Letting go lessons can be found in the most unusual places. This past weekend my husband and I traveled to South Carolina to watch our daughter, Cassie, and her teammates (Go QC Boston!) play in the Quidditch World Cup tournament. There were 80 teams from around the country (and Canada, too) vying for the number one spot. In two days the teams played anywhere from 5 to 10 highly energetic and physically taxing games.

All teams had spent many months preparing, practicing, and participating in other Quidditch tournaments. They arrived at World Cup ready for the ultimate challenge to play the best of the best.

This was the lesson. I don’t know if it was like this for all the teams, but for QCB, it was about letting go of the outcome. They approached each game with the best they had. They enjoyed working as a team, supporting one another, staying focused and in the moment. While they played to win, as each game ended, they let go of the outcome and focused on learning more from their wins or losses. It was quite extraordinary to witness.

How often do we invest so heavily in an outcome that we miss the joy that’s part of the process? Maybe we’re so concerned with the outcome that we prevent ourselves from potential learning and growth.

“How often do we invest so heavily in an outcome that we miss the joy that’s part of the process?”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

I’d love to hear your thoughts. How does letting go of the outcome change your perspective?

Life includes both holding on and letting go.

Loss is often associated with letting go. In these past weeks, my heart has ached for my friends, family, and colleagues that have lost their loved ones. I’m thinking of Judy, Steve, Laurene, Karen, Gail, Kathleen, Stacey and Deb who have laid to rest their father, mother, aunt, brother, son, and friends. As they’ve been covered in a blanket of sadness they’ve also found comfort and strength in sharing treasured stories with their community of friends and family.

Losing our loved ones is the most direct, visceral type of letting go. It is painful. Yet even when someone’s physical being is no longer with us, we’re able to remember and feel joy through the memories we have.

We live. We acquire. We release. There are many patterns in life, and this is one of them. Is this familiar to you?

We live.

What does it mean to live? At the most basic level, it’s about being alive, breathing, existing. Yet for most of us, that’s not enough. We want our lives to have meaning. We want to give, to love, to connect with others. We want to explore, to create, to taste, to feel, to see, to touch all that we can. We want to do and just be. Do we spend our time with what matters most to us? Or do we spend our time stuck, feeling anxious, overwhelmed by our things, wishing that life were different, or that we were different? We live. But how do we live?

We acquire.

The “stuff” of life comes to us. We either intentionally acquire it or receive it from others. The sources can be physical, digital, or emotional. We range in our acquiring patterns from overconsumption to more minimalist approaches. As professional organizers, part of the work we do is about helping our clients manage their acquisitions. We teach them to edit, organize, and let go of the “stuff” that no longer serves a purpose for them. The acquiring is easy. However, once something belongs to us, it gives that “thing” more importance than it had before it entered our lives. When our emotional attachment takes hold, it can make letting go more challenging. What is enough? Knowing that there will be a time to let go, how will that influence our acquiring behaviors? How much time do we want to spend managing our “stuff?”

We release.

The ultimate letting go is with our last breath. Before that happens, there are many other types of letting go along the way. All of the things that we’ve collected and edited and organized and struggled with eventually move on. Either we take personal responsibility for our possessions and make arrangements for their release, or we don’t. If we don’t, it becomes someone else’s responsibility. This someone might be a loved one or a stranger. Working with both elders and their adult children, this struggle around keeping or letting go is an integral part of my work. It’s also part of my personal experience as a parent and daughter. If our “stuff” is a burden on us, what does it become for those it’s left to?

We live. We acquire. We release. We know the pattern. What resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you having challenges or successes in any of these areas? Please add to the conversation.

Our “stuff” can clutter our spaces, schedules, and minds. This can result in overwhelm or procrastination. Sometimes we need a boost to activate our letting go rhythm. Are you curious about how to feel less encumbered? I’ve put together a few ideas and resources to help you let go and move on.

Ways to Let Go

When we let go, we gain space, peace of mind, and focus. We also receive that feel good lift, when we donate, give, or recycle things that provide a benefit to others.

1. Clothing - Do you own any clothes that are too small, too big, or too unflattering? Do they include purchasing mistakes, items you’ve outgrown, or gifts received that don’t match your style? You won’t wear or use them, but someone else might. Get the donation bags ready.

2. Paper - Are your old telephone, utility bills, and other non-tax deductible receipts occupying valuable filing cabinet or surface space? Do you have scraps of paper with illegible notes written on them? Those papers can go. Shred ones that include your name, address, or account information. Check your county’s schedule for free shredding and recycling days.

3. Distractions - Are the dings and pop-ups on your digital devices and computers making it difficult to focus and be productive? Are you ready to let go of these hard to resist alerts? Consider using one of the many apps or programs that help control “ding management.”

4. Electronics - With changing technology and shorter product lifespans, you probably have a growing collection of outdated cell phones, chargers, TVs, computers, digital cameras, and other electronic gadgets. They’re occupying space, not being used, and collecting dust. Activate your recycling options.

5. Photos - I love photos as much as the next person. What about the images (digital or paper) you have that are duplicates, out of focus, or not meaningful? Make room for what’s significant, organize the keepers, and let go of the rest.

Ways to Move On

Once you’ve activated your decision-making skills and opted to let go, don’t stop there. Use these resources to complete the process and help you and your things move on.

6. Vietnam Veterans of America - Free pick up is available for donating clothing, toys, shoes, books, electronics, household & more.

7. Concentrate - This Mac App eliminates distractions and improves focus.

8. Earth911 - The site has resources searchable by location for recycling electronics such as game consoles, MP3players, computer peripherals, and digital cameras.

9. Best Buy - They offer both trade-ins and recycling for computers, peripherals, cell phones, digital cameras, TVs and more.

10. MyPublisher - This is an easy to use website helps you create high quality photo albums from your digital photos.

What letting go challenges or successes have you encountered? Do you have favorite “moving on” resources? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!