Monday Mindset
Release What No Longer Serves
“If you want to make room for something new, you must let go of something old that no longer serves you.”
―Roy T. Bennett
As we move into the new season of spring, it’s important to put away what no longer serves us well to make room for what will.
In a practical sense, this could look like moving our heavy winter knits from the closet into storage. It might look like getting rid of the things that clutter our spaces that we don’t turn to any longer.
It also might look like putting a habit to rest that got us through a dark winter but keeps us from engaging in the world the way we want to in this season. We often carry over things from one season to the next without evaluating whether it still makes sense to hold onto them.
The invitation this week is to get ready for the new growth of spring by letting go of old, worn-out ways. This includes what we spend our free time doing, how we relate to others, and our mindset of what is possible.
One way to approach this might be to take a look at what your norm looked like this winter. Which things will continue to support your growth, and which serve little purpose for the season you are entering?
Another way to think about this is to picture what your ideal spring looks like. What are you spending your time doing? Are you hiking, gardening, or hanging with friends on a patio? What do your weekends look like? What would you most like to embrace as the weather warms up?
You might find yourself packing up your winter sports gear and organizing the garden shed to make space for what’s important to you—what will serve you—as the seasons shift. As you refresh your outer and inner spaces, lean into the energy shifts of the season.
In order to refresh our internal spaces, we should take as much care decluttering what distracts us from life-giving sources as we do in our physical homes.
Spring invites us to take action and engage with the world around us, but this is best done with a foundation of clarity. We get clearer when we let go of mental and emotional clutter.
A few ideas to do this:
· Brain dump all the things in your mind. Write it all down so that it moves out of your brain onto paper (or a notes app). Having a place where all the things you’ve been trying to hold onto in your mind are outside of you permits you to let go. This is especially helpful in busy seasons that require a lot of task management. You can then organize what needs to be attended to and what can be reserved for another time.
· For emotional clutter, talking with a trusted friend or therapist can be a major help. If that is not an option, try journaling your feelings. Emotions often stay heightened until they are expressed.
· Spend some time alone without distractions. When was the last time you had more than a few minutes alone? Perhaps you don’t have much room in your schedule to allow for this during your day. What if, instead of scrolling to wind down at night or to wake up in the morning, you allowed yourself a quiet ten minutes to not do anything except exist and notice what comes up in you? This could look like having your coffee outside in the sun or sitting with a pet in the evening.
· Limit your news and social media intake. There is so much chatter that can arise from incessantly taking in new information. Your brain needs breaks (and boundaries) around this. If you are finding your mind and heart are especially full and distracted these days, this could be a game changer for you.
· Picture a place that brings you peace. It could be a physical place, a memory, or an imaginary place that offers you rest. Spend a few minutes imagining the details of it, and inviting in that rest to your mind, soul, and body.
Being mindful of what no longer serves you in this coming season, you can let go of the old to invite in the new. The “new” could simply be more margin and space to freely explore what calls to you. It could be the invitation to play more, to get out into the world more, and to sit at home less. Whatever it is, follow the natural pulls in your heart, mind, and body. No one else can tell you what is right for you in this season. You get to choose, and you can trust your instincts.
What needs to be released (or set aside) in you to make space for what’s to come?
Trust the instinct to release what no longer serves. Spend some time journaling or pinpointing one to three things you are ready to let go of.
With a nod to Marie Kondo, thank each of them for what they did for you when you needed them, and then let them go. If you want to take it a step further, write them on scraps of paper and burn them as a tangible act of release.
What are you ready to release this season? Reply, comment, or share with a friend. I’ll drop in later this week with paid subscribers to discuss this further. Otherwise, I’ll see you next week right here!
With so much grace,
Sara