I have been having a huge sort-out and declutter over the last couple of weeks. Having moved house 29 times and counting,, (yes, really. My mother used to say I must have Gypsy blood in me and let's be frank: she ought to know!!), I like to brag that I am not a hoarder and don’t have much clutter. But, to be honest, my loft and garage were groaning at the seams and, hit with a burst of energy and enthusiasm, I went to battle.
I have been selling on Vinted (how easy is Vinted, and why do I get so excited to see that I have made a £4 sale on an old jumper that I now have to wrap up, drive to the post office and send on its way?!). I have sold on eBay and Facebay and am almost on first-name terms at the local tip. If you need advice on which bay to take your item to, I’m your girl on that score. And DO NOT try to sneak something into general rubbish if it has metal in it — they will swoop on you like the Flying Monkeys in The Wizard of Oz.
The fact is, though, that it showed me how far I have come in my own life. For me, it meant letting go of a lot of things that belong to times gone by: items I was previously not brave enough to let go of, but that no longer served me in any way. I was hanging on to things that were not even connected to my own memories, but belonged to other people and their memories. For me, it has been massively freeing, liberating and also very satisfying. I took time to reflect on how much I have grown and what progress I have made after some very difficult and traumatic experiences over an increasingly long life!
Why am I telling you this? Well, because it is important for us to take time to reflect sometimes on how far we have come and what success looks like. Let’s bring this round to my world and make it relevant to sport, exercise and fitness.
I often get people asking how to tell if they are getting better in their classes. Well, lifting heavier, doing more reps or doing an exercise at a more advanced level are very obvious signs. However, what if you choose not to lift heavier or don’t want to do the exercise at a more advanced level? How then?
Just turning up! If you were one of those who made endless excuses and skipped classes at every opportunity, and now turn up regularly, then congratulations! That is progress.
If you used a cancelled class or a holiday as an excuse to skip, and now find a different way around it to make sure you still exercise, then give yourself a pat on the back! You have progressed.
If you are making sure you get a couple of earlier nights after a lifetime of being a night owl, if you reach for fruit instead of biscuits, if you have a glass of water before reaching for the coffee jar, if you ignore the “I can’t be bothered” voice and are bothered, then be proud. There is progress right there.
I come back to a quote I have used before: talk to yourself as though you are your own best friend. How quick are we to chastise and criticise ourselves, and would we ever speak to our best friend like that? Of course we wouldn’t! If a friend said, “I feel such a failure — I didn’t do XYZ today,” you would jump in and immediately point out all the things they HAD done to outweigh what they might have missed. So get used to saying it to yourself!
As I sat on a box in my garage, having a few tears about finally having the courage to throw out a few things that nobody had wanted in the first place, I also took a moment to say, “Bloody well done, Juliet! That took guts — good for you!” Yes, I do talk to myself like that, and it also makes me smile!
Who better to champion us than ourselves? Be your own best friend and take time to recognise what progress looks like in its many forms. When that negative voice starts niggling with the failures, STOP IT IN IT'S TRACKS and let the positive voice take over. Being positive is a powerful tool, which is why, in my classes, I jump on anyone who starts with “Oh, I hate this” or “I can’t do this”. Apart from already limiting yourself before you have even started, it impacts everyone around you, who also start to question themselves.
I had a brilliant message from one of our online members this week who is currently on holiday to say that she carried her paddle board the whole distance that last year required her to stop for a rest several times. Back in the Summer, another member messaged me to tell me that she helped her son and daughter in law move hose and after all her strength training classes, was flinging boxes about and they could not believe how strong she was and how much energy she had. This is exactly what I am talking about - using our classes to help us see progress in other areas of our lives that we may not have thought about!
Hit head-on! Maybe this time you will — and if you don’t? Well, approach it with a positive attitude. That way, rather than feeling you have failed, you can recognise that you tried and gave it your best. Next time, you may get further and see what progress looks like!
I must have been talking out loud about the need for some decluttering, as this came up on my social media feed recently. If, like me, you have cleared out a deceased family member’s home, saying to yourself that you will never inflict that on your own kids, or you just know that it would be a good job to do before the end of the year for a fresh start next January, then maybe this will help.
According to feng shui, clutter in our home isn’t random. It is a map of where the energy in our life is stuck:
- Overflowing cupboards? Old identities. You are keeping clothes for lives you no longer live and a version of you that is no longer you. Heal by filling just one bag and donating it. Today.
- Unopened bills? Financial avoidance. Your finances will not change just because you ignore the post. Healing — open every bill, write down the due dates and handle the smallest amount first.
- Crowded bedside table? A mind that never stops. Every book, cup and charger becomes one more uncompleted task. Clear the top and leave only what supports sleep and is required immediately on waking.
- Purse full of old receipts? Untracked spending. Your money is mixed with proof of things you barely remember buying. Healing — one card to spend with. Check the receipts, then throw them away or file them if needed.
- A drawer of unwanted gifts? Borrowed guilt. You are giving space to things you never wanted because someone else chose them. Healing — keep the love and care behind the gift. Donate the gift without apology.
- Garage full of abandoned projects? Promises made to an older version of you. Every item quietly asks for attention. Healing? Choose what matters to you and start that project. Give away what no longer interests you.
- Freezer full of forgotten food? Grocery money frozen in place. Buying before using what you already have turns good intentions into waste. Healing — plan three meals from the freezer before going back to the supermarket.
- Shoes and bags blocking the front door? Your home greets you with decisions before you have even stepped inside. Healing — clear your landing space so that coming home feels like arriving, not facing outstanding tasks.
Which one applies to you? Which one might you start with? And then, don’t forget to reward yourself for the progress you have made and how you have grown.
Give yourself permission. Don't really want it anymore? Get rid of it and embrace the progress you just made!
Let the Autumn trees show us how healthy it is to let go!
