“When you let go you make
space for new things to come”
Years ago, on a vacation in Italy I was reading Gretchen Reuben’s book, “The Happiness Project”. I had been in a funk and was determined to make some changes when I got back home.
The first project, tackle my closet. I had clothes I hadn’t worn in years. The winter sweaters were mixed with the summer tank tops. Shoes were not all together and it annoyed me, but I never took time to prioritize that project until after I read her book.
I set aside an entire Saturday and made “keep”, “donate”, or “toss” piles. Some things could stay, and some things needed to go.
After a solid 6 hours my closet looked amazing! My work suits were all together, tennis shoes no longer mingled with my heels, and I had 4 bags of items to donate. The transformation of my closet was a very rewarding feeling. The space I made in my closet created not only an accomplished feeling, but a peaceful space in my mind.
If you are moving from a 3,000-sf house in the suburbs to a 500-sq foot studio in the city, you are going to need to downsize. Cutting your living space in more than half means you have to make hard choice on what you want to keep and what must go. But it can be hard!
Letting go of things that you no longer use or have been tucked away in your basement for years shows you how powerful emotional ties can be in preventing you from taking that step to let something go—to create space.
Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s essential to create space for change”?
When you are starting a new chapter in your life, there is going to be a lot of change. Rather than sit back and see what happens, why not take the initiative to decide what you want to stay in that next chapter and what needs “cleaned out”.
Not saying goodbye to tangible things can hold you back from forward progress when you are entering into a new chapter in your life.
Whether it’s an exciting chapter your getting ready to enter, or one that makes you want to put the book back on the shelf, the chapters are a part of your story, your journey—and you can’t start the next one if you keep re-reading the last one.
Creating space for the next chapter in your life isn’t always easy, but there are steps you can take to determine what you should “toss” and what should stay.
How To Create Space For Your Next Chapter In Life
- Evaluate Friendships: Are the people in your life adding value and helping you grow? Are they supporting you? Are they holding you accountable? When you are investing your time and energy into your friendships do you feel energized? Do you feel happier? If the answer is no, it’s okay to say goodbye. Surround yourself with people who will bring value to this next chapter you are embarking upon.
- Forgiveness: Negativity takes up space in your mind. Forgiving others or self-forgiveness is not about letting anyone off the hook. It simply means that you accept what has happened, acknowledge you can’t change the past, learn from your experiences and you work on moving forward. You don’t need to forgive and forget; but you should let go so you can move on.
- Lessons Learned: Take time to reflect on what you have learned. Your last chapter has taught you something; reflect on what that was. Each challenge you have experienced can teach you skills on how to be more adaptable during your next chapter. Make lists of what you have learned that will help you moving forward.
Like a book, life has a beginning, and end, and a lot of chapters in between that propel you from one event to another. Whether your next chapter is graduating college, changing jobs, you’re newly married, newly divorced, moving, or retiring; transitioning to that next chapter brings both challenges and opportunities.
We ALL have to move forward with new chapters, like it or not, it’s a part of life. You don’t always get to choose when one chapter ends, but you do have the power to make space for what is to come in your next chapter.
Remember, You Got This!
XOXO
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