Yay, it is Spring!

And what a lovely season it is – it truly is my favorite time of the year. New growth everywhere. The trees are turning green, the flowers are blooming and the weather is becoming warmer (well at least in Gauteng). With spring comes a burst of energy that gives most of us a jolt of new life and potentially some new resolutions to end the year off on a strong note. Whether this in the form of spring cleaning the house, decluttering, organizing your wardrobe, or finally being able to get out of bed early enough to go for that early morning run – doesn’t really matter what form it takes – growth and declutter is the theme of the season.

I would like to table one other form of declutter for your Spring resolution: The declutter of your mental space. This form of declutter is essential and should most certainly be prioritized this time of the year, as everyone starts gearing up for the final part of the year. This last stretch of the year is usually filled to the brink with deadlines and social commitments, final exams at schools and universities and trying to get our summer bodies back after a long winter. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the clutter of these commitments and responsibilities.

So how do we go about decluttering our mental space?

I have a few ideas I would like to share:

1. Start by clearly prioritizing what is important in your life. Think about what you value. What do you care about? What are the non-negotiables? This becomes the foundation from which you make your decisions about what stays and what goes in terms of commitments, things and what you expend your mental energy and attention on.
2. Stop and think about what you are thinking about. Your most valuable asset is not just your time, but also your attention. Spend time reflecting on what you are thinking about most often. Journaling can be very useful. Once you are aware of what you are thinking about, evaluate whether it really is useful to be spending so much of your mental resources on these topics. You can use step one to evaluate this.
3. Create the distinction between investing and spending your time and energy. When you feel like you are spending your time and energy it feels short lived and not very gratifying: Think about when you spend your money on airtime versus when you invest your money in a home. This distinction creates the feeling that you are doing something valuable and meaningful versus mundane. You can use your values (step one) to help you gain perspective here.
4. Spring clean and declutter your physical environment. It gives you a sense that you have more space to breath. You can even get someone to help you with this. There are some amazing professionals that can help.
5. Prioritize sleep. This should probably be the one step in the list that should be repeated to really emphasise its importance. Mike Tyson once said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face” – I would like to add my personal touch to this quote – everyone has a plan until they don’t sleep (being the mom of two young girls this is a reality for me). When you feel tired you cannot function effectively and cannot see the wood for the trees. Everything feels exhausting and draining. Make sleep a priority – sleep enough, set yourself up for a good night’s rest by making your bedroom a sleep sanctuary.
6. Be grateful for what you have. Not just material things. Your health, your family, your opportunities – get creative and spend time meditating on these things. An attitude of gratitude really does help declutter the mind.
7. Do one thing a week just for you. Sounds simple enough but in my recent conversations I have realized how bad we are at this. We don’t even know where to start. Think about what you really do enjoy doing, it doesn’t have to cost anything per say. And just do it! Go for that walk, take a nap, paint your toenails, sit in the sun, take a long bath, go play a round of golf or game of tennis. Do it alone or do it with others – just make sure you are doing it for you.
8. Lastly, and by no means the least, STOP taking responsibility for everyone else’s lives, drama, and to do lists. It is not yours to own. I am not saying don’t help when you can and want to. But all too often we burden ourselves with the psychological responsibility to save the day – to be the superhero – in other people’s stories without them even asking us to play that role. And then we become upset and disgruntled when they don’t thank us for playing the role, they never asked us to play. We fill our days with these responsibilities often toward people who aren’t even the most important people in our lives and the people who are the most important end up getting the least from us. Declutter the commitments you make.

If you are unsure how to articulate your values we would love to help. Our guided coaching process helps people explore their unique contribution and values to really help you prioritize and be the best version of yourself.

We truly hope you have a lovely weekend (and let’s hope the Springboks show up this week)!

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.