Last week I unveiled two of many options toward life enrichment: Becoming your own best friend and experiencing emotions as they arise. I covered what you can do within yourself. This week, I’ll enumerate external steps that can help along the path to creating the life you want.
Declutter
Get the junk out of your home, your life and your mind. I don’t think most of us truly realize what a difference it makes to ensure your external living environment is cleared of clutter. Not just the bedroom, or the house. We should de-clutter the garage, the car, your office desk, your lingerie drawer – everything around has an effect on our lives.
Think about it. Whenever you get your car washed and the interior cleaned, (and I do hope you do these things from time to time), you drive away from the car wash feeling as if someone just lifted a 50-pound weight from your shoulders. No matter if the automobile was just slightly dirty from the last snow, or needed a major overhaul inside and out, cleaning your car lifts the spirit.
It’s not just imagination. Clearing clutter actually helps us physically and feel better mentally and operate at a higher level. The task can look quite daunting if you think of areas that may need decluttering, so give yourself a break – don’t start by assessing the entire picture. Start small. For example, begin by organizing your kitchen’s “catch-all drawer” while you’re on the phone with a friend. Or, throw out unused, ill-fitting or damaged clothes in your closet while watching television.
As these small steps build to larger projects – like the can’t-park-my-car-in-there-garage, the overstuffed attic and the scary basement storage room – you’ll experience the pleasure of accomplishment. You also will see how much a clutter-free environment can help you function efficiently.
Organize
As you remove the hidden energy-sappers from your life and mind, make sure to organize each place before moving on to the next. More than likely you cleaned your space of clutter, but did not organize it. A truly organized space is when each item has a “home,” and that home is placed in an easy-to-reach location. For instance, if you organize the multitude of pens on your desk into a divided tray in the top drawer, you may feel your goal is accomplished. But after a few days of working at the desk, if you find yourself leaving pens on the desk, in your hair, behind your ears, or on top of filing cabinets, then the drawer wasn’t a good home for your pens. An easily accessible pen holder on top of the desk would be a more appropriate solution.
To truly organize your space, observe where you naturally perform activities. Do you stay by the phone to write messages, or walk to another part of the room? Should you put the dirty clothes hamper in the bathroom where you disrobe to shower, or do you undress in the bedroom? Creating a plan of attack includes taking into account habits, which makes it easier to stay organized. A truly organized space is clutter-free.
Drink water
You’ve heard it all before – drink eight to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Some experts disagree as to the quantity, or even what counts toward consumption. Some say liquids like soup or juices count toward our daily water intake, others say it must be the clear stuff and nothing else. Whatever the amount, experts do agree that water is essential to life, and even modest amounts of dehydration can affect brain function, efficiency, even provoke an asthma attack. So how can water help you create the life you want? By helping you move more – excuse the pun – fluidly and operateat optimal efficiency.
If you’re prone to that mid-day energy dip, don’t reach for coffee or soda, which can actually dehydrate the system; instead, reach for water, and wait 20 minutes. You’ll be amazed at the energetic boost that arises. Keep a water jug on your desk at work, or make it a habit to down a glass of water 20 minutes before meals and you’ll discover more benefits than you ever imagined. In addition to the energy boost, you may eat less at each meal, which may lead to weight loss. You’ll make better decisions and the efficiency may allow you to work fewer hours.
To top it all off, you’ll help the digestive system, and enhance your appearance with amazingly supple skin. If you have a tough time drinking a lot of water, add a few drops of essential oil like lavender or orange, or twist some lime or lemon in your drink. Before you know it, you’ll be a consistent water drinker.
Next week: Tips to unwind.
Doni Luckett is chief executive of Divine-Basics.com, which produces lifestyle products to reconnect with moments that matter. Your questions may be addressed in the column by e-mailing enrichyourlife@divine-basics.com.
