So here it is – the moment of truth (or at least, one of them). You come home… You arrive and put your things in the pile of things by the door. You pass by the stairs (you’ve left something there, too, that you meant to take up – they’ve been sitting there for a week or longer). You go to your table to eat, only to move some of the items or mail you have yet to go through.
Then, you take a gander at your office or spare room that has taken on a life of its own. So, ok, maybe you aren’t on the TV Show Hoarders, but you have a bit of your own issue with letting go. Don’t worry, you are not alone. The time has come to clean and clear the clutter… yes that means PURGE!
Every year, I make a list of those piles of things, I call them irritations. They might be spaces, corners, closets or rooms that you know need attention but get postponed for another time. Only the time has now gone from days, to weeks, to months, and for some of you very special ones, it’s been years.
Well here is what you may know but didn’t want to realize. All those untouched irritations are really just keeping you from feeling free. That’s right, keeping you from TRUE FREEDOM. Those things are limiting your creative juices, keeping your energy low, bogging you down. Sounds like a little thing, but here is the truth. Those little things that bother you add up! When you address a little thing, you get what is called momentum. That’s right, it’s AKA energy. This is what we all need to move forward.
Here is the deal that I did this last week. I had already started a pile of “sleep ware.” Truth be told, I love my PJ’s, but, I decided some just had to go. I started a pile in the hallway, the perfect place to continue the irritation to make sure I moved these items out.
I then thought of all the other items I had in my closet, “holding on too.” And, then I began to think about the meaning of being in sync. There was a conflict right? So I needed to resolve this. I went through each hanger and looked at each item with this simple thought: If I am not using this, can someone else be served better by having it? If the answer was YES, it came off the hanger and into the bag. It was that simple, or was it?
I then found a pair of jeans that were more than 20 years old!!!! Ok, so they were old, but they still fit! Maybe they will come back in style I thought to myself. Then the question came to mind and the answer was simple. Those jeans could be better served by someone who needs them. I do not. Decision done, jeans gone! Here are two charities that will take your clothing donations and make sure they get to someone who really needs them: The Women’s Alliance and Dress For Success.
Some more tips that might help you during YOUR purge:
-Make a list of all the areas in your home and office that are irritations.
-Pick one area a quarter to focus on and clear
– A great tip from one of my girlfriends if you are working on your closet, if you haven’t worn it in over a year, or last season, it gets donated.
– Gym Clothes, it’s really ok to let it go. The one with the holes might be comfortable but it’s not cute. If you don’t feel your best in it, let it go.
– Stay hydrated. Going through things can take time and focus. It helps to have a fresh glass of your favorite drink right next to you during the process.
– Have FUN with it all. Laugh at yourself. If you can’t laugh at my keeping a pair of jeans for over 20 years that I never wear, then you are missing out.
Life is funny. We do funny things. Let your purge be a sign that you are ready to move on and be in service to others who need what you don’t want anymore.