I love that feeling of a clean slate. That fresh, airy vibe where everything just feels right. Yeah, that’s the sweet spot. And let me tell you, I’m all about it.

Now, my family can vouch for me—I’m on a mission to declutter everything from the attic to the office. I’m like the anti-hoarder! There have been moments where I swear my kids thought they’d end up on the curb with the old knick-knacks. But hey, I draw the line somewhere, right? (Insert evil laugh here.)

Learn to say NO so you can say your BEST YES.

Ya’ll, despite popular belief, you can’t do it all.

….

Well, let me re-phrase that. I guess maybe you can have and do it all, just not ALL at the same time. You can’t juggle everything at once. Trust me, I’ve tried. But what you can do is pick your battles wisely. It’s all about making room for that Best YES—y’know, the one that lights you up inside.

Fun fact: did you know the word “decision” comes from Latin, meaning to cut off? When you decide, you cut off other options or choices.

So, how do you spring clean your life like a boss?

The best way I know for you to be able to say your BEST YES, is to be really, really intentional about how you want to experience life. And to do that, take a step back. Zoom out to see the BIG picture.

What needs to be cleaned out in your life – mentally and physically? Create two columns and make two separate lists. What’s cluttering your space? What’s cluttering your mind? What do you mentally need to clear up so you can spring forward?

Next up, it’s time to Marie Kondo your professional life. There are things you’re maybe, probably (definitely) doing in some way professionally that are directly impacting your growth. You gotta clear out the clutter to make room for new, improved, and exciting ways of doing things.

Here are a few tips for clearing out your leadership and organizational clutter:

• Say buh-bye to those outdated processes and systems. As Tom Peters said, “Over time, even a beautiful system tends to get elaborated and elaborated. We end up serving the system instead of having the system serve us.” (Preach!)

• Clear your calendar of meaningless meetings. Or find a way to make them meaningful. Is each meeting a productive use of your time? If not, send an email. Save the meetings for things that need to be batted around, cussed, and discussed, eyeball to eyeball.

• Close those tabs. What’s been taking up space in your brain that you could just get DONE? Undone tasks are like having too many tabs open on your computer. They take up bandwidth. Just do it and get it over with, would ya?

• Kick the status quo to the curb. Like cleaning out your closets, just because it’s familiar, doesn’t mean it’s your best look. Often, we hold on to shoes and habits because they’re familiar. Growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone.

• Banish bureaucracy. Clutter is symptomatic of delayed decision making. Same is true in organizations. Bureaucracy is the clutter of many organizations. Ain’t nobody got time for red tape and sluggish decision-making.

• Stop spending time with those soul-sucking people who drain the life out of you. This will create space for you to invest in the people who add value to your life.

• Dispose of stuff and focus on creating experiences.  The hubs and I decided that instead of buying a bunch of stuff for our kids/grandkids for Christmas, we wanted to create experiences and make memories with them. We’ve invested in family vacations, gone to Jazz Fest together, and spent a lot of time fishing and beaching together. How could you replicate this in your work? Could you be more intentional about how you want people to experience you?

Now, take some time to reflect and answer these questions:

• Where have you been stuck in a rut – protecting and perpetuating the status quo?
• What decisions have you been delaying? 
• What do you need to say NO to, so you can shout YES from the rooftops?

Give yourself some time to mull it over. This ain’t no overnight transformation. But trust me, when you’re done, you’ll have your very own decision-making guide.

And of course, give me a shout if you’d like a guide on the side as you clear out the metaphorical clutter in your leadership and organization.

So, spill the beans—what hit home for you? What’s your next move? Comment and let me know!

You might also like:

Lead Like a Human

What Does Your Big Fat “But” Look Like?

Lead Yourself and Your Team Out of the Land of Stuck

Jennifer Ledet, CSP, is a leadership consultant and professional speaker (with a hint of Cajun flavor) who equips leaders from the boardroom to the mailroom to improve employee engagement, teamwork, and communication.  In her customized programs, leadership retreats, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, she guides leaders to live and lead by choice, not chance.