The Big Peace

I’m feeling a bit knocked for six this past week. So I’ve booked myself into a three day retreat this weekend. (www.simplyhealingcentre.com) where I can give myself some TLC.

All week, I’ve found myself starting to clear out drawers and throw out stuff. This weekend, I can focus on clearing my body and my mind a bit.

For me, it’s about focussing on what’s important. This week I have been reminded in rather an awful way about what really matters in life – the people we love. The rest is details. Stuff, more stuff, all the crap, that fills our lives and brains. None of it matters. And sometimes it gets in the way of what really does.

Here is an an exercise on de-cluttering if anyone wants to join me this week focussing on what IS important:

Step one: Ask yourself a big question. I have a theory that filling your life with junk is a great way of hiding. When you’re surrounded by clutter, it slows you down and distracts you. Clutter is a sign you’re afraid. Unconsciously, you distract yourself with falling over the small stuff so you don’t have to face the fear of dealing with the big stuff. The more clutter and junk you have in your life,  diet and in your cupboards, the more scared you are.

If the clutter around you is a distraction – what are you scared of? It can be of the next step, demons from your past, a big situation in the future that requires you to leap out of your comfort zone. Stop hiding in denial, stop hiding in the clutter and get real. Get out a piece of A4 paper and complete the sentence. Right now I’m afraid of…….Write for 10 minutes without taking your pen off the paper. Now you can deal with the real issue versus the symptom. Create an action plan of how to confront your fear head on – what do you need to do? Have a conversation with your boss? Talk to a counselor? Make a scary phonecall?

Step two: What is your junk currently costing you? This can be a very motivating question. What is your junk costing you – financially, emotionally, energetically and physically? Put a figure on it. This question very often makes me cry. But it definitely makes me take action.

Step three: Now tackle the clutter with this three question strategy? How are you going to do it? (I’m a big fan of Leo at Zen Habits, as you know. Click here for more practical stuff on the how.) When are you going to do it by? Why are you doing it? When exactly are you going to clear the desks? Create a de-junking weekend and get the whole family involved or set at time and date and commit to de-junking a corner/drawer/cupboard in one hour with a friend and then report back on your progress. Friends can help you be more ruthless. Stick the answer to the ‘why’ question around your house. It is incredibly motivating to know the real reason you are de-junking is because you ‘want to make space for wonderful new opportunities to flood into your life’ or to ‘clear your house and mind so you can make the big decision’.