I’m no fan of snakes, but they give us a great metaphor for leaving behind the parts of us that we’ve outgrown and moving forward into a lighter life and new adventures.
SHED the Stuff of the Old You
Well-known professional organizer and author Julie Morgenstern has developed a system she calls “SHED” to help people who are ready for something big to happen in their lives but aren’t quite sure how to get there. Keeping belongings that have served their purpose in our lives ~ remaining stuck in old attachments to our possessions ~ holds us back from living the life we were born to live. Clutter prevents clarity in our minds about what truly matters and makes us happy.
Julie’s SHED stands for:
- Separate the Treasures ~ identify the things you truly love
- Heave the Trash ~ eliminate things that are weighing you down
- Embrace your Identity ~ connect with who you are deep down inside
- Drive Yourself Forward ~ explore your true passions and purpose in life
One of the things I love about my job as a home organizing coach is watching how the process of evaluating feelings about their belongings leads my clients down a path of self-discovery. They actually become visibly lighter, stand a bit taller and breathe a bit easier as I carry away things they’ve realized are preventing them from living their ideal life. Life is a series of stages and the things we need around us vary according to our current stage. If our house is full of stuff from earlier phases in our journey, we don’t have the physical, mental or emotional space to live into our current stage.
SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life
In her book, SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, Julie shares three ways to determine if you need to simply organize your home or get to work SHEDing:
- You organize to become more efficient. You SHED to get unstuck.
- Organizing gives you access to what’s most important to you. SHEDing is a process for discovering what’s most important to you.
- It’s possible to get organized without getting rid of anything. It’s impossible to SHED without letting things go.
If you are feeling stuck, discouraged, overwhelmed, longing for a different life, I would love to walk you through the exercise of SHEDing the old you and awakening your new, wonderful life! Reach out to me here.
**I may receive small compensation when you purchase products from the links in this article. However, trust that I only suggest products I’ve used & truly believe could benefit you.