New Year, New You: We're Missing the Point
I spent 30 minutes the other day emptying drawers and shelves in my home.
You might know I’m a mega-fan of purging. Having moved states a handful of times and moved countries (with a family) more than once, traveling light has not only become necessary but a sanity saver.
This kind of emptying is different though. This was about removing what I no longer want and what no longer serves me to make room for all the things I’m calling in for 2020 and beyond.
Clothes I haven’t worn for a year — donated.
Expired spices — tossed.
Notebooks with ideas I’ve already explored — recycled.
Last year’s day planner — reviewed and recycled.
Clearing my space of things I no longer use or love not only creates physical space, but it gives me room to think. Room to breathe so I can direct my energy on creating new things, putting my work out there, and focusing on the future.
If you have trouble thinking straight in a crowded room, cooking in a dirty kitchen, or working at a cluttered desk, you’re not alone. If there’s a pile of dishes in the sink, I have to clear them before I begin cooking. Even if it’s just boiling water to make coffee.
Decluttering before you begin isn’t procrastination — it’s an act of self-care.
It’s a new year, and while you’re cracking open your crisp new day planners, popping the lids off your fancy gel pens, and tacking a glossy new calendar to the wall, I can’t help but wonder if we’re doing it wrong.
In a world where we’re accumulating more — knowledge, ideas, clutter, to instead work on less new and more purging.
What if new year, new you isn’t the best use of your focus?
I mean, we’re constantly changing and evolving anyway, so really, you’re already new. You’re newer than you were last year. And what’s wrong with the old you anyway? Old, new, changing, we’re all works in progress; let’s make this the year we embrace it.
By creating a space that feels good to make stuff in, you’ll make better stuff. And when you build better stuff, your people will enjoy it, it will create an impact, and then you’ve got your ripple effect.
It sounds simple, and it can be. It can be as unfussy as setting a timer for 3 minutes, clearing any old shit that’s no longer helping you before beginning anything new. I do this twice a day at my desk — when I shut ‘er down at the end of the day, I gather dishes, empty LaCroix cans and kombucha bottles, and any scribbled notes that I don’t need and put them away.
Then, in the morning, as I settle in to crack my fingers, and slip on my writing gloves, I scan my surroundings for things that are out of place. Bills that need scanning and filing, mail that needs to go out, used up candles that have served their purpose — I spend a minute and deal with them all so that I can sit down to write and coach with clean energy.
If you’re not feeling the new year, new you, here are are some ideas to explore:
Empty out your space with no intention of filling it back up. Leave it empty.
What if that new body you want, new pair of boots, or new bank account balance is waiting for you to make the physical space?
If you’re looking to grow your savings, create a new savings account and name it after what you’re saving for.
That new shirt, bag, yoga mat, or pair of shoes you’re craving? Did you clear space on your shelf for it to fit?
Single and wishing for the love of your life and a happily ever after? Is there room on the other side of your bed? Is there somewhere for them to place their clothes in your closet? Is there even space for them to park their car in the driveway?
Less makes way for more. Less stuff means more space — more room to think, grow, and invite in all the things you hadn’t even imagined.
Make the space and stay open to what you wish to welcome in this year. Or carve out the space, and merely enjoy the space.
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