Marie Knows…

Masterful Mindsets ~ Clearing Physical and Mental Clutter to Spark Joy

“Imagine yourself living in a space that only contains things that spark joy.” ~ Marie Kondo

Question: 

Does what you are hanging on to physically and mentally spark joy or get in your way? Are you holding on to things from the past or afraid to let go because of fear for the future?  Are you ready to spring clean the physical and mental clutter from your life?

Action Challenge:

Marie Kondo is all the rage these days. The reason why I think she’s become so popular is because she’s really good at helping people see the mental connection to the physical clutter. And she’s even better at helping people release that connection so they can let go of the clutter. I will admit, I have never seen a full episode of her show. (I don’t spend a lot of time watching TV.) But what I have seen, has inspired me to give some of her catch phrases a try.

I’ve done this in conjunction with a commitment I made a few weeks ago to do a little spring cleaning around my house. The concept I took on was, “40 Bags in 40 Days”. Meaning collect a bag a day for 40 days, of things you no longer want or need and get rid of it. I quickly got my family on board and we set off to complete the feat. We are now half way through and although admittedly we have not cleared a bag every single day, we have managed to clear a lot of clutter from our life. And guess what? As a result of cleaning the physical clutter, it has energized me mentally. It is truly amazing how clearing the physical clutter can affect your mental state. Interestingly enough, it might just be your mental state that’s keeping you from clearing the clutter. Seriously, if you look closely enough, you can see a correlation between your physical surroundings and your mental state. So, let’s figure out what might be getting in your way of clearing the clutter…

According to Marie, there are usually two reasons we can’t let go: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future. Sound familiar? My guess is, these are the same reasons you let your mind get full of mental clutter. The negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, fears and worries that hold you back from going after your dreams and that keep you from creating more joy in your life. Think about that goal or dream you have… what’s been keeping you from achieving it? An attachment to something that happened in the past or a fear for the future? Interesting isn’t it? So how do you clean the mental and physical clutter? Well, I think Marie is on to something when she says that you keep what sparks joy and you say thank you and good bye to what doesn’t.

So I gave it a try… and guess what? It totally worked! As I sifted through items, I realized that there were many things that I was hanging on to from the past because I was attached to them for various reasons (Yes, I did still have the dress I wore for my 10th reunion, which was 20 years ago!) and some of the items, I had been hesitant to get rid of because I was afraid that I might need them in the future. (Ummm… hello 8-year-old home spa product that I have NEVER even opened nor will I actually EVER use!)

As I pulled each thing out, I assessed whether it actually sparked joy for me or if I was hanging on to it for one of the reasons above. Then I said thank you and good bye. It felt fantastic! It felt so good to let go of so much old baggage. (I honestly laughed at myself for even having kept those things for so long.)

Can you see the metaphor in all this? Mental clutter – our attachment to the past and our fear of the future is weighing us down and holding us back from making room for new things that are available to come into our lives. The baggage we carry with us every day does not spark joy! Quite the contrary. So, don’t you think it’s time to sort through it and get rid of what isn’t serving you anymore?

My challenge to you is to think about the areas of your physical and mental environment that are cluttered with things that it’s time to let go of. That old story or belief from the past that holds you back. That fear of the future that keeps you from taking a step forward. The stuff that weighs you down… It’s time to say thanks for trying to keep me safe but good bye!  It’s time to let go of what doesn’t spark joy for you and clear out the clutter from your life.

Not sure where to start? Well, watch an episode of Marie Kondo, grab some boxes or bags and then get moving around your home to clear the physical clutter. As for the mental clutter, sign up for a free Strategy Session with me and let me help you clear the mental clutter that’s weighing you down and holding you back from creating more joy in your life!

***Then be sure to join me tomorrow, Tuesday, March 26th at 11am PT/2pm ET for Facebook Live on my Facebook Biz Page: Coach Michelle Weimer. I’ll be sharing more about clearing the physical and mental clutter from your life!