I recently went through an exercise where I cleaned and organized my entire office, getting rid of tons of books, electronics, and old papers that were no longer serving me. Since before graduating college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, I’ve had a dream to become a software engineer, so I kept my college textbooks to help me get there. Fast forward to the present, and I’m a Certified Professional Executive Coach with my own business and a desire to help everyone I meet. Not the same dream I had back in college.
When I finally decided to donate my textbooks to a local college and removed them from my shelves, I realized that they had been holding me back. Just by being on my shelf, they were taking up space in my mind and kept a part of me wondering “well what if one day…”. Having the books just sit there was preventing me from concentrating on my future of coaching. Removing materials related to any other career than the one I want and am striving for helped clear my mind and focus my attention. My office is now neater, more organized, and filled with resources that will help me be successful.
Purging is a great exercise to go through from time to time to ensure that you’re surrounding yourself with items that help drive you towards your goals. This can be a regular task (i.e., once a year) or happen ad-hoc (i.e., when you change goals or are in a cleaning mood). Books were the biggest creativity blockers in my office. You may have photos, vision boards, or papers that are your barriers. Removing unnecessary items from your surroundings allows you to focus on what really matters to you.
We’re talking about removing physical items from your presence, but this also pertains to thoughts. If you give heed to old notions that were holding you back before, they’re still going to hold you back even though your office is cleaner. Write down your fears, concerns, and worries that have been preventing you from reaching your goals and change them! You can ignore ideas that don’t suit you and focus on those that drive the results you wish to see. And you can help others do this, as well! By focusing on what you want to achieve, you are far more likely to succeed. If you get your whole team to change their attitude, that will be a massive benefit to the entire company. Keep a close eye on “what” you’re striving for and the “how” will follow.
The process of purging is very cleansing and can reboot your life. Notice I said process. It may take a while to let go of your baggage from the past, and that’s okay! Every little bit counts and with every old item or thought you remove from your life, that’s one step closer you are to your goals. Reach out to me if you’re looking to partner with someone to help you declutter and move forward.