Creating space
Go into your closet, basement, garage, storage unit, anywhere you have stuff you don’t use every day and have a look around. Rifle through a few boxes. Examine the clothes on hangers that haven’t moved in months. Have a few laughs, maybe even a few tears, as you find a few gems you forgot were in there.
Now the hard part that you could probably see coming. Get rid of some of this stuff.
I live in a 715 square foot condo (that includes a garage and basement storage unit). Despite the modest size, I still have possessions that I can only label as “things; acquisitions of stuff.” A few items that stick out and beg the question why do I still have this?
- A pair of two-year-old, half-a-size-too-big winter boots that I’ve never worn
- Three sets of Bluetooth headphones
- A once-used rice cooker next to an unopened food processor (I have some hope for these)
- Hats, lots of hats
- The majority of the contents in my kitchen junk drawer and hallway linen closet
It doesn’t take long for a lot of us to realize the clutter of unnecessary items we own. We’re a fortunate bunch if this is the case really.
Fewer people though do this exercise with their minds.
Many of us maneuver through our days with a lot of “stuff” in our heads. It’s not our to do lists or cognitive energy put forth towards our work and relationships, but a hodgepodge of continuous chatter. This stream of consciousness, meandering thinking about nothing in particular, when left unchecked, often leads to the same destination — judgment, inner ridicule and an uncontrolled ego that runs amok in a fantasy world instead of in the reality that’s actually your life.
When’s the last time you took a look around to examine what kind of clutter was up there? What thoughts dominate your inner world? What stuff is there that’s taking up space but serves little to no value like half the stuff in that kitchen junk drawer?
Getting rid of things often has a negative connotation. We’re not supposed to quit. We’re supposed to hold on to things in hopes they gain value over time. But when it’s clear they’ve become junk, clutter, worthless outside of some arbitrary value we’ve assigned it, it’s time to make some decisions, including their grounds for removal.
Changing your thinking is hard. Forming new habits is arduous. Throwing away or adjusting paradigms and preconceived notions challenges who you think you are and should be.
This process of letting go is not going to go over well with your ego and inner critic. They’re hoarders. They take and take and just pile things all over the place. Relinquishing control, especially when they’ve been in the driver’s seat for a long time, threatens their very existence.
While the ultimate goal here is to eventually walk around the world with a clear head, light heart and an open mind, this doesn’t happen magically.
Awareness leads to identifying leads to removing which leads to creating space to allow you to live life in the real world and outside the cluttered confines of your tangled brain.
Clutter doesn’t disappear when you attempt to will it away. It first takes awareness to understand that your house — literally or figuratively — needs some cleaning up. Practice catching yourself in negative thought loops, moments of judgment or simply when you’re feeling distracted by your mind. Then just pause. This, by itself, is a huge first step, especially if you’re not used to doing so.
Next is identifying what’s junk and what’s of value without judging yourself. The goal is to reallocate some resources and get rid of some things, but this doesn’t mean tearing yourself down for having a mess. Cooking a fantastic dinner shouldn’t result in a spotless kitchen right after. It’s part of the process. Now if several days later it’s still a disaster, then that’s another issue. But otherwise, take the time to clean it up!
Lastly, once you’ve done some work of removing the clutter, the mess, the muck, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Now you have time to go outside, take a walk, connect with humans you love, pet a dog, play with your kids, read a book, go for a bike ride, watch a movie, play an instrument, learn a new skill and on and on the list goes. Think about what brings you joy, peace, calm, excitement and go do more of that with this newfound space you’ve created for yourself and others.
