One simple change can become like an echo bouncing off the walls of a canyon. Where do you need to make changes in your life and what will happen if you do?
I asked my son-in-law for a start of a schefflera plant. What he gave me were five small starts in one pot. Now one schefflera in the house can get up to four feel and outside it can grow into a tree but I took the pot and put it in my collection of houseplants. It got rather bushy.
One day I transplanted those five starts into separate pots. Some had grown crooked because of the crowding. I staked those to help them straighten up. Others had more growth on one side than the other, again because of having been planted so closely. The growth of the plants had been hampered by their crowded condition. That’s one outstanding reason for lightening up – creating room for balanced expansion and growth. However, it’s what happened to the space that was left behind that caught my attention.
Once I removed that one big plant and replaced it with just one of the transplanted scheffleras the whole plant corner transformed. It became more balanced. You could see the other plants. You could appreciate them for their uniqueness and their individual conformation. You could admire the planters I had chosen.
All because I modified one area that was overcrowded.
What is crowded in your life?
The perk is not only a more impactful plant corner but now I have four repotted individual plants in other parts of the room to give me additional pleasure. I can even give some of the transplants away as gifts.
So I looked at my life to see what was crowded and what I could “transplant.”
I recently gave away some books and now use the empty bookshelves to display some of the put-abouts that have meaning to me. With that cleared space, I created small scenarios of items that give me pleasure. I gave them space to breathe. I gave them space to be seen.
My closet now has more room for the clothes I enjoy wearing since I gave away some and packed seasonal items away. My kitchen has been downsized and now contains only what I need to cook for myself.
I’m even looking at my friends to see who I’d like to see more of and which friends are dragging me down. I’m looking for new activities to share with the friends that nourish me.
How can you unclutter your business?
A quarterly reality check is vital to the mental health of your business. You get to look at what is meaningful for both you and your clients. You can look at the tasks and situations that are frustrating you and noticing what gives you joy to do. With planning, you can clear out chunks of time to complete a favorite project. You can move stuff around and give things away. You can let go of some of your responsibly and hire some help in order to free yourself up for the things only you can do.
The serenity that is left when an area is uncluttered is palpable. Each item that is left can be clearly seen and appreciated. Each person that you actively choose to be with deepens your experience.
A friend who redid her kitchen took everything out and then only brought back in those items that were needed. What would happen if you let go of everything in your life and only brought back in what was meaningful and relevant to your present yearnings.