Life-Changing Magic of Making Space
This month, we sold our lovely home of 25 years.
Derek and I tackled cleaning out, packing up, and letting go of many years’ worth of accumulation.
Because we had recently undergone a complete renovation, we had purged much in advance of this move. Our closets, drawers, cabinets and shelves were relatively tidy. But our basement and garage, that was a totally different story.
These areas were filled with all kinds of dusty, unexamined junk that we had been avoiding.
We sorted it all into categories: things to keep, things to donate, things to sell.
This experience helped me to see very clearly that we, as humans, have a hard time letting go; both physically and emotionally.
Did you ever wonder why that is?
The main reason is the Motivational Triad. Our brains are wired to 1, seek pleasure, 2, avoid pain and 3, to remain efficient. Brains like status quo and ease.
Let’s face it, cleaning out the basement and garage does not seem fun to the brain. It can feel hard to donate the vase that Aunt Tilly gifted us or the funky lamp that we used in college. Memories and sentiment often cloud our ability to let go. The brain perceives giving these items up as too hard, even excruciating at times, and this discomfort leads to inaction. That is why most people wait until they are moving to tackle these things. Then, because time is of the essence, they have no alternative but to get the job done.
I have a brain hack that works for getting anything done that feels arduous.
We can use the Motivational Triad to our advantage.
While cleaning out, instead of focusing on the immediate discomfort and pain of letting go, focus your brain on the long-term benefit you will get from releasing.
For letting go during my move, I focused on the time in the not-so-far-off future when I would:
- Delight in a more beautiful and tidier environment to live in.
- Enjoy the freedom that comes with not having to store, maintain or upkeep these unnecessary items.
- Allow others to utilize what I no longer needed.
- Clear more space for new and exciting possibilities.
Focusing on these benefits propelled me into action and made the process not just tolerable but, dare I say, enjoyable?
What is something that you need to let go of at the present time?
Maybe, like me, you also need to let go of some physical possessions that are weighing you down. Maybe you need to let go of some old beliefs that no longer serve you. Maybe it’s letting go of some past hurts or regrets you’ve been carrying around.
Whatever it is, the key is to focus on the long-term benefit of releasing.
Ask yourself: how will I feel when I am no longer stewing about that family member’s actions or inactions?
What will it be like for me to drop the grudge towards my neighbor?
Who would I be without the unnecessary mind drama I am harboring? How would it feel for me to let the unnecessary go?
When we let go, we make space, allowing more room to focus on the things that are most important to us.
When we do this, we will experience the life-changing magic of making space.
“Making space and letting go is scary and exciting at the same time. This is how you know you are on the right track.” Jennifer Wielage
