause us to compromise who we are. Make a list of 10 things each that you put up with at home, work, relationships, and any other area of importance. Then create an action plan to get rid of them or communicate your dissatisfaction to who-ever necessary instead of continuing to put up with it.
2. Unfinished matters! Make a list of things that are unresolved or unfinished in your life. Ask yourself; do I need to clear the air with anyone? If so, just do it! Life is too short! Have you ever said that you were going to call someone or keep in touch with someone yet have done nothing about it? If yes, call them or drop them a quick email today. Let go of or complete as many could have’s, would have’s, and should have’s, as you can. Write them down then create an action plan for reducing this number by at least half!
3. Your standards! Write down the standards that you know you should be living by. Then circle the standards that you are absolutely committed to living by in your life from this day forward. List 5 people who you admire the most. Identify their greatest qualities, behaviour and how they lead their life. What standards do they have? What standards could you raise starting today to be more like them, more like who you really are?
I promise you if they take some time to clear the clutter from your mind as well as your draws you will not only feel refreshed and energized but a whole lot more organized as well. Then you will be ready to achieve something new and better.
