Now that you know what you want, filter out the non-essentials
Last week we asked you to evaluate and write down the 5 things you want this year. If you missed the article, you can read it here. The idea is to get clear on what you are aiming at and then to start actively working towards making them real.
One of the crucial next steps, in my mind, is filtering through the clutter. Often this clutter is the stuff that keeps us from edging forward toward those goals. It easily becomes the excuse for not starting. Author of Essentialism Greg McKeown speaks of the nonessential items that clutter our spaces and our minds. He uses the example of de-cluttering your cupboard. He says when we unpack our cupboard, and sort it into two piles – Keep and Don’t Keep – we should be asking ourselves whether we love and need the item before throwing it back into the cupboard (or keeping it in your mind). It is about letting go of the non-essentials so we can free up our time and space to pursue new and more meaningful goals.
I can really speak of how amazing this process of de-cluttering is. I went through a “closet cleanse” a year ago with the help of a wardrobe professional and realised how much stuff I keep that I don’t use, love, or need. Some of it we keep because it has some sentimental value, some of it because we aren’t quite ready to deal with the hurt, shame or memory it represents, and some of it just because.
Some of you may be asking “what on earth does my closet have to do with my goals or my list of things I want?”. My answer – EVERYTHING. It isn’t so much about the closet but about the process. See, we need to declutter our lives of things that are devoid of meaning or of things that are distracting us from what we want.
I love dancing and the story that comes to mind is one I remember so vividly from my high school years. I remember us lining up for practice for our Showstopper event, which we did every two years and cost my parents a pretty penny in dance costumes – thanks mom and dad. We were practicing for our rendition of the world famous Riverdance. This was the piece that every girl in the studio dreamed of being a part of – it was a real feather in the cap when you reached the necessary skill level to be selected. I remember how if a single person put their foot down at the wrong time we would hear STOP and the dreaded AGAIN! Every practice was about cleaning up our footwork. Removing unnecessary tips and taps. Focusing on mastering the essential movements that produced the perfect clean sound. Making sure we moved as one unit. So that we can eventually produce what I still remember as the most spectacular picture of alignment, grace, and the strangest balance of complexity and simplicity.
In working toward the list of things you want. You need to start looking for a rhythm, you need to start removing the non-essential movements and you need to start making peace with what you need to let go of.
Let me explain:
1. Look at your day-to-day habits and routines. What works for you and what works against you. What is taking you closer to who you want to become or your goals and what is not? Sometimes an external perspective may help. Hone in on getting the stuff that works in perfect tune and adjust or remove the stuff that is not driving you toward what you actually want.
2. Declutter your environment. Keep only the things you need now, know you will need in the future, or the things that bring you joy (Marie Kondo has some useful tips on this). Start small if you have to, but create some space to breathe.
3. Declutter your mind. Look for ways that help you reduce your mental load – or at least ways in which you and your household/team or organization can share the load. Have dedicated places for things so that you don’t keep looking for things. Have a shared calendar so everyone knows who needs what when (particularly useful in my home).
4. Realise that the process of simplification and finding a new rhythm isn’t a straight line. Sometimes getting rid of things or habits we’ve had for a long time can be very unsettling. There’s a level of familiarity and comfort in them, even if we know these things are holding us back. Reach out to someone if you are struggling and ask them to help you settle into your new rhythm.
We would love to be a part of your journey – should you want to know more about how we help individuals, teams and organisations find their rhythm, please get in touch.
Have a great weekend and thank you for taking the time to read what has been on our minds. Please share with anyone you think would find this valuable!
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
