Those of you who live in the Kansas City area know it’s common for winter weather to take down tree branches. We often get very wet snow and ice storms that drag down power lines or cause large branches to crash to the ground and pull power lines with them. Power outages then frustrate residents all over the city! A few years ago one such storm left my backyard cluttered with branches and some large limbs took up residence on my rooftop. As my family and I climbed ladders and sawed limbs in the clean-up process, I sure wished I had kept up with pruning the largest trees in my yard.
Pruning Trees & Pruning Our Stuff
In an ironic twist of timing, just a few weeks prior to this storm one of my clients likened organizing her life to pruning trees. I love this metaphor! I found the following definition online: “pruning: trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems especially to increase fruitfulness and growth.”
Pruning takes time and energy, some money if we hire help for the job, and it can be a task we postpone because it isn’t particularly fun and usually doesn’t seem urgent. But if we neglect this job, eventually limbs become overgrown and crowded, the plant loses some of its beauty, the health of the tree is put in jeopardy, and at some point parts of it may come crashing down around us!
Why Take the Time to Prune?
It is much the same with our lives. De-cluttering and organizing are activities that can feel overwhelming, not urgent, you think it won’t be fun and therefore find it easy to procrastinate these tasks. But when we have too much ~ whether it’s possessions, toxic relationships, or time commitments ~ our lives become crowded. A home or a calendar that is over-full loses some of its beauty, it causes stress that can put your health in jeopardy, and you might even begin to feel life is crashing down around you.
What Can You Gain? The Best Version of Yourself!
My favorite part of the pruning definition is “especially to increase fruitfulness and growth.” Pruning the excess from your life by taking an honest look at how you spend your time and what you keep in your home will open up hours, space and energy for the things that truly make you happy. You will be feel more peace in your life so you can enjoy your home, nurture the relationships most important to you, and grow into the best version of yourself.
If you want to discuss how to open space in your home, schedule your FREE “Hope Starts Here” Discovery Phone Call!