I live in the upper Midwestern United States, and the temperature hit 70 degrees yesterday. The Masters Golf Tournament was on television, and there is only the rare pile of snow remaining in a few parking lots. So Spring must really be here! It’s a great feeling.

There is a certain energy associated with Spring, it comes with walking around the garage and the yard and surveying… it’s “clean-up” energy. It makes you want to straighten up, sweep out, and get rid of stuff no longer needed.

I want to give you an idea to make your Spring Cleaning ever more powerful. I’d like to help you straighten up, sweep out, and get rid of un-needed thoughts.

In order to achieve a feeling of freedom and creativity, it is necessary to let go of our attachment to physical things. Detachment holds the wisdom of unlimited possibilities. A cluttered space fills your head with random thoughts, while an empty space allows creative thoughts to emerge from within. A simple first step toward detachment is letting go of small physical items. Let’s get started!

Today, get rid of one thing. It could be a pair of shoes, a knick-knack, or an old souvenir glass. Just pick one thing and give it away, recycle it, throw it away, or put it in the garage for a future “Give-Away Day.” This physical action is a representation of clearing mental space for clear and creative thinking, and when made habit, can transform the way you interact with your physical and emotional environment. Think about the stuff you have that clutters your living space. Where to begin? Well, you could start a “five year rule” for clothing, for example. That’s an easy one: if you haven’t worn it for five years, you will definitely not miss it! Perhaps even a two-year rule? One year? Just because you haven’t exercised your throwing-away muscles in a while, doesn’t mean you can’t start somewhere … like with a coffee mug from the back of the cupboard. Don’t worry that it is in great condition or that you paid good money for it, it is the getting-rid-of energy that will be far more valuable to you, and the value will come back to you many fold.

As your physical space becomes more and more clear, you will find that previously cluttered areas give way to empty space, allowing for a mental shift from the focus of “what is” to the focus of endless possibilities. Your living space will become a blank canvas upon which anything can be created, in any moment.

De-cluttering feels like clearing your stuff, but it is actually clearing your mind. Jumbled, crowded thoughts will give way to clarity and focus. Creative energy will emerge in the space vacuum you have created for it. Your new thinking will have the room it needs to be powerful and inspiring!

Happy Spring, wherever you are!