spring cleaning challenge

photograph by patrick perkins

the coming of spring usually means a few things: the end of many failed new year’s resolutions, it the gym is suddenly less packed and your favorite healthy snacks are no longer sold out. spring also means allergy season; for those who suffer from allergies it translates into the most annoying months of the year. most of your days will be spent buried into a tissue or running to a bathroom to put in eye drops. for those of us who don’t suffer, it translates into enjoying air from both nostrils... but let's not leave out the infamous spring cleaning! an annual tradition where people try to desperately rid their homes of unnecessary items. getting rid of old clothes, tech, or even silverware.

it has been passed down to us that a cluttered space equals a cluttered mind; that if we rid the area of unwanted trinkets we will suddenly gain full clarity. now, i for one find this completely false. living in my own state of chaos has proven very effective. to the passerby, piles of clothes may look like clutter but those piles are organized into things I wear with different frequencies and occasions. finding that one black shirt that actually doesn’t make me feel self-conscious is much easier in the pile system than folded up neatly in my drawers. hangers and drawers are nice and all but i think i’ll stick to my floor. as for the rest of my junk, i like it and it may come in handy one day! bet by now you’re a little confused as to where i’m going with this because you probably clicked on this to learn how to clean your room but give me a minute and you’ll see exactly where i’m going.

now i never really got the concept of being in a clean space helping you think clearly but what i have learned is that the best spring cleaning you can do has nothing to do your possessions but everything to do with your lifestyle. too often we are hoarders of people who are bad for us, hoping that one day that person might become useful again; that one day that person will stop doing the thing that hurts us even though deep down we know things won’t change. we hold onto dead end jobs that we hate because “something is better than nothing” not understanding that the something that we’re holding on to is weighing us down and preventing us from getting the everything we want. we hold onto bad habits that we know are bad because it’s easier to do what we’ve always done versus what’s right. so for this spring cleaning season i'm challenging you to clear the figurative clutter out of your life. toss out that old friendship/relationship that’s taking up space in your heart. let go of that dead end job that is keeping your mind from going full speed toward your dreams. stop sweeping your bad habits under the rug and actually take them out. i mean let’s be honest; you can easily put that old top you haven’t worn in months in a bag and donate it, but can you say the same about that person that seems to text you just when you think you’re free? you can either do what’s best for your mental, spiritual, and emotional health or you can continue to let the clutter consume you.