Clean Slate

When we start a project or a relationship or even just start our day, we have a choice to start with the heavy baggage of all that we’ve carried up until now, or to start with a clean slate.

That choice is in our mindset and in our actions taken just before The Start.

The clean slate is about giving us the opportunity to focus on the new day and the new journey, it enables us to be hopeful about things to come and it offers us the optimal chance for success.

There are ways to ‘clean our slate’, or at least minimise the impact that our ‘heavy baggage’ might have on the new beginning:

Physically – do all you can today, so that tomorrow all you have to deal with is what tomorrow brings. This includes doing work that can be done today, sending messages that can be sent today, and ensuring that equipment you need is laid out today so that tomorrow you’re ready for whatever comes. It also means any tidying-up that can be done today, cleaning that can be done today, and prepping that can be done today is indeed done today, so that tomorrow your house invites you to start fresh. And it includes exercise that you can do today, food that you can eat (or avoid) today, meditation that you can do today you do today, so as to enable your body to be at its best to start a new day tomorrow.

Emotionally – forgive all you can today, so that tomorrow you can receive people with an open heart. This includes letting go of grudges, it includes assuming people have a good intention, and it includes setting free those that hurt you. This also includes forgiving yourself for wrongs you’ve done in the past, it includes assuming that your choices were made with good intentions and it includes embodying a positive and humble persona of yourself.

Socially – spend time with people that bring out the best in you, and minimise the time you mingle with those that have shown themselves to be less than supportive. This includes making a point to call people that had your back when you needed it, even if they haven’t been in touch for a while. It also includes saying ‘yes’ to social invitations, despite the inconvenience, with people who have proved to have a positive influence on your wellbeing. And it includes making yourself less available to people that were inattentive when you sought out their help.

Take steps today to ensure that you start with a clean slate tomorrow.