RESET Your House & Home Office
As you know, I believe you can start a New Year Now at any time. However, 2018 in my household brought about another change…our address!
While preparing to pack, I figured what better time to cleanse and purge? My 5 points for RESET Success® helped me pare down before the big move so we can start our new chapter free of anything that no longer serves us.
Remember that to RESET is to…
Review/Reflect/Realize/Release
Energize
Strategize
Empower
TAKE ACTION!
Let me tell you, that R is DEEP because it forces you took look at things that you may not have thought to look at before. Here are 12 areas you may not have thought of checking that are holding you back from clearing a space for present thought and future success:
Your makeup bag. Let’s be honest: makeup can often be that seemingly innocent indulgence that turns into a cluttered collection. We all have our vices, so
whether it’s lipsticks and glosses, eye shadows, implements, hair products, or nail polishes, review them ALL. Check for colors you tried or retired, release purchases that may not have worked out as you hoped, and darling, simply let go of that last fraction of an ounce of that discontinued color you love but that has either dried or completely broken down in its tube. If you love it, let it go. On the flip: if there are any new makeup items, see if you can donate them to a nearby women’s organization.
Your linen closet. How many sheet sets do you need for your household?Somehow, I had accumulated more sheets than I had beds,
so I rounded up the gently used sheets in colors that not as neutral as my current taste dictates and found a great home for them with a family member just starting out on her own. Also, I had outgrown a phase of matching comforter sets and sheer curtains, so these were all donated. Remember to check your kitchen and bath linens, too.
Your Tupperware (food storage) cabinet. The best way to win the night after cooking a fantastic meal is to have kitchen storage with matching lids! “…Nope, this doesn’t fit…Wait, no, not this one…Where the f is the lid????” If this has ever been you,
you’re ready to go through your plasticware and food storage. I discovered we had at least 6 to 10 unmatched or unusable plastic containers jamming up the cabinet. I repurposed some of the containers for household cleaning uses and recycled the rest. It’s also helpful while you’re in there to clear out glasses, water bottles, and mugs that you have acquired at conferences and seminars, or as presents from the office gift exchange. Accept it, it may be time for the to-go containers to live up to their name.
Your office supplies. Pens, printer refill cartridges, colored paper, journals, printed marketing materials, OH MY! As a business owner, it is so easy to accumulate
tons of office items that were at one time, greatly important to your business, but perhaps are no longer important to the day-to-day operations. Sort through these items and determine what is seasonal and what is simply outdated. How I reused: I shredded some old dated marketing that had been printed on colored paper and used it to fill some baskets I donated to nonprofits.
Your closet. Every year, I cycle through my clothes and shoes by season and remove anything (a) I haven’t worn in the last 2 years or (b) am simply no longer “in love” with, and of course the items that (c) no longer fit [when in doubt with this one, see (b) then (a)]. This time around, I was a bit more thorough sorting
through socks, tees, bras, sleepwear and tank tops, even costume jewelry. This last group can take up more space than you realize! Once I was done with this, I took a little extra time to change the way I was folding items in my drawers so I can see them better and ensure I wear items I had forgotten about more frequently. In sight and in mind!
Your paper files. When last did you check your collection of old statements, tax returns, insurance documents, etc.? A good shredding session
(of documents 7 years old or more) can create much needed space! Especially now that most documents are available paperless, this cleardown is rather refreshing. I was able to completely eliminate the use of a file cabinet in my home office and sold it online for $30. I was able to scan paper documents I preferred to hold onto for a bit longer and save them digitally.
Your digital cloud files. So, about those scanned digital files….Why would you clear out paper and not check your online files? Scan through your personal and
business files on your cloud (and on your devices) and clear some memory! I am infamous for starting 100s of blogs and sometimes not finishing them! (UGH) It’s helpful and refreshing for me to review these occasionally, often combining files and ideas, and finally feeling inspired enough to finish what I started. Don’t forget: skim your note apps (e.g. Google Keep, Post-It Notes) for notes you may have saved and neglected to delete or archive.
Your food pantry. Sure, this may seem obvious, but before
you judge, tell me how many expired bottles of salad dressing and cake mixes YOU have! Also, gut check your spices and unused gadgets.
Your “junk” drawer. Lest we forget, the world-renowned junk drawer. It may reside in your kitchen, a bedroom nightstand, in your desk, or in a hall sideboard. Despite your knowing what’s in there, open it, and figure out if you really need to keep what lives in that black hole. Go on…we’ll wait for you here.
Your apps. Smartphones and tablets are wonderous little tools, but we both know what happens when you run out of device memory at the worst conceivable time! Scan your devices briefly for any apps you have not used in the last 6-12 months and kindly uninvite them from the party.
Your liquor cabinet/dry bar. Ever host a party and at the end of the night, find
yourself with 3 bottles of “oh hell no”? And you very politely put them in the cabinet with the thought that you’ll serve it during your next soiree or take it with you to greet the next unsuspecting host/hostess. Not a terrible plan, but again, if they’ve taken up residence with you for longer than a year, find them a new home. How I ditched them: One of the nonprofits I’m involved with uses unopened wines and spirits for their silent auction. Either donate them individually, or package them with your business marketing materials (if it aligns with your brand image and purpose).
Your perfumes/colognes. This was perhaps the most surprising collection that I had amassed. After the body splash craze of the early 2000s, I had somehow managed to have about 20 to 30 total sprays
and perfumes! Many had been given as gifts, and the rest, frankly were probably purchased 5 for $25… I set these all out on the counter, separated by used/unused, and then by like/not in this lifetime. It begins to be very clear which ones to keep and which ones to part with, and then you can commit to using or finishing the ones you enjoy. I had about 10 fragrances that were almost finished, and I set out to finish them by the end of the year. The rest, most of which already had begun to smell like pure rubbing alcohol, were thrown away. Only, DON’T do what my dad did and pour them down the drain. Just throw them out.
In the end, there are many material things that we hold onto for various reasons, and often they are somehow attached to a former version of ourselves. Outside of nostalgia, what is that we are holding onto by keeping material belongings that no longer feed our current goals, aspirations and purpose? Why are we holding onto failed marketing campaigns, shoes that pinch (but are cute as ever), and clothes that no longer fit from a high point in our career? As Johnnie Cochran might say, “if it don’t fit, you must quit it.”
Letting go can help you feel more energized towards new and refreshed goals. You may even gain clarity from removing items that are no longer part of your story. Creating a strategy around what you are wiling to let go of gives you an opportunity to revise your space, give back to your community, or get a little cash. The plan will empower you to focus on a greater meaning (having more space, renewing your environment, feeling free of clutter, saving/making more money, embracing opportunities). But this only happens when you take action. Which of these areas are you ready to tackle first?
What else needs to be added to this list of treasure-trash? Share in the comments what you discovered you unwittingly had a collection of in your home or office!
Ready to RESET (Review/Energize/Strategize/Empower/Take Action)? Get started today and find out the power in your leadership levels with an Energy Leadership Index assessment. It’s like a credit report for your attitudes about work and life.
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