1. Take Stock

To optimize the physical:

Begin by surveying your physical surroundings at home and at work. Has your environment become cluttered and disorganized? If so, choose the areas that are the biggest offenders and start there…

• Grab a box or plastic bin and remove all your items that serve no immediate purpose.
• Put your remaining objects that are out of place in their rightful spot.
• Now live without your boxed possessions for at least two weeks.

To optimize the mental:

Similarly to what you did with the physical items above, think about what is currently on your “to-do” list. Are there tasks, whether mental or physical, that you’re doing out of habit rather than necessity? Take note of what these things are and eliminate them or delegate them to someone else.

2. Prioritize

Now that you’ve identified some of the causes of the clutter and chaos in your life, it’s time to decide what you can let go of and what you would like to keep.

To optimize the physical:

Return to the box of items you collected and put away for the past couple of weeks. Now that you’ve lived without these pieces, what can you permanently do without?

• For the items you’ve missed, put them back in a logical place within your space.
• For the objects you’ve realized you can do without, keep them collected and make a point of donating them.

To optimize the mental:

Revisit your mental checklist – which tasks or responsibilities can you delegate to someone on your team or share with your family? Take steps to ensure these move off your “to-do” list and onto someone else’s. Be clear about your reasons and expectations for requesting support and be patient as this transition may take longer than expected.

3. Thrive

To optimize both the physical & the mental:

This last step can seem like the easiest, but given that it’s also one of the most important – please be sure to fully follow through on it! Commit to setting clear boundaries in your life. You will have more energy, focus, and excitement for projects and experiences if you’re not over-committed.

As a reward to yourself, create a list of desired experiences that you can begin to strive towards and actualize – this is a powerful way to positively reinforce the benefits of making space in your life, both on a physical and mental plane.