Clear Your Clutter and Find Your Spark
January is a time for fresh beginnings. After the short break of the holiday season, many of us return to work with renewed energy and aspirations for the year ahead. It’s the perfect opportunity to pause, re-evaluate priorities, and set a course for both work and life that aligns with what brings you purpose and joy.
By decluttering, we’re not just simplifying; we’re uncovering the clarity and space we need to thrive. This re-alignment often involves letting go of tasks, habits or commitments that no longer serve you.
“Minimalism isn’t about removing things you love. It’s about removing the things that distract you from the things you love.” – Joshua Becker
Decluttering is like cleaning your glasses—clearing away the smudges to see life’s priorities with clarity. Leaders can often become so focused on the intricate details of a situation that they lose sight of the bigger picture. This is when perspective becomes clouded, and decisions are made based on immediate demands rather than long-term goals.
We’re all familiar with the phrase, “can’t see the forest for the trees.” When leadership gets stuck in the minutiae, it’s easy to miss opportunities, overlook innovative ideas, or fail to align actions with the organisation’s broader vision. By decluttering your mental and professional processes, you regain the ability to see the entire landscape clearly, enabling better decision-making and purposeful action.
The Power of the Subconscious Mind
Current scientific estimates suggest that some 95 percent of brain activity is unconscious meaning that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are set on automatic. We fall into habits and patterns functioning with little effort to complete the daily grind or routine tasks that require our responses. Our subconscious mind operates largely in the background, driving much of what we do without us realising it.
Habits, for instance, are an example of subconscious programming. Studies show that it takes approximately 21 to 66 days to form a new habit and even longer to break an old one. These routines make our lives predictable and efficient, but they can also keep us stuck in cycles that no longer serve us. It’s no wonder we are in the habit of responding to frequent requests with an automatic YES taking the path of least resistance to keep the status quo.
While the statistics highlight our reliance on “set and forget” routines, we have the power to disrupt and redefine these patterns. By doing so, we create the freedom to design a version of success that aligns with our evolving goals and aspirations for the coming year.
Five New Habits to Create Space and Joy in 2025
To break free from outdated routines and embrace a more fulfilling work life, consider adopting these five habits:
- Pause Before Saying Yes
Before committing to a project, ask yourself whether it aligns with your priorities and is the best use of your time. Practice the art of thoughtful refusal to maintain focus and avoid overcommitment. - Identify Your Top 3 Goals
Limit your focus to three key goals for the year. Any more than three, and your energy becomes diluted, reducing the likelihood of meaningful progress. - Mandate a Joyful Goal
Incorporate a goal or project that brings joy to your work. Better yet, make this a company-wide initiative. Link it to a company value or objective, and watch employee engagement soar. - Tame the Inbox Noise
Identify a daily mundane task, such as checking for urgent emails, and simplify it. Use email rules to filter sales or cc’d correspondence into separate folders, removing unnecessary distractions. - Delete, Delegate, or Outsource
Ruthlessly eliminate tasks that take up mental space but don’t add value. Examples include reports that no one reads or meetings that are perpetually postponed.
“Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all”
– Nathan W Morris
By being bold in decluttering your professional life, you’ll gain clarity, focus, and the freedom to prioritise what truly matters.
Discovering Joy Through Decluttering
The beauty of decluttering lies not just in what you remove, but in what you make space for. As you simplify, you’ll uncover the work and activities that bring you the greatest fulfillment. This clarity empowers you to:
- Say yes to projects that inspire and challenge you
- Focus on relationships that energise and uplift you
- Invest time in learning and growth that aligns with your purpose
Remember, decluttering isn’t a one-time event; it’s a mindset. By regularly evaluating and refining your priorities, you ensure that your life and work remain aligned with your values and vision.
Reflect on this:
As you step into 2025, consider this your invitation to declutter, simplify, and realign with what truly brings you joy. Let this be the year you lighten the load, embrace purpose, and discover the freedom that comes from focusing on what matters most.
After all, every new beginning starts with the courage to let go of the old. What will you release to make room for your next chapter?