Need To Recharge? Get Rid Of What's Weighing You Down
This week I sold my house, found a new place to live, arranged for a moving company and helped my husband get prepared for his back surgery coming up at the end of the week.
Oh and by the way, I cleaned the house, took the dog to the groomers and somehow managed to fit in my day job and pen a few columns for the web sites I write for. I'm exhausted.
Looking back, I can only think of one other year (early first marriage, bad divorce) that was as traumatic, upsetting, scary and plain old hard as this one has been. I can't wait to wave goodbye to 2009, and I don't think I'm alone.
In the face of this year's adversity - financial and otherwise - I've also had a serious realization - I need to recharge. Not the typical have a massage, take a weekend away, spend quality time with family, kind of recharge, but a life-recharge.
The opportunity to step back and reflect on my first 49 years and discover what passions and possibilities might occur over the next few decades. To achieve this life-recharge, I knew that the first thing I needed to do was get rid of what has been weighing me down with stress during the day and waking me up with worry at night. And that's just what I've spent the past few months doing.
I started with something that while it may seem insignificant and small, changed my whole world. I downsized my technology. I got rid of all phones but my cell phone. If friends, family, potential clients or telemarketers want to reach out, there's only one number they can call. More importantly, there is only one voicemail I need to check.
Next, I moved on to tackle a problem of technological clutter that had been vexing me for years. I got rid of all my computers, except for one MacBook Pro lap top. No more wondering if this file was on the office computer, while that one was on the home computer. I sync it all with my iPhone and where I go, so goes my one and only computer. And yes, I do regularly back it up.
Now that I had tackled a few smaller items, I was ready to move onto an item that would score me big points on my life-recharge project. We sold almost all our real estate. With the exception of some investment property in Florida (don't ask) we managed within a six week period of time to sell two investment homes and our main residence. The day I signed those papers I lost a bundle, but could feel my batteries stirring in my soul.
My husband and I have decided to rent for now and since our up and coming rental is a condo, 1/2 the size of our former house, I've got more to purge as I pursue the path of the life-recharge project - one weighty item at a time.
Stay tuned for next's weeks post when I give pointers on how to clear the clutter from your life.
Karen Leland is author of Watercooler Wisdom: How Smart People Prosper in the Face of Conflict, Pressure and Change. Read more at www.karenleland.com
Follow Karen Leland on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Karenleland
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I got rid of 75% of my belongings and love it.
In the midst of a stressful divorce and low finances..
I know the thing that is holding me down is the divorce, but until it is final I can pare down and make room for my new life.
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Dear Dalovely;
Been there, done that. I promise it will all get better over time. Hang in there.
What's weighing me down is my job. Until I can afford to retire, there isn't much I can do about purging that.
Great ideas. I am wondering how my life will be different this time next year WHEN I have my dissertation finished.
Dear Karen,
6 months ago I let much of what was weighing me down go as I moved from a house with an additional guest house to a duplex. It was remarkable how much I didn't need!
Congratulations and may the moving fairies be with you!
Love,
Eli
Smart lady. Of course, making those decisions of priority is where the difficulty begins.
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