words Al Woods
As we enter the new year, most of us have goals that we want to accomplish, changes we’ve been meaning to make, and we want that “new year, new me” experience. The thing is, though, to be the person you want to be, you have to learn how to let go of things that no longer serve you.
Embracing a more minimalist lifestyle doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all your belongings and move into a tiny house. It’s actually much bigger than that. Let’s look at the things that you should let go of in the new year – after all, this could be your best year yet, if you do.
Let Go Of Busyness
Do you struggle with saying no to others, even when it’s a detriment to yourself? Are you overscheduled, tired, and on edge? Let go of all those commitments that aren’t serving you. Embrace the fact that it’s okay to say “no” sometimes and to put up boundaries with people – both personally and professionally. If you think you’ll struggle with doing this tactfully, utilize the internet or a therapist to develop a toolkit to let go of your busyness in the easiest, most polite way possible.
Let Go Of Clutter
Clutter comes in many forms – physical, digital, even emotional. Let go of the clutter in your life that stands in your way of a clear mind. If your wardrobe is overflowing with things you don’t wear, pare down to your favorite women’s active shorts, best-fitting jeans, and tops that are more versatile. Unsubscribe from email lists that you never open and retailers with which you don’t shop. Erase all the emails piling up unopened or irrelevant. If you’re harboring emotional clutter, put in the work with a therapist to release it. Maybe all you need is a meditation app, but let it go.
Let Go Of Debt
As you start to let go of things, you realize how much less you need than you thought you did. Let this fuel you to consume less and save more. Use that savings to let go of the debt hanging over you. Becoming debt-free may take longer than the new year, but when you focus on it all year long, you’ll be that much closer to financial freedom. With the peace of mind that you’ll gain from letting go of debt, you free up your mind to pursue other interests or just to exist in a state of calm.
Let Go Of Expectations
There’s an old saying, “your biggest disappointments in life will be people.” You could spin this in a depressing direction to think that people are always a letdown, but what if a huge part of that equation is the expectations we put on other people? Try letting go of what you think others should do, think or feel. Additionally, let go of unrealistic expectations that you put on yourself – your weight, skin, and job performance. Comparison is the thief of joy and with all of us so plugged in these days, we do a lot of comparing – let that go.
Let Go Of Screens
Piggybacking on being plugged in, let go of some of that screen time. We spend too much time living in a virtual world that we do not appreciate the value of the world around us. You would be amazed (or maybe you wouldn’t) at how much better you’ll feel this year if you unplug for a day, a week, indefinitely. It may seem like something you could never do – deleting all social media – but, boy, is it freeing. Especially if you struggle with emotional or mental wellbeing, recognize that your endless screen consumption may be contributing to your problems, and let it go.
Letting go of all these things seems like a lot to do at once; maybe you’ll have to do it piecemeal. Perhaps you’ll rip it all off like a band-aid; either way, it will only serve to benefit you. You have one life on this earth; do you want to spend it bogged down or overwhelmed by things that didn’t matter to you? Live life true to who you are because there’s only one you, and you deserve all you want out of this life. So, happy new year here’s to you!
