My wife and I have spent the better part of the summer going through a major downsizing of our possessions. We moved out of our four-bedroom home to a condominium, and early on it became clear that all of our things would not fit into our much smaller living space. And so, months before our move, we began the process of de-cluttering. Clothing items that had been with me since my college years (like the t-shirt with too many holes but is full of memories) didn’t always make the cut, nor did some of those wedding presents that have sat on a shelf for 20 years but were never actually used (sorry Great-Aunt Marzella).

The process of deciding what to keep and what to give away was difficult at times, but it was also satisfying to let some things go. We felt more free by having fewer possessions to think about and wonder where to store. The more we de-cluttered, the more clarity we had to see the things that really mattered to us and what didn’t.

At the same time we were downsizing at home, I have also been downsizing and restructuring my work role. It’s actually been a similar process as I’ve had to consider what is best for me to continue doing, what I should delegate, and what I simply shouldn’t do at all. Letting go of some items to do at work has allowed me to more clearly focus on the areas that bring added valued to our organization – like writing, speaking, and envisioning the future.

What about you? Is there too much “clutter” in your work tasks? Are you doing too many things and, as a result, are unable to fully focus on the more important items of your work?  If so, my encouragement is for you to take some time to de-clutter your work tasks. Give some things away to others, or simply stop doing certain tasks entirely. Freeing up time to really focus on what is crucial will help you feel more free and able to work on things that will most benefit your organization.

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