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How Clearing the Clutter Changes Everything (& Makes Space for New)
It’s Springtime!
A time of renewal and rebirth… a time to gain clarity so you can check in on your entrepreneurial intuition so you can pivot, or continue moving in the direction you’re currently going. Tweet this episode!
Let’s do the “easy’ one first…
1. De-Clutter Your Environment
First, let’s clear the clutter on the outside. I challenge you to do a “clutterectomy”.
This means to choose one place in your surroundings and clear the clutter. Give things away, recycle others and throw away the rest. Take 30 minutes to an hour and do it. It can be your office space, closet, corner of a room – one place in your environment to clear.
You’re clearing the energy and making space for something new. I love giving away as much as I can, souvenirs from traveling, clothes, books, kitchen gadgets.
To me, it seems like the more you simplify, the more you gain clarity and inner peace. That’s when you can hear your own thoughts and follow your internal guidance.
(Have you ever heard me say that YOU are the greatest untapped resource in your business? This is one way to begin to really tap into that.)
2. De-Clutter Your Mind
Now, let’s clear out the clutter on the inside.
Mind Clearing
Create an X List.
Get a piece of paper – or a notebook – and write down everything that’s cluttering up your mind. All of your “to do’s”, all of your worries, all of your dreams – those that you think might not happen, all the things you start thinking about while you’re trying to get to sleep, the things your mind wants to go to when you’re trying to meditate.
Write down absolutely everything you can think of that’s taking up space in your mind. This might take 10 – 20 minutes.
There will be a TON of things you’re carrying around and regurgitating and rehashing and worrying about and regretting and on and on it goes…
Make sure not to judge yourself for those thoughts and feelings.
Did you hear me? Be kind to yourself.
Now, next to all the things you CANNOT control, those things that are going to happen anyway no matter how you would like to try and affect them and put a big fat X mark next to them, or better yet, just x out the whole thing!
As you’re crossing it off with an X, say to yourself or even better say out loud “I release this” or “I can let go of this” some statement that feels good to you that signifies you can let it go.
I call this the X list – those things that I cannot control that are taking up valuable mental, emotional and spiritual space in my life.
They are “energy suckers”. Now you can take this list and crumple it up, tear it into tiny little pieces or burn it. I’ve done all 3 and it feels GOOD to get rid of it.
Create a star list.
Next to the things you can control, those things you can affect with your thoughts and actions, put a big fat star!!!
Now, list the top 7 – 10 from this group. The top ones that are important for you to go after in your life and business. Put a number by them in order of priority between 1 and 3.
1 = important
2 = would be nice, but not necessary
3 = not necessary
If you feel stuck prioritizing them, think about the answer this question:
How important is this for me to actually feel fulfilled and happy in my life?
This will help you de-clutter you mind because every time you start thinking, worrying, rehashing the things on your X list, gently remind yourself “oh, I gave myself permission to release that…” and it gives you the clarity to laser focus on the things that DO matter and the things you have the ability to control. Click Here to grab your clearing clutter mindset shift exercise PDF
You have no released the things you cannot control and you have clarity on which things you can control that you really care about.
Create baby steps to start getting those moving.
Sometime in the next 10 days (schedule it now!) take an hour or even 1/2 an hour, de-clutter an area of your life on the inside and then do the exercise for decluttering on the inside and notice your feelings as you do so. Do you feel lighter, do you feel more open to the possibilities, more freedom, more lightness, less attachment?
And then be on the lookout for wonderful new people, clients, opportunities, ideas that come together and wonderful new experiences to come into your business and life.
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Perfect timing for this, Maritza! Though I was doing a little clean-up here and there over the weekend I did not do it with intention and I definitely did not include my mental space. I like how you distinguish between what I have control over and what I do not. I find I and most other people experience stress and upset when we try to control the things we have no control over. This exercise is going to lift a weight off my shoulders.
Thanks Jodi! Yes, looking at and realizing the things we have no control over is so helpful for me – I can stop struggling and let that go!
This weekend I dropped off a bunch of stuff at the goodwill but didn’t even think about clearing out my mind. I like your X list and will try that before I start every morning as I create my to do’s and must do’s for the day.
Dino, Wow way to do it! I’ve never thought of doing this as part of a morning ritual – thanks for this new twist. <3
Hi Maritza, declutter is definitely one of my favorite thing to do. Declutering the external sure helps to declutter the internal! 😉
SO true for me, the simpler and more uncluttered, the better.
Thanks for the guidance Maritza. I have made a list on my whiteboard of what I need to de-clutter. Will tackle each one and then be ready to go with a clean slate. What a difference that will make all thanks to your great podcast once again providing valuable info to keep taking entrepreneurs another step ahead every day!
Yeah, I really need this today. For me, mind clutter isn’t just annoying, it can be debilitating. With too many ideas, goals, concepts swirling around, sometimes I can get paralyzed. Thanks for pushing me to take the step to set it right! Great info!
It’s the stuff we cannot control than ends up controlling us with that “paralysis” feeling – so glad this helped!
clutterectomy… whew. The visual I get from that word is pretty darn powerful.
I love that you are suggesting recycling things… give them away or find another use for it.
I like to go to family members first to see if they want something I am giving away first.
My kids have done amazing things recycling items.
If noone wants the items, to Goodwill it goes.
Great post and audio.
Maritza! Love cleaning, organizing and DEcluttering! And certainly…not just the physical things…but our mental and emotional thoughts which hold us captive from creating forward positive momentum ! Super great post ! Heartfelt !
I have never been good at the declutter. I think you’ve got a great system here and I’m excited to embrace it.
Spring is a wonderful time to be doing this. I like this philosophy of Marie Kondo’s that makes decluttering the outside fun and helps you learn to follow your intuition – touch the item and do a “joy” check, and if it doesn’t “spark joy” in your life, toss it.
Decluttering the inside, that’s a whole other story. And you really captured a fantastic strategy here for that!
Thanks so much Maritza.
Maritza, I love the idea of ” giving myself permission to “declutter” my space as well as my mind. I love the do spring cleaning but I often feel insecure about what to do with stuff and can feel even a little guilty about throwing things out. If I give myself permission to do it, I can enjoy the process as well as the results. Thank you so much.
You knew my mind needed to experience some spring cleaning! Saturday morning 10:00 am EDT scheduled declutter one space and the x-list… thanks Maritza for bringing an intentional (!) mindfulness to the process.
Charlotte, I love that you’ve already made a date with yourself for this!! *doublehighfive*