30 Ways in 30 Days to Edit Your Life
If you've ever wanted to run away and start over somewhere new, or if you simply want to have a fresh start in your life than this list for you.
Want a fresh start? Start now...
When we think of spring cleaning and de-cluttering we often think about our physical stuff, but many of us have mental, digital, and calendar clutter that needs to be addressed even more than our physical stuff.
"Thoughts become things." ~Bob Proctor
1. Remove Limiting Beliefs
If you hear yourself saying, "I can't..." that is a limiting belief and it's time to get those out of your internal dialog.
Journal about all the things you can't, don't, and are not...these are your limiting beliefs. Now spend a little time each day while journaling break down how these beliefs are not true, because they are not. Focus attention on how you can, do, and are.
2. Get Rid of Your Fixed Mindset
Replace your fixed mindset with a growth mindset. Change from I am how I am to, I can learn and grow.
3. Stop Complaining
Today practice noticing every time you complain. Instead of talking about what's wrong, can you practice talking about solutions?
4. Stop Ruminating
Pay attention to your thoughts and kick the habit of negative self-talk. When you catch yourself thinking you're not as good as...STOP it.
5. Total Media Detox
Remove stress by removing the source. If you are watching tv news and other forms of media take a break. When was the last time you went an entire day without your phone?
Try to unplug from all media and do a detox for a day, two, or even a week. Gasp!!
I totally regret eating healthy today." ~said no-one ever
6. Cut Out Sugar and Processed Foods
What are you putting into your body? Is it time to clear out the pantry of sugars, flours, and other processed foods? If this too extreme for you choose 1 thing to remove from your diet and your home. Soda? Bagels?
7. Re-Evaluate Substances
If you are imbibing too much caffeine, alcohol, or other drugs, today is a good day to edit that from your life. While you are at it, clean out your medicines and supplements, toss or dispose of anything expired or no longer needed.
Maybe it's time you did a toxin audit on your beauty and household products. Toss the toxic junk and replace with cleaner options.
Buy a plant.
8. Stop Resisting
Do you have resistance to healthy habits? If you can't get yourself to do regular workouts and other healthy lifestyle activities, identify and remove the resistance. Explore this in your journal, then get to it.
"We are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with..” ~Jim Rohn
9. Remove the Relationship Manuals
People get to be who they are just as you get to be who you are. Remove the manuals you have for your relationships. Your partner get's to be who they are, you can voice your preference and choose to share your life or not. You do not get to demand people behave a certain way in order to be happy.
"My goal is no longer to get more done, but rather to have less to do." ~Francine Jay
10. Edit Your Social Circle
Remove the people from your life who don't improve it. If you can't remove them, limit your exposure to them and be sure to include more exposure to those who lift you up and make you better. Negativity, complaining, and nay saying...time to go.
11. Terminate Commitments
Purge your schedule of tasks, activities, and other commitments that no longer bring you joy. Learn to say no. Seriously consider before adding new activities, take a day to think about it first.
12. Seek out and Remove Money Wasters
Stop the bleeding, if you no longer watch cable tv, use that land-line, or read that magazine stop paying for them. Go through all your expenses and remove anything wasteful.
13. Stop Wasting Your Precious Time
Do you know how much time you spend scrolling social media or feeling bad for procrastinating? Do a time audit by writing down a days activities in minute detail and evaluate where you are wasting your life. Better yet, do a week.
14. Weed Your Feeds
Go through friends lists, subscriptions, email newsletters, pictures, digital files, aps, podcasts and weed out anything no longer relevant and useful.
15. Be More Selective in Your Social Activities
I try to leave every other weekend free and clear for rest or work or events I choose more spontaneously. My Sundays are non-negotiable at home days, no company, no plans unless I'm away for the weekend. Learn to say no unless it's a can't miss for you.
16. Holidays
Decide what is most important to you about the holiday and go all in, forget about all the rest of it. Get rid of any decor, wrapping, and activities that don't bring you joy.
