CLEAR THE CLUTTER! FEEL THE SUCCESS!

Ifyou’rehavingahardtimereadingthisyouwouldhaveneversurvivedbackinearli

ertimesbecausealldocumentsusedtobeprintedthiswaytosavespaceonexpensive

parchmentpaperDoesyourlifeeverlookthiswayToomuchtodoandnotenoughspace

tobreathWhatweoftenneedisalittlespaceGiveyourselfspacethisweekWhatyoumay

findwillbewonderful:yourself.

No, I didn't make a typing mistake. I wrote that paragraph the way it is for a

reason. Reading it probably annoys you because there aren't any spaces between

the words. Many of you live your lives that way: without any room to breathe.

You rush off here and there on the constant quest to cram one more thing into each

day. To check just one more thing off your To-Do list.  To get that one more thing

done!  When you are stressed your tendency is to go for it to push harder, to do more.

But does it work?  Well maybe for a while.  But…What if you could bring clients in the

door simply by cleaning out your car or office?  Or bring more money into your life by

handling the  “To do’s” you’ve been putting off?

Many of you who have heard me speak, know that I am a stickler for creating space. Not

that I'm obsessive about it (although Jim might disagree :), I just need plenty of room to

think, relax, create and breathe. It's taken me about five years to train myself to eliminate

clutter and excess from its source. It's become a simple ritual: when in doubt, throw it out.

Clutter will stop you thinking clearly, drain your energy, and you will spend valuable time

searching for what you need. Clutter isn't only physical. Mental and emotional clutter can

keep you from doing what you really want to do.  Clutter can be the things in your life, big

and small, that are left undone or incomplete. Things that you put up with; procrastinate

about, complain about.  Things on your mental “to do” list distract you make you feel

guilty and take bits of you energy – the very energy that you need to accomplish your

life goals. Like emotional constipation - clutter bogs you down, drains your energy and

attention, and keeps you stuck!   

At some level you become the caretaker for every scrap of stuff in your life.  You are

devoting a proportional amount of energy to every object in your domain whether or

not you are aware of it from moment to moment. (How about those college text books?)

Think of a cord going from you to the things around you.  Energy is either coming to

you or going out from you through these cords.  If there is something in your life that is

not giving you energy it is draining your energy.   The amount of “clutter” you have is in

exact proportion to the distance between where you are now and where you want to be.

Removing things from your life is a key way to reduce stress, enhance your mood, and make

space for new opportunities. If you are committed to honoring your self-care and succeeding

both personally and professionally, then you'll need to practice eliminating the clutter form

your life.   When you do this, you free up emotional and physical energy to pursue the things

that really matter.

Eliminating Clutter is all about action!  Not about the resistance or the whys? Start with the stuff

that is easy to eliminate.  I usually suggest the coffee mugs, tee shirts or mouse pads that seem

to multiply before your very eyes.  For whatever reason you feel you need to keep them, but

at some point - after just a few these, and everything else in your life, become more of a

burden than an asset.   Get rid of them.  Donate them if you don’t want to throw them in the

trash.  Just get them out of your space!  Feel the release.  Almost every client is surprised by

how good it feels just to get rid of things!  What they are experiencing is the energy, energy that

was being robbed by the clutter.  Feel the momentum and go with it!  Quickly move to the next

item and the next.      

Think of the process of eliminating clutter like peeling an onion.  The outer skin is easy and flakes

right off, but once you remove that, the next layer becomes flaky and easily removable.  That’s

what happens with your clutter.  You begin by removing the easy stuff. As you continue with

the process – and it is a process – you’ll find yourself eliminating things with which you never

thought you would part.  These could be physical things, like notes, books, or “heirlooms;” or

emotional clutter, like unfinished business with a family member or co-worker. 

Hints for the packrats among us. 

1.     Most people ask themselves the wrong questions.  They ask, “Will I ever need this in the future?”

 To which the answer is usually “maybe.’  You’ll never get rid of anything with this approach.  A

 better question to ask is “Is it giving me energy or draining my energy?”  Or “Is this taking up space

 that could be left open for something even better to come into my life?”

2.     Invite a discriminating friend to come over and help you.  No one is as attached to your “stuff”

 as you are.  It is always easier for someone else to be objective and ruthless.  Your friend can say

 inspiring comments such as “that doesn’t reflect who you are today.”

3.     Begin to appreciate the value of white space.  We are too often focused on acquiring stuff that

we forget that blank space is equally as important.  In the Japanese art of flowering arrangements

the space between the flowers are just as important as the flowers themselves.  Create some blank

space in your life – this includes your calendar, too!    

What I find is that most of us are so busy trying to put out fires; you never take the time to get things

cleaned up in your life. If you’re tired of feeling drained by the little (and big) things that steal your

energy, then I challenge you to get rid of the energy drains and let the success you desire find you!   

When you clear your clutter you get into your power and create a space for new things to come into

your life. You will have more energy and creativity to design your life to reflect your authentic self. 

Get into action now! 

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