‘DE–CLUTTERING’ FOR 2018
For months, I had eyed that corner of my living room surreptitiously. It was a massive mess. So many wires purposelessly entangled with so many cables. I had seen that part of my family room so many times, but I dared not do anything about it, I was so worried about disconnecting the wrong wire and messing up the whole connection. I just left it alone until this New year, when I decided to take the bull by the horn. As I disentangled and disconnected the mess, it turned out that most of the cables and wires were useless and unnecessary. There was one particular wire that was very long, very thick and very black. It bound the other wires so tightly (enough to choke the life out of the entire system) but it had no connection to any source. Even though it was bold and thick, it was still useless. That wire made me start to think … I thought about all the meaningless entanglements that complicate and make my life stressful…almost choking the life out of me.
In this new year, it is crucial that we re-assess our busy lives and consider what we really want out of this year. Who and what needs go? Who and what needs to stay? Who and what adds no value…? Not only will this simplify our lives, it will eliminate unnecessary clutter and purposeless entanglements which just act as STRESSORS.
To enable you ‘de-clutter’ in this New year you must:
- WRITE DOWN 3-5 THINGS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO ACHIEVE IN 2018. Place this list where you can read it daily in an order you clarify your goals and identify steps you need to take to move forward. Ensure your goals are realistic to your situation and recognise what is within your control and what is not.
- DAILY CREATE AN “I WILL DO ONE THING TODAY” LIST. Action always starts with one. When there are too many things in your bucket, you may get stressed out even before you start.
- BEGIN TO “CHUNK” TIME. This involves things like doing all grocery shopping on Saturday morning, cooking on Sunday afternoon and visiting on Sunday evenings. This allows prioritization and creating more time for activities that inspire and interest you.
- LEARN TO DO WITHOUT THINGS THAT ARE NOT NEEDED. Identify needless acquisitions. The more you spend, the more you need to earn and the more you need to earn, the more pressure you put on yourself.
- START TO SAY ‘NO’ TO PURPOSELESS ENTANGLEMENTS. Before making any commitments always ask ‘Must I?’Unnecessary entanglements only complicate life and can act as major stressors.
There is no better time than now to do a self-audit, reviewing the things you have to adjust, improve upon or simply eliminate in 2018.
Don’t forget – The body keeps the score!!
Best Regards,
Chiadi Ndu
& all of us @ BTH Wellness and Therapy