The key to having a great life is getting rid what isn’t working in your life … and hanging on to what is working. That may seem obvious, but lots of people hang on to what isn’t working in their lives. They may hang on to bad relationships. Or they may stay in careers for which they aren’t suited. Some folks refuse to give up bad habits. We hang on to all kinds of things that aren’t working in our lives, and then we wonder why we are unhappy.
In order to create a happy and content life, you have to do a little bit of “spring cleaning” from time to time. You have to evaluate what is working, and what isn’t working in your life. And then you have to have the courage to get rid of what doesn’t work and exchange it for what does.
Below are some aspects of your life that you might consider “cleaning up” in order to make sure that you are creating your best life possible.
Get Rid of the Relationships That Aren’t Working
No relationship is perfect. In every relationship, there will be conflict, on occasion. However, your relationships should, for the most part, bring something positive to your life. If a relationship causes more aggravation than good, then it is time to consider whether the relationship is worth continuing.
This is especially true in marriage. How many marriages linger on, while both spouses are miserable? I certainly am no fan of divorce. It is an emotionally painful process. And admittedly, publicly failing at your most important relationship is embarrassing. But if you simply can’t make the marriage work, then why carry on?
I know couples who have lost decades of their lives to marriages that were toxic. It was only when they got to their 50s and the kids were out of the house, that they decided to call it a day. The problem is that they spent 20 to 30 years of their lives being needlessly unhappy.
Realize that there is no glory in remaining in a relationship in which you are miserable. No one is going to pin a gold star on your lapel. No one is going to deem you a martyr and saint you. The only result of staying in a bad relationship is wasted time.
Better to eliminate the relationships that don’t work in your life. Instead, give your energy to the relationships that are good. The people who are kind and good to you are the ones who deserve your time and effort.
Give up The Bad Habits That Make Your Life Worse
We all have some bad habits. But as we get older, we should be working to reduce the number of those bad habits. For example, children and teenagers tend to be messy. But as we become adults, we should no longer be messy at work or at home.
The problem with being messy is that you can never find anything. Worse yet, you never can relax because your surroundings are always in disarray.
However, the biggest problem with being messy is that messy people aren’t taken seriously. If you can’t make your bed each day or keep your personal space tidy, why should anyone think that you are capable of doing anything important? The unspoken stigma is that messy people are viewed as incompetent. So, if you are a messy person, break that bad habit.
And frankly, being messy is one of the more innocuous bad habits. There are worse ones. Some people overeat. Others drink too much alcohol. Others smoke cigarettes. The problem with those kinds of bad habits is not simply that they hurt your health. They also show the world that you lack self-control.
So, if you want to live a life of excellence, and you want to be perceived as a competent, in control individual, then start by getting rid of your bad habits.
Getting Rid of What Isn’t Working by Moving on from A Bad Career Choice
Figuring out what kind of career will best suit your talents is challenging. Only a lucky few start out in the right career as soon as they graduate from school. Most of us have to switch around in jobs until we find one that is a good fit for both our skills and personality.
So, getting rid of what isn’t working in your life may mean getting rid of a bad career choice. Unfortunately, many people fear doing that. They wrongly believe that starting a new career or switching jobs means that they have failed. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Realize that your working years are a long journey. Most folks start their careers in their twenties and work well into their sixties. Those 40 years give you a lot of time to make some mistakes until you figure out what is the right job and career for you! So, don’t fear getting rid of a bad job or changing your career. It is often through trial and error that we get to the career of our dreams!
Getting Rid of Your Stuff
In the Western world, we all have too much stuff. I have been on a mission over the past couple of years to reduce my husband’s and my belongings down to what we either “need” or “love” and nothing more. I like having a home that is tidy and well-organized, and having fewer belongings goes a long way toward accomplishing that goal.
For example, my husband has 18 belts (I just counted them). For the life of me, I cannot understand the need for that many belts. But to be fair, I have an equivalent number of scarves. Neither one of us needs that many accessories. It is just silly.
I am a big believer in giving my stuff away. If I am not using it, then why should it just sit in my house? Better to let someone else enjoy it. To that end, I clear clothing out of my closet every couple of months. I believe that if an item of clothing doesn’t fit well and look good on me, it shouldn’t be in my closet.
In fact, I feel that way about stuff generally. If I can’t use it, and it doesn’t look good in my home, then why should it be in my house? You have to be ruthless when it comes to your belongings. Otherwise, your house is going to be cluttered and your closets will be a mess. Better to have fewer things, but have an organized and lovely home. Getting rid of our unnecessary things always is a surefire way to improve our homes and our lives.
This week, consider getting rid of what isn’t working in your life. It may be a bad relationship, a poor habit, a frustrating job or excess stuff. Eliminate what doesn’t work, and then give your undivided attention to creating a beautiful life for yourself. You deserve it! (To read about the four limiting beliefs you need to get rid of to be happy, click here.)
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