Spring cleaning is a great motivator. Why confine it to Spring?
It is arguable that we should not only give gifts at Christmas and make resolutions at the New Year.
It is worth giving gifts all year round and making resolutions to improve throughout the year. Why wait until December?
In the same way we can benefit from not leaving spring cleaning to April or May alone.
The motivational power of clearing up clutter and getting organized is enormous.
Piles of paper lying around can weigh you down as much as an extra stone's weight around the midriff. File the paper away and feel lighter, less tired and more agile.
When the material rubbish of the house is cleared away, the rubbish of the mind tends to follow. This allows new thoughts and energy to come in.
Recently after clearing away rubbish I stayed up till 6 a.m. without feeling tired.
A great way to clear rubbish is to burn it. Bonfires are fun so long as they are kept safe. They can shrink huge piles of rubbish into tiny little ashes.
Also, while the fire is burning, you get motivated to find more stuff to burn and you end up clearing away much more clutter than you originally planned. Even sensitive documents can be burned as the data will no longer be retrievable.
A daily bonfire might not be possible but a daily mini 'spring clean' is a great way to get motivated.
You not only clear your house and your thoughts; you discover things that once got you excited enough to buy them.
You will renew that excitement and enthusiasm as you see that book, which you were so keen to get, once again. You might even read it this time! As you have probably guessed when I say 'you'
I usually mean 'I' as well.
I have an acronym PALACE stuck up on a wardrobe to focus my mind on a daily mini spring clean:
PLACE - put at least one thing in its proper place every day
ANSWER - answer at least one letter or email a day
LABEL - label at least one thing a day
ARCHIVE - archive at least one thing a day i.e. move a less important thing further away from your normal centre of activity
CHUCK - chuck out at least one thing a day
EMPTY - empty or clear away at least one piece of clutter off one surface a day
You will probably find that you apply the above acronym (PALACE) to more than one thing as you start taking action.
This daily habit could turn your home into a palace and you into a dynamic, effective person. Give it a try!
About the author
John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams.
They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.
The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, Pictures And Quotes...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"
The book can be found at this URL: http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php
The book uses acronyms, stories, pictures and quotations to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.
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