What is it about letting go of things that is SO challenging?  At this time of year our thoughts turn to the Summer that might be awaiting us (!) and we sometimes get a little burst of energy where we want to sort things out but it can be really tricky.  You pick up an item and say to yourself, ‘Yes I know it’s really old but it reminds me of….’, or ‘I might need that one day’.

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De-cluttering our homes can be one part of letting go but it’s also about de-cluttering our lives.  What do we have in our lives that really drains our energy, steals our time and creates unnecessary tension?

Thinking about different areas of your home/life/business what do you need to de-clutter?

There are also mental and emotional effects to clutter, it’s not just the physical side.  Each time we walk into that office with the pile of paperwork, or see it sitting on top of the kitchen worktop, it can make us feel that we have failed, even in the smallest of tasks, by not dealing with it.  That’s not really the case, but why allow yourself these energy drainers if you don’t need them in your life? Having a good old clear out to wash away the literal and metaphorical cobwebs can be a great way to recharge us.  Letting things go gives us space to focus on those things that are important to us.

There are so many reasons for us not wanting to let things go, particularly if there has been a traumatic event in our lives and the item holds some sentimental value for us.

So what to do..

Think about each room in your house or area in your life and/or business that might need decluttering and create a list of every job that needs doing, whether it’s finishing that tax return, cleaning out your wardrobes, sorting out your bills, other paperwork, or kitchen cupboards. Pop it all down on the list.

Set aside a few minutes each day to do one or two jobs on that list.  Ideally do the jobs that you really despise first because that will give you an enormous sense of achievement and might even give you an added sprinkle of enthusiasm for carrying on with the job too.  Failing that do as many of the smaller tasks that you can to start creating some momentum.

Often we don’t achieve what we want to because we see an overwhelming project that’s just too big to even start, so break it down into smaller chunks.  If you know you need to do your tax return paperwork but find yourself sitting in the middle of a pile of receipts with your head in your hands then start with one small task.  Step one – Set aside an envelope labelled with each month on it and start to sort your receipts into month order.  Step two might be to sort the receipts into date order, step three to log them etc.  As you start to take small steps you will realise that holding onto these tasks just creates a lack of concentration, uses up mental energy and wastes your time.

Letting go can feel really good.  Remember that by releasing the old you’re allowing in the new, whether that’s new shoes, new clothes or new business.

Want to learn more?  I like the decluttering questions they ask here.  More inspiration?  Pop on over to my Pinterest board here for some ideas.

I have a lovely guest next week as part of my ‘Be My Guest interview’ series and not only is she going to share some business ideas with you she is also going to give you some cleaning tips!  Watch this space.  (Not sure what I mean?  Click on this post here and here to find out more)

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