We are moving!

Usually, you will hear me talking about de-cluttering your mind, i.e. getting it all out of your head, getting it clear, getting rid of the things you don’t want or need, and keeping only the good stuff – the stuff that supports you.

Well, this week, I am going to flip that. As our topic is change, and I myself am in the midst of a big change in the form of a move to Europe, I’m going to get you thinking about de-cluttering your physical space, to create more mental space.

That’s right. The physical act of doing a big clear out can significantly impact your sense of organization, clarity and direction.  It also means, that when change comes along, you are more organized and ready to face it. Or like me, pack it all up and ship it half way across the world.

Being organized helps us have more time to do the things we want to do and is very important to our mental health. If every time you have to do a task, you need to tidy up first, or find something first, it makes it seem much more difficult and time consuming.

Taking the time to organize your workspace, your living space and your email space, frees you up mentally and physically.

Here are a few of the physical de-clutter things that I do regularly, and am doing more of now, as we prepare for our move:

• Everything has a home. When you take something out of its home, make a habit of putting it back when you are done. Then, you always know where it is, and you don’t waste time and mental energy looking for and wondering where it is

• Clear out your closet with the seasons. This one is hard to do, and I will admit from time to time I find this challenging. With every change of season, root through your closet and THROW OUT anything that is worn out, past it’s sell-by date, too small, too big, or you have never worn. Better still, take it to the charity shop, if it’ still in relatively good nick.

• Keep the workspace clear. Every evening, when you clock out for the day, spend the last 5-10 minutes clearing your desk space, filing papers and throwing out any junk. This is true for you whether you work from home or in an office. You will feel all the better for it, physically and mentally, as you relax into your downtime. PLUS, when you start into it all the next day, you start from an organized, clear space. And that feels good!

• Keep your inbox clear. This one used to really build up on me, until I learned that the best way to free myself from my inbox was to manage it ruthlessly and regularly. I operate on a ‘touch it once’ policy. I read each email once and then apply the 4D’s principle: Do it now. Dump it. Decide later (I try to limit these to a very small number). Delegate it. This way I try to eliminate any double effort, where I revisit emails a number of times, and allow the contents to ramble around in my mind taking up valuable space. Also, once I am done with an email it’s either deleted or filed. Sometimes, that’s not always possible (or I fall off the wagon), so every week I schedule a short space of time (30mins or so) to spend managing my inbox and getting it clear.

These are all stepping up a notch in our place right now, in preparation for the move. I’m starting to get even more ruthless with all of the ‘stuff’ we accumulate over time. Every day sees a little more of it leave our possession, and it feels good.

Bring on those moving boxes. I am ready for you!

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