In 2019, Marie Kondo started a tidying up revolution by urging us to throw out things that don’t ‘spark joy’.
People sitting in their overstuffed houses suddenly looked around them and asked…
“Do I really need all this stuff?”
People started flooding charities with endless boxes of crap they’d cleaned out.
Did it actually make anyone happier to have less possessions?
Or was the entire decluttering fad simply another exercise in baseless trend hopping?
I suspect that everyone who decluttered in 2019 has refilled their shelves with new possessions to fill the same void that led them into buying all that crap in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong, Marie is definitely onto something. I certainly believe that we don’t need material possessions to be happy.
But possession-hoarding is just a symptom of something bigger happening on the inside….
What else can you get rid of that doesn’t spark joy?
I decided to start a list…
Here’s what I’ve got so far.
1. Feeling guilty about the past
In the last few months, I’ve been calling many of my exes to make amends, apologise if necessary, and acknowledge them. I’ve been doing this with ex-friends too.
We can’t change our past. But we can take steps to acknowledge, repair, and move on.
2. Wasting time on Facebook
I’m already pretty good with this one. I do love a good scroll as much as the other person, but I’ve limited my ‘dawdle time’ to 30 mins a day, max.
And I’ve updated my Facey settings to only fill my feed with relevant content (ie: either business related or close friends-and-family stuff).
And… unfriended and unfollowed anyone that annoys me.
3. People with a negative mindset
The more I study the metaphysical and quantum physics, the more I realise that we create our own reality in multiple dimensions (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual….).
The energies we allow into our lives directly affect us… whether that energy is coming from other people or from within ourselves.
4. Checking email
Admittedly, this one’s already taken care of - my VAs triage my messages and send only the important ones to me. I’m putting it on this list in case I get the urge to visit my inbox.
5. Ridiculous to-do lists
I do 3-4 blocks of ‘work’ per day and that’s it. The rest of my time is spent learning something new, or doing something that nourishes me (mind, body or soul).
And you know what? I’m 10 times more productive than back when I was trying to do 100 things all at once.
6. Doing things myself
Unless I’m the best person in the world at doing something, or I really LOVE doing it… I’m hiring and delegating it to someone else.
7. Comparison
Comparing my own journey to others just leaves me feeling useless and miserable. And it’s such a bullshit thing to do. You cannot compare your Chapter 4 to someone else’s Chapter 11.
8. Being impatient
Ok, this one’s a pretty big challenge. As an entrepreneur, I want everything yesterday. I want the peak of the mountain. I want to see all of my ideas brought to life.
As I grow older I’m learning that patience is a major key to a fulfilled life. Being happy where I am now, instead of frustrated that I’m not 10 steps ahead.
I will get there. So I may as well enjoy the journey!
Some of these will be more difficult than others. But I’m giving it a go.
What can you Marie Kondo the hell outta your life?
Hit reply and let me know.
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