Preparation is essential when it comes to letting go. It’s being in a state of readiness. I became acutely aware of the connection between preparation and letting go on my recent trip to San Diego. I was away for almost a week as an attendee and exhibitor at NAPO’s annual conference for professional organizers. I didn’t just walk out the door. I needed to get ready both mentally and physically in order to leave my normal routine and enjoy the adventure ahead.

This idea of preparing to let go resonated with me. Many of us experience challenges in this arena whether we are letting go of places, people or things.

8 Ways to Prepare to Let Go

If you are having difficulty letting go, perhaps some of my thoughts about preparation will help you to move forward.

1. Plan – To leave things behind, it helps to know that they are in good shape. This might involve organizing our papers, arranging our family’s schedules, or finding resources to donate our treasures. Knowing that our affairs are in reasonable order helps prepare us to move ahead.

2. Focus – Be in the moment. It’s so common to dwell on the past or worry about the future. Focusing on where you are enables you to enjoy the present and let go when the time comes.

3. Embrace – While being in the moment is important, preparing emotionally to embrace the joy that will come from change is key. Letting go can be painful, but presents us with wonderful opportunities that we couldn’t have imagined otherwise.

4. Emote – When letting go is involved, our emotions will be too. Expect a range of feelings from distress to elation. These and everything in between are normal. Allowing yourself to feel along the journey is key in letting go and processing your experiences.

5. Dare – Helen Keller said, “Life is a daring adventure or nothing.” Bravery is required to let go of the familiar and forge ahead to the unknown. Take a deep breath and tap into your brave side.

6. Control – The opposite of letting go is control. For many of us, the unwillingness to relinquish control prevents us from moving forward. Interestingly though, by giving up some control, we allow ourselves and those near us to flourish.

7. Rejuvenate– Leaving behind our schedules, lives or clutter can renew our energy, increase our focus and move us in new directions. Letting go rejuvenates our spirit and gives us a chance to look at things from a refreshed perspective.

8. Dream – Imagine the positive for what our lives, spaces and relationships will be like when we allow ourselves to let go of the things that are holding us back. While none of us can predict the future, filling our thoughts with positive expectations can motivate us to let go.

Let’s return for a moment to my San Diego trip. Before I left there were many things I had to let go of.  I focused on the word “reasonable,” while I negotiated between the fantasy and reality of what I wanted to accomplish before leaving. This blog post was one of those items. I ran out of both time and energy to write it before leaving. Instead, I renegotiated with myself about what was possible. This allowed me to let go of the “shoulds,” find satisfaction in the “dids,” and enjoy the “what ifs.”

I’d love to hear from you. What helps shift you into a state of readiness?

I like many things. One of them is Yogi Tea. While the tea is delicious, what I like most are the sayings they put on every tea bag hangtag. Each time I make a cup of tea, it’s like opening a fortune cookie, which I also love. There is a moment of anticipation as I grab my glasses to read the Yogi Tea wisdom. I pause to reflect about the idea.

At a recent teatime, the hangtag said, “True wealth is the ability to let go of your possessions.”  Since we’ve just begun our first full month of spring and my blog will be focusing this month about letting go, it seemed like the ideal time to share the Yogi Tea bag story.

It’s an interesting quote because in our society, the message emphasized is often about collecting, gathering and acquiring bigger and better. Marketers encourage us to accumulate more money and stuff.

In contrast, as a professional organizer for almost 20 years, I’ve been helping people manage, organize and de-acquire their things. The amount of papers, toys, clothing, collections and supplies have become overwhelming for many.  People crave simplicity and calm both internally and externally. The acquisition and management of those possessions is often at the root of much of their daily stress and anxiety.

The Yogi quote also made me think about who we are in relation to our things. Do our possessions define who we are? Or, is our true self worth deep within, having nothing to do with what we own, how we dress, or the things that surround us?

Lastly, I wonder if our things have taken over our lives to the degree that they are preventing us from moving ahead. What about the idea of letting go in order to be able to go forward? Are your things preventing growth? Are they taking up too much mental energy, time and space? Are they taking you away from what is most important to you?

All I wanted was a cup of tea. I got so much more.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on letting go, the tea quote or anything else you’d like to share. What are you thinking?

Photo by Allison Samuels

Taking that next step, trying something new and moving forward without certainty can be scary. Fear blocks our thinking. When we walk down the fear path, making excuses and creating reasons not to take action can consume our thoughts. These negative thoughts can overwhelm us to the point of inaction.

What if you allowed yourself to acknowledge your fear? It’s a normal part of our human experience. What if you then embraced the joy in pushing ahead despite your fear? What would be possible for you?

We have the opportunity to alter our perspective. Instead of thinking about all the reasons why we might fail, we can choose to focus on experiencing a positive outcome.

The next time you are avoiding organizing the junk drawer, sorting through a pile of desk papers or reclaiming the kitchen table, think about the joy and satisfaction in both the process of moving ahead and the result of your efforts to do so.

I recently completed a seven-week coaching skills course for organizers. The learning was fabulous and challenging. Right from the start, we were asked to step outside our comfort zone and practice our coaching skills. I worried about not doing it right. I worried about it being awkward. Since the point was to learn, I knew I had to work through my fears. I learned as much from what went well as from what didn’t. I loved learning these new skills.

How will joy fit into your next step?

This morning came with a great reminder. Like most mornings, I woke to the sound of my alarm telling me it was time to start my day. It was dark, gray and rainy. The pouring rain was making soothing percussive sounds on our roof. The bed felt particularly warm and cozy. I remembered that since my first appointment wasn’t so early I had the option to sleep just a little bit longer. So I did.

These extra minutes of sleep and enjoyment of hearing the rain made me reflect that sometimes it’s important to allow our next step to be getting back to basics like sleeping, eating healthfully, exercising, breathing deeply or being grateful. Our busy schedules and long to do lists can easily overwhelm us. Being overwhelmed often translates into inaction. It seems like there is so much to do, we feel defeated before we begin. We then do nothing, creating a more intense state of overwhelm. How do we break this unhealthy cycle?

This is where those basics come in. There will always be a next “something” to do. That’s life. When however, it feels like too much, perhaps your best next step is one that involves taking care of you. It will give you the energy and mental clarity to move forward. So whether it's five more minutes of sleep, eating a good breakfast, getting a massage or taking a long walk, find something that will renew you.

I’d love to hear what you’re thinking about. Are you in need of some self-care? What will you do next to take care of yourself?