Sometimes it is important to have a spring clean to sort out our lives. Clutter absorbs energy.
It can be useful to refocus on the things that are really important. If you wish, try tackling The White Room exercise.
Imagine your life is a white room. There is nothing in it except your loved ones. Then go through the following steps.
You can put three people
into your white room
“Two people immediately came to mind,” said one person.
“These were my partner and best friend, but the next stage was harder.
“Which person should I put in the room? It was a bit like the BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs, but more serious.
“Eventually I chose somebody, but that was not really the point. The exercise forced me to think about:
The people with whom I feel alive.
The people it would be good to meet occasionally.
The people where there was no longer a click.
“I decided to spend more time with the people who lifted my spirits.”
Who would you put in your room? If you wish, try completing the following exercise.
You can put three strengths and
three goals into your white room
What are your talents? Which of these strengths would you like to use more in the future? Try asking yourself some of the following questions.
What are my strengths? What are the deeply satisfying activities in which I deliver As, rather than Bs or Cs? What are the specific situations in which am I calm, clear, creative and deliver concrete results?
What are the things that give me positive energy? When am I in my element – at ease and yet able to excel? When do I flow, focus and finish?
What are the situations where I go ‘A, B … and then leap to …Z’? Where do I quickly see patterns? Where do I have good personal radar and seem to know what will happen before it happens?
Where do I make complicated things simple? Where do I have the equivalent of a photographic memory? Where do I score highly on drive, detail and delivery? What do I have a have a track record of finishing?
Looking at your talents, what are the three strengths you would like to put into the white room? Try completing the following exercise.
What are the things you want to give to people? What are your life goals? Bearing in mind your strengths, what is the knowledge you want to pass on to future generations?
If you wish, try revisiting the old exercise on clarifying your lifetime picture of success. Imagine that you are looking back at the end of your life.
What are the things you want to have done by then that for you will mean you have had a successful life? Try completing the following exercise.
My Picture of Success
Looking back, I will feel my life has been
successful if I have done the following things.
*
*
*
People often mention three themes when tackling this exercise. They want to build positive relationships, to make a positive contribution to the world and to enjoy positive memories. You will, however, have your own picture of success.
Returning to The White Room exercise, describe the three goals you want to put into the room. You can then focus on how to achieve these aims.
You can put three possessions and
three other things into your white room
Time to treat yourself. List the three possessions you want to put into the room. One person found a creative way around this, saying:
“Assuming I am allowed to put in my home and pets, I would put in my computer, TV and car. But I would also have a good clear out.
“We have so much stuff in the house and garage that we never use. Just looking at it takes energy.
“Regarding the three other things, I would include my mountaineering equipment, camera and painting materials.”
So what possessions would you put in the room? Try completing the following exercise.
Finally, what are the three other things you would put into your room?
Some people choose to put in personal characteristics, such has having a positive attitude, appreciating life, being grateful or whatever. Some choose to put in music, their garden or other things.
The White Room exercise sounds drastic. But sometimes we need to refocus our lives.
We can then concentrate on the people and activities that give us positive energy. Don’t worry. Clutter will soon appear and then it will be time for a new spring clean.
If you wish, try tackling the final exercise on this theme. This invites you to do the following things.
Describe the specific things you can do to focus on the things that are important in life – such as the things in your White Room.
Describe the specific benefits of focusing on these important things in life.
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