I don’t only declutter, do a bit of maintenance and tidy up here and there only for therapeutic reasons, but it also provides me a chance to start on a fresh, new, blank page every spring. Peter Walsh, the author of the book – Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight: The Six-Week Total-Life Slim Down, says: “What I know for sure is that when you declutter – whether it’s on your home, your head, or your heart – it is astounding what will flow into that space that will enrich you, your life, and your family.”
This time of year most people have the urge to start spring cleaning their homes or workspaces. People put these types of things on their To-Do lists. Yet “Spring Cleaning their Minds” is no priority for them. Many people are in a great need to do a good mind-scrubbing and spring-time is as good a time as any to start.
I always get motivated by Steve Maraboli’s words: “It’s time for a spring cleaning of your thoughts, it’s time to stop to just existing it’s time to start living.” Yes! It’s time to focus on self-care and prioritise your mind with my 5 secrets. I call it, Elmarie’s 5 Secrets to Spring Cleaning Your Mind This Spring!
Elmarie’s 5 Secrets to Spring Cleaning Your Mind This Spring
British Artist and Author William Morris advises: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Although this is targeted at spring cleaning your physical home, it also applies to the mind and your life. A lot of people keep harnessing negative thoughts, doubts, guilt, regret and store disappointment in their minds. They keep all the ugliness as part of their inner thinking. This clutters their minds and makes them feel demotivated.
Imagine what your life could be like if you replace the old with the new. Do away with the unpleasant thoughts and replace them with self-motivation and positivity. Book our workshop “Spring Clean Your Mind” to have a mind-blowing experience or, at least take a moment for yourself, and consider these 5 secrets to cleansing your thoughts:
- Declutter to make space for new thoughts
After I read Malachy McCourt’s statement – “Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die”, it once again confirmed my opinion that holding onto grudges are useless. This is applicable to both our business lives and our personal lives. Let go of old grudges and forgive those who did you wrong. You’ll be surprised how much emotional positive energy will be released and how much space you have for new positive thoughts, once you let go of the old ones.
- Quite down and gather your thoughts
Many of you might ask me, “Elmarie, how do I declutter my mind?” There are many techniques you can use to streamline your thoughts or to ‘clear your head’ so to speak. Things like yoga, hiking, prayer, or meditation are some of these methods, but a very simple one is to merely sit quietly alone by yourself. Yes, you just sit and enjoy doing nothing but think and gather your thoughts. In one of my favourite books called “Eat, Pray, Love” there is a reference to an Italian saying “Dolce far niente” which when translated means “the sweetness of doing nothing”. This is so true in today’s hustle and bustle of our daily lives. We never permit ourselves to just sit quietly and think. Strangely enough when you do this, you will be amazed by the sudden ability to gain focus and perspective.
- Accept yourself and learn to forgive
Remember, nobody is responsible for your happiness but you. Yet so many people, and especially women, believe that they are dependent on other people in their lives to make them happy or fulfil a void. There is no one else to blame but yourself for cultivating negative thoughts. The only thing you can do here is to accept yourself for who you are with all your flaws, but also recognise all your talents and strengths. Know that you are worth a lot and that you are amazing in your own way. You don’t need anyone else to tell you this or to keep boosting your self-esteem. Be your own cheerleader and believe in yourself.
- If you don’t like your life, change it
You are in charge of your life and who you let into your life. If you don’t like your job, find a new one. If you don’t like where you live, find a new place. If you surround yourself with negative people, stop inviting them into your life. Stop using excuses like “I can’t afford it” or “I can’t find a new job”. Although this might be true right now, you have no idea what might happen in the future, especially if you focus your energy on making the positives happen. Stop focussing on the negative now and work on the positive future. A positive mind is a motivated person who will persist until the goal is reached. Be proactive in taking action to change what you don’t like.
- Tackle one thing at a time
Don’t try and do everything in one day. Think clearly about your life and your situations, set up a decisive life strategy for yourself with stepping stones for every life goal you have. It’s unrealistic to try and spring clean the entire house all at the same time. Take it step by step and day by day. Be patient with yourself. If you try to do everything all at once, you will end up more confused than you were and at the end just go on as before.
Our Spring Cleaning Your Mind Course focuses on the issues of self-motivation and how individuals in specifically an organisation can motivate themselves, not just relying on the company or their bosses. Delegates will learn: how to motivate themselves; how to plan their own goals; how not to blame others; how not to use work, colleagues or bosses as an excuse for not being successful; how to cultivate positive habits; and also how to practically incorporate Stephen Covey’s habits of highly effective people. This is a life changing workshop. We had so many companies sending their teams on this workshop and delegates felt a renewed sense of positive thinking.