So here you are, another year’s past and you’re still overwhelmed, stretched too thin and buried in 5,000 tasks that need to be done yesterday. I get it! No really. As a mom of 3 (ages 6, 4 & 2), a business owner, a college student, and a military wife, I get it. Life is busy and hard and full, but don’t always have to be.
I heard that snort, but hear me out, boo.
There’s one way to make it better—you have to simplify. No, I don’t mean throw out 2/3 of your stuff and move into a tiny house (unless you want to, but that’s totally your call). I mean, you have to look at your life & business and ask yourself this one question: Is this serving me or just taking up space?
This is the simplest way to free up space and time in all aspects of your life. Much like the KonMari method, asking if something is serving you or taking up space allows you to gauge whether or not it’s worthy of staying in your life. From sweaters to inboxes, home furnishings to business, this one question can be applied to pretty much any aspect of life. Asking if something is serving me or taking up space keeps me focused on what’s important to me: my family, my work, school, my health, etc.
Every year, I use this question to simplify and declutter our home and our lives. I do this in January and again in the summer, unless it’s a moving year, then I do it in the spring since we usually move in late spring/early summer. I go through all the clothes, linens, toys, office supplies, random paperwork, kitchen wares, etc. and look for items we’ve outgrown and/or don’t use that are just taking up space in our house. The old shower curtains we replaced, coffee cups we don’t need, and partial bottles of shampoo and body wash all get donated or thrown away. And you know what? I always feel better afterwards, lighter and less anxious.
I also apply this to non-physical items, like my inbox, work schedule, and thoughts. If an email isn’t useful, delete it. If a task isn’t actually helping my business grow and succeed, stop focusing on it. If a string of negativity is starting to creep in, call it what it is and reverse it. Simplifying my task lists allows me to create margin—time to relax, concentrate, and focus on what I love most. As the incredible Emily Ley says, life happens in the margin, not when we’re busy trying to do 100 things at once.
So, friend, I ask you: What’s serving you, and what’s taking up space in your life, business and home? Make sure you tell me in the comments. I look forward to cheering you on!
Talk to you soon!
Amy Clark Creative Blog 