17. Trim Your Travel
Don't over-schedule your travel and vacations. If you need a vacation from your vacation, you know you have trimming to do.
This is the biggie - purging our possessions.
I like to think of designing our home as a creative endeavor and good design is aesthetically pleasing, useful, and uses as little as possible. I'm guessing most of you have areas that could use a serious edit.
18. Junk Drawer
Now that we're warmed up it's time to tackle the junk drawer, or drawers if you have more than one. Empty the drawer, clean it, throw away all the junk, put away all the things that already have a home, and then tidy what's left.
19. Kitchen Drawers
Remove all the items, clean the drawers and the organizers, put things away in other homes if they are out of place, be sure to toss anything that's junk and get rid of anything you don't use, and then return everything nice and tidy to the drawers.
20. Kitchen Cabinets
Remove all the items, clean the cabinets, put things away in other homes if they are out of place, be sure to toss anything that's junk and get rid of anything you don't use, and then return everything nice and tidy to the cabinets. (Get real here, are you really going to make homemade pasta?)
21. Countertops & Decor
Clear everything from all surfaces and put in the proper places. Is your decor piling up and not aesthetically pleasing? Time to edit.
22. Bathroom Cabinets & Drawers
Go through old product and meds and toss or dispose of them, green up your products while you're at it getting rid of toxins and chemicals you don't need. Wash out the medicine cabinet and storage spaces and neatly put back only the products and supplies you actually use.
23. Linen Closet
Are you hanging on to raggedy towels and sheets for a bed you no longer have? Time to let them go. Donate to a shelter for humans or pets. Wipe out the shelves and neatly stack what's left.
24. Utility, Mudroom, and Entryways
These areas can be catchalls for weird stuff and can benefit from baskets and organizers to contain the miscellany stored here.
Put everything that doesn't belong in these spaces where their permanent homes are. Remove everything else and scrub the surfaces before neatly returning everything else to there places.
25. Clothing Closet
I think it's a good idea to do a closet try on and purge 2 times per year, spring & fall, minimum, each season - even better. The try on is a must. Pull every thing out of your closet and clean it.
Try on each item in your closet and ask yourself, do I love it? Does it fit? Would I buy it again. Any item that get’s even one no, is a goner.
Don't forget the Shoes and Accessories. Go through everything and purge broken, dated, or things you simply don’t want. You don’t need more than 1 pair of ratty shoes.
26. Desk or Office Spaces
Remove everything from the desk surface and book shelves. Place back only the necessary and used items.
Go through your filing system and purge anything outdated or no longer relevant. Shred, toss, and file the rest. Address all paper piles by filing, doing whatever it is now, or getting rid of it. Don’t save something to deal with later, do it now.
27. Books
Edit anything that is no longer relevant to who you are and where you're headed. If you’re not going to read it, get it out of your house or office. Make room for growth.
28. Classes
Let go of the classes you signed up for - or the courses you bought and never attended or completed. Be realistic with yourself. Are you truly going to do it? Let go of the class but more importantly, let go of the guilt. Let. It. Go.
29. Art, Craft, & Supplies
Okay people, when the moment has passed, recognize it and let it go. Purge all the old hobbies that no longer light you up. It's time.
30. Living Spaces
Clear baskets, drawers, cabinets, bookshelves, and decor items. Make room for the items you really love!
Choose a small area to work through each day, drawer, a cabinet, a basket. Schedule in time to clean and purge. Try doing a tiny task every day and a couple larger tasks each weekend. You'll be amazed at what you can achieve.
Get the 30 Day Edit, Life Reset Checklist from the show notes or at www.lifewithshanna.com. It's a printable checklist listing all the above that you can use to do your 30 day life edit.
Schedule the time now! Get out your calendar...
The most important thing is to start. This work is a practice. You will get better the more you do.
While editing our lives we are likely doing things we haven't done before or maybe we are doing things we've tried and not succeeded with in the past. Some people might not like the changes we are making and want us to stay the same. Just remember, you get one life and this is it, right now, are you going to do it your way or someone else's??
I'm so excited for you! You got this!
