It’s January and time to take on a big subject. It’s the middle of the month and I‘ve been procrastinating about writing this because it’s such a scary subject for me. I was actually hoping for the polar vortex to come along with some dreaded snow to trap me in front of my computer. So here I am. No snow in sight.
We let go of things every day (think trash/recycle/thoughts). So why is it so difficult to let go of certain things? If you’re living in a home with other people, they may have a different idea of what needs to be kept around than you do. In most cases there are reasons – “I need this item; it reminds me of…” “The children might want it (they are only 9 and 10 now but…)” “It was given to me by my great Aunt Tillie. Tillie has passed on but if I donate it somehow she will be offended…” Our homes become this repository for memories. So why is January different?
First of all, after you take down all those Christmas decorations and hopefully donate or throw out the ones that don’t work for you anymore, in a way our homes feel a bit naked. We have tremendous opportunity to make a fresh start. We are also in the house more – time to take a critical view of what our surroundings look like. There is so much of life lived in our homes, they support us in our ability to get up and go out into the world. If you’re hanging on to what was, you’re not allowing a space for what can be in this year ahead.
So what are your top priorities for the year ahead?
Is it better health? Relationships? Adventure? Career? Money? Learning?
What is the clutter in your life costing you? What’s the meaning to you of keeping all that stuff? What’s it costing you to hang onto the past?
Life is constant balancing. Is something not happening for you because of disorganization? Is your home a reflection of how you see yourself now?
So be realistic. Change does not happen overnight. Approach yourself with great compassion. Let go of things that you don’t need to create a new future. Respect the past. Learn from it. Let go.