It supported some themes that are so obvious that at times we simply overlook them.
We’re all creatures of habit…
Bad habits cannot simply be eliminated. They must firstly be ‘replaced’ with others.
We fill up most of the physical spaces we have with “stuff”…
It seems to me that it doesn’t matter how many cupboards, shelves or wardrobe spaces we have, that until all the cupboards, shelves and every spare inch of hanging space is full, only then, will we stop buying things to fill those spaces.
Want more clothes?
Go through your wardrobe and storage areas and take to your local donation centre everything that you haven’t worn in 24 months. Get rid of anything that doesn’t feel or look just right when you wear it.
Want to Go places?
If you want to be freer to go where you want to, when you want to and with new transportation - clean out your glove compartments and boot of your car. And for heaven’s sake, get those little things fixed that have been bugging you.
Want more wealth?
Unhook from the investments and resources that have been nagging at you to change.
A theme of mine this year is “cut my losers quicker”.
On this same subject (wealth creation) give more than usual to someone or something that inspires you.
Want to feel more useful?
Give away anything that you are under-utilizing to someone who can employ it better.
Want some new visions for your life and work?
Clean up and organize your boxes of old photographs.
Want to know what to do with your life when you grow up?
Start by cleaning the centre drawer of your desk.
Similarly, our brain is a computer with a fixed amount of storage space.
Granted it is a very large computer with an enormous amount of storage capacity, but it still has a limit. Your psyche therefore has a certain quota of open loops and incompletions that it can tolerate, after which time it will unconsciously block engagement with new material if it has reached its limit.
So release some memory, close out unfinished business, delete half baked projects, conclude failed relationships and simply wind up matters that have stalled with little chance of reactivation.
Purge old energy.
In our MPi Christmas message we talked about one of the reasons to reflect on the year just gone is to acknowledge the things that did not go well and the people you had issues with. This leaves you free to move ahead unencumbered by the negative thoughts that swirl around those people and events.
So get rid of all the old energy in the business you’ve done. Are there ...
- Any open loops left with any of your clients/work colleagues?
- Any agreements or disagreements that have not been completed or resolved?
- Any agendas and communications that need to be expressed?
David nailed it with his summary…
Clean the slate.
You will have to do all this anyway, sometime.
For a little while worry less about the new. It’s coming towards us all at lightning speed, no matter what. Just get the decks clear so you’re really ready to rock ‘n’ roll.
So make some space and get ready for 2014.
This is based on article written by David Allen as it appeared recently on the “welldoing” web site www.welldoing.co.uk . David is the author of Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity .