Steps To Begin Letting Go of Stuff – Today

The definition of Letting Go of Stuff is below.

Below are specific steps to get you started today on your Letting Go of Stuff Journey.

LETTING GO IS…
Letting go is about recognizing when it is time to “stay in” a situation or experience, and when it is time to “get out.” Often, we remain in situations or hold on to past experiences WAY too long. For example, have you ever experienced a friend or parent who is in their 60’s, but is still dressing as if they are still in their 30’s (or worse – in their 20’s)? They are “holding on” to the past experiences and emotions related being 20 or 30 something. Do you know of anyone who might have been angry about something that happened in the past, perhaps years ago, but when they talk about it in the present – they still get just as angry? Do you know of anyone who might still be in love with another, but the other does not still love them (and maybe never did)? Those are all examples of people who are remaining in situations much longer than they should. They don’t recognize the signs and times that represent moving on.

Making a choice to “let go” places you on a life long journey of loving, learning from, listening to, and forgiving yourself.

STUFF IS…
Back in the mid 90’s I was under contract to do seminars in the Caribbean. During one of my early morning jogs along the beach, I was trying to find a word that would go well with the phrase letting go. I researched many words. Finally, I stumbled upon the word “stuff.” According to the 9th edition of the Websters New Collegiate Dictionary, one of the phrases the define the word stuff is: “a matter of a particular and often unspecified kind; something introduced into the body by humans.” Stuff consists of negative emotions, guilt, shame, negative internal conversation (self-talk), and unwanted negative feelings. All of these usually lead to toxic relationships, not being able to let go of the past, acting on negative notions about self, and more.

I also believe that the “stuff around you, represents the stuff inside of you.” So if you think this will NOT help you to clean out that storage, office, and/or extra room in the house, think again, because it will.

GET STARTED TODAY – with the following steps.

1. Get a personal journal. You might opt to use a blog in an effort to share the journey.
2. Begin by listing everything that you want to let go or change.
3. Break down your life into categories such as social, work, career, financial, relationships, and so on.
4. For each category, create a list of things you want to let go, or change.
5. Pick a category and begin to prioritize your list of items in that category.
6. Identify one of the top three items on that categorized list.
7. Once you have identified that one item, set a due date for it to be eliminated. Consider as a deadline due date the fourth Thursday in March, which is National Letting Go of Stuff Day. Each year, on this day, you can measure your success with letting go of the things on your list.
8. Finally, begin to take the action necessary for you to eliminate that item from your list.
9. When you can cross out that first item, then move on to the next item on your list and use these same steps.

The above nine steps will get you started. Be patient, don’t overwhelm yourself with lofty goals, and love yourself along the way.