Spring is here! Time to SHED those winter blahs and lighten up! Are you getting ready for some spring cleaning? If so, I want to challenge you this year to think beyond the physical stuff that you might deep clean, dump or donate.

 

There are actually three categories in your life where you can look for clutter to SHED this spring: physical clutter, time clutter and habit clutter.

 

Physical Clutter

Most people could probably stand to release something from their physical space. Look for collections of items that are generally immobile, unused and excessive, as well as those that bring up negative emotions or that no longer feel relevant. Some common spring cleaning targets in your physical space include:

• Old magazines, newspapers and books
• Useless papers and files
• Unwearable clothing
• Unloved furniture and décor
• Excessive memorabilia
• Housewares or supplies
• Overstuffed storage areas

 

Time Clutter

Time and commitment clutter take the form of unfinished projects and to-dos, unfulfilled obligations, and cumbersome roles that bog you down, make you feel bad about yourself and zap you of energy.  They occupy space in your schedule that would be better used for something else. They may have energized you at some point, or perhaps they have always been a burden. In either case, they no longer serve you. Consider these candidates for de-cluttering your schedule:

• Responsibilities that belong to someone else
• Assignments whose scope has expanded out of control
• Committee work that is less rewarding than anticipated
• Roles that you cannot adequately fulfill
• Meetings with little value
• Projects that you started and can’t finish
• Unfulfilled promises/obligations
• Excessive number of incomplete to-dos

 

Habit Clutter

Habit clutter refers to the unconscious behavior that often produces time clutter. Bad habits often drive us to mindlessly pad our schedules with activities that provide little or no value. They steal hours every day, not only from actual time lost watching endless hours of TV, or coming up with (yet another) excuse for being late, but the energy you spend beating yourself up over it. All of that self-flagellation is clutter too—expending energy, effort and time that could be freed up for something energizing, productive and useful. By nipping your bad habits in the bud, you will solve one of the core problems of your overburdened schedule. Think about giving the heave-ho to the following habit clutter:

• Mindless escape (TV, email, internet, video game, shopping)
• Chronic lateness
• Procrastination
• Workaholism
• Perfectionism

 

SHEDing is a process for de-cluttering your life to make room for change. By letting go of the clutter in your physical space and schedule, you gain clarity, energy and insight to discover what’s really meaningful in your life.

 

Don’t let the idea of spring cleaning overwhelm you. Start by getting rid of just one piece of clutter, one task on your schedule, or one bad habit. See how much lighter you feel!

 

Where will you start this spring SHEDing process? Physical, time, or habit? In which realm do you think you have the most opportunity to de-clutter this spring?