Just as you might spring clean your home; giving your work life a good spring clean, opens you up to the rebirth of your career. Decluttering your work can feel like bursting open the windows to breath in the fresh air of a whole new creative chapter.
Clearing out and letting go of what is no longer serving you is a strong signal to your subconscious mind that you are upgrading. You are ready to welcome in the fresh new creative emergence and growth for you and your career.
Step 1: A clean body
Cut out stimulants, such as caffeine and sugar habits that may have crept in, that give you false energy bursts and can amplify and exacerbate unwanted thoughts on repeat on your mind. If you can’t cut them out completely, reduce them a little each day and notice the difference.
Step 2: A clean mind
Cut out the external noise in your environment causing irritation, overstimulation and stress to your mind.
Turn off social media, unfollow any people and groups you respond negatively to. Turn off the news too. Turn off phone notifications beeping, interrupting your focus and flow, pulling your attention away from what is truly important into time wasting apps. Delete all the apps and games from your phone that are distracting you; and remove yourself from any WhatsApp groups draining your creativity and lifeforce energy.
This doesn’t have to be forever. For now, turn down the volume, right down, on external stimuli so you can hear your own heart’s wisdom and inspiration leading and creating this fresh chapter.
Get out into nature. Go to the water – rivers, lakes, oceans and seas and clear your mind.
Step 3: Refresh you energy
Notice if there are any outstanding business relationships, commitments or ties; any beliefs and behaviours draining you of energy that are ready for a timely good-bye. Saying no, or at least discussing with your line manager, to what is no longer in alignment, serving or relevant to you, your clients and customers might feel uncomfortable for a moment, but it will help make space for what supports you, and the people you work with and for.
Step 4: Clear your diary
Take a look at your diary for the coming week and month. What’s scheduled out of habit or obligation? Which meetings are time wasting? Are there meetings that can be delegated? What can be cancelled if you make and communicate a decision now?
Now schedule in your priority time in nature to listen to your heart’s wisdom and receive the inspiration that will guide the next evolution of your work. Make space for this fresh, new creative emergence.
Step 5: Sweep through your inbox
Do you have 1000 unopened emails in your inbox? Take two minutes and scan for the one or two that are truly vital and important. Create an action mailbox folder and move these one or two into that. Delete the rest. Double delete by emptying the deleted or bin folder. How does that feel?
Step 6: Declutter your office
Take a look around your office. How does it make you feel? Are you inspired or irritated? Do you feel clear and expansive or hemmed in and cluttered?
Go through your entire office. Start with the desk draws and cupboards and clear them all out. Organise any piles of filing, old receipts, contracts and agreements. Recycle, throw away and give away anything that no longer serves you.
Find some lovely storage boxes to tidy up, straighten out, organise and brighten up a space that you love being in, a space that inspires you when you walk into it, a space that says you are ready for the new.
I once spent the day helping my neighbour clear out her office. She threw away 20 years of paperwork, courses and CDs she’d forgotten she’d created, health and beauty products she’d represented, old contracts and agreements, etc.
Over 20 bin bags later, she’d been reminded of her career success, skills and dedication, filling her with confidence. The following week she was offered a new position harnessing all these skills. Clearing out the old, made space and invited in the new.
Step 7: Freshen up your work
Finally, time for some honest career reflection. What about your work is no longer working for you? Which areas need a clear out, a reboot and refresh to welcome in new life and creative energy?
Perhaps staying hidden away in the background needs to go as you listen to a calling to step up and be the creative, vibrant leader and spokesperson for industry? If chasing financial goals or financial survival during the pandemic has left you burnt out, let it go and reconnect with your heart’s wisdom, purpose and reason for being. Be brave. Clear it out to make space to welcome in the fresh, new creative energy, lifeforce and success for you and your career to evolve and grow.
ABOUT KAT BYLES:
Kat Byles is the Founder of the True Business School, for creative leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, artists and healers who want to do business differently. She works with people to find and align with their purpose and creativity to build a happy, healthy, wealthy business and world.