No, it’s not a sale! I’m here to tell you it’s not too late to do your ‘spring cleaning!’ Have you ever felt stuck in a rut? Tired of the same old, same old? Can’t figure out how to move forward? Know you’re not 30 something anymore but you’re also not dead yet? Yeah – that kind of muck. Here are 3 simple steps to clearing space in your home to help you move forward.
1 – Set an intention: An intention, as defined by Dictionary.com, is an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result. Keep it simple and achievable. For me it was “I am moving into the woman I am and letting go of from my past.” I wrote it on a huge piece of post-it paper and hung it ceremoniously during this event. It meant donating clothes I had not worn in a year or more, shredding business plans and ideas that had not come to fruition, and (gasp) tossing or donating physical items that kept me anchored in past relationships that no longer serve me (certainly a blog post to come on that one!).
2 – Rent a Friend: I cannot be left to my own devices when it comes to this type of project so I invited someone in who could be ruthless with any wavering thoughts. I created the list (bedroom closet, overhead storage shelves, office, kitchen) and outlined the time. We were to work together from 10am until 4pm with one lovely hour for lunch. While Marta was terrific at being ruthless, I have to be honest and say at times it felt like I was ripping a bandaid off a wound. Somehow I survivied.
3 – Celebrate and honor your accomplishments: I put on my tiara, took this photo, and we walked out 10 bags of trash and recycles and 6 bags of donations. There was one small bag left to ‘review’ and since I haven’t looked at it since I did this project, I would like to believe I can just toss it, but let me not be overly dramatic.
So now what?!? Well, I hoped for miracles of course. I hoped that the next day would bring me more business, more people in my life, and a better feeling of me at 50+. But it didn’t happen like that at all. Not even close. I couldn’t even write about it until today, nearly one month later. And as I sit here today, I can finally FEEL the shift. I got dressed for business this morning instead of being in workout clothes. I had a meeting with a lovely woman who is compassionate about Health at Every Size (R). I am signing 2 contracts for speaking later this summer. I have UMASS dancers gathering here tomorrow night to celebrate their lives in NYC. I feel confident with having lived 50+ years and the wisdom that brings.
Conclusion? Yes – change is difficult if not painful. Yes – change needs a sense of purpose. Yes – change is HARD. But creating a powerful intention, setting the steps in motion, celebrating the accomplishment (like me and my tiara!) and then trusting DEEPLY the results will become evident – those are reasons to embrace a Summer Clearance.
Wishing you peace and faith in your process.
