Regeneration at zero cost
Know this. I am no Marie Kondo and nor am I a Kaizen nut. But I do know something that they both share.
If you clear the clutter from your life, it has a spooky corresponding effect on your mind. You gain the ability to think more clearly, plan more effectively and focus on the future better.
Is this science? Is it voodoo magic? Who knows and who cares. It works.
At home it could be that drawer in the kitchen where everything gets stuffed. Keys, passports, mail, old phones, nail clippers, pieces of paper that have things jotted on them, colour charts, receipts, warranties, jewelry. You know what I mean. Then when you want something urgently, you have to unload the whole lot on the bench as you search for the elusive “thing” you really need.
Most of the contents of that drawer don’t belong there. They either have a home somewhere else or they belong in the bin.
It’s the same at work. Look in your drawers. Look in your cupboards and filing cabinets. Look at your desk. Look at your warehouse. Look at your workshop. There’s a pretty high likelihood that there is a large pile of crap just waiting to be gotten rid of. Only it isn’t a large pile probably. It is little piles in lots of different places. A thing here and a thing there. It might be something that “we’ll probably use this some time” or “we’ll just put this here for the meantime”.
I promise you this. Commit to what I have learnt to call “a big huck out” and you’ll feel the difference. Where to start?
Start anywhere, but start with the absolute purpose of being intentional and ruthless. Go through those drawers and shelves and if what is in them or on them is not adding any value to your life or business, chuck it in the skip, give it away, sell it or dispose of it by some means. This is not airy fairy stuff. Every useless thing that you throw out is a metaphor for removing the detritus that is in your head and stops you being free and in action.
Make sure that what you have left are things that are useful to you. Without wanting to sound crass or insensitive, this process may lead you to some people too. People that have been around a long time and may still be there simply because it’s been a long time. If you can’t honestly say they add more value than they take up space (and money), think hard. If you don’t feel it, they probably don’t either so liberate them to go and do something that brings meaning to their lives and frees you up to surround yourself with some fresh energy and thinking.
Believe me, the sense of liberation you will feel cannot be underestimated. There is a catch though. You will need far more courage and determination than you might think. “A big huck out” can feel somewhere between losing a friend and tearing your heart out. We become incredibly attached to our junk and saying goodbye hurts before it feels better.
If you would like some help or a bit of coaching in how to take this beast on, please call me. I’ve got form in this area and will help you get this process going and complete.
Call me on +64 275 665 682 or email me at john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz