When I was in nursing school, I had a ritual that I'd perform after every major exam: I'd go back to my dorm room or apartment and thoroughly clean it. Invariably, there would be piles of notes, reference materials, and the clutter that collects whenever you neglect all but the essentials until the test is over and done. The pure act of cleaning carried a very satisfying sense of closure and symbolically cleared the path for the next challenge ahead.
Old habits die hard. After I completed my annual performance evaluation process at work this year, I found myself irresistibly drawn to clearing my desk. Now I'm a pretty organized person, but somehow the piles grew anyway and caused me to root through them more often than I'd like to admit, searching for wayward documents. At the end of my cleaning frenzy, I'd filed away items that were especially meaningful or had longer-term value, and sent quite a bit more to the recycle bin. It's truly amazing how much can accumulate and bog down your day-to-day life if you let it.
The concept of "clearing the clutter" is actually quite relatable on multiple levels in our lives. It can be viewed as a metaphor for casting away those things that are no longer relevant and freeing up personal space and capacity. Every now and again, it's a good idea to take stock of what you're holding on to and why. Then ask yourself the hard questions.
Has something accumulated that's of questionable value and is now encumbering you? Could some tasks that take up a lot of time be done more efficiently, by someone else, or perhaps not at all? Are longstanding personal attitudes, opinions, or beliefs creating barriers to what you want to do or to who you want to become? And how about certain relationships? Not all are healthy. Maybe it's time to make some adjustments.
Clearing the clutter feels good. Cherish that which needs to be honored, but ensure that your road ahead is wide open. Don't let the debris of the past be an obstacle to making room for your future.
Until next time,
Linda Laskowski-Jones, MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, CEN, FAWM, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief, Nursing2016 Vice President: Emergency & Trauma Services Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, Del.