Last weekend I decided to tackle a project I’d been putting off. A catch-all basement area needed my attention and I had to be focused and efficient in my approach. Procrastination may be the thief of time and thinking about this chore was occupying too much space, rent free, in my mind. Extra time never appears on its own, so scheduling it helped commit me to the task at hand and get to it.
Interestingly, as soon as I began the work, I was reminded of some very simple facts:
Avoidance drains much more energy than we realize
It takes less time to complete the task than we imagined
The idea of completing the task is more daunting in our minds than in reality
Physical work is also very freeing and actually energizing
As I began I could feel the tension releasing. Mind and body working in unison to accomplish something that had been hanging on far too long, was becoming a mildly cathartic experience. Clearing out physical space is freeing on multiple levels. It’s also an opportunity to revisit why certain things had taken up long term residence in our home.
What project or task have you been putting off? Five things to consider:
Clean up any to-do pile on your desk
Gather financial documents in one place
Hang pictures you’ve been meaning to get to
Clean out the refrigerator
Have the conversation you’ve been avoiding
Notice your reaction to any of these. Try an easy one first. Clean out a junk drawer to jumpstart your inspired moment of action and see where it takes you. One small task yields a sense of accomplishment and even the energy to continue.
Savor these feel good moments. Perhaps ruthlessly cleared out, our now unwanted “stuff” might get a reprieve, and even a warm welcome elsewhere. I know that the open space is off limits and only to be “filled” with pleasant memories.
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