What’s in Your Closet?
There is a "yard sale" sign in the front of our subdivision that has been up long past when its usefulness expired. I'm talking weeks...at least three. What has overstayed its welcome in your life?
Habits
Those pesky actions we do without even thinking. Some people even have to point out when we are doing them: tapping a pencil, popping gum, biting nails, interrupting. Is there a habit that you'd like to see ushered out this year?
Ruts
Ruts evolve. They begin for a reason. Initially the action is intentional and purposeful. Overtime, the activity may no longer be needed, but we still keep doing it. This is how ruts develop. Patients may need to be discharged or treatment plans may need to be reassessed. There may be a more efficient route to work. Periodically evaluating our lives can help us see when we have fallen into ineffective ruts.
Relationships
Everyone has different levels of relationships. Some relationships are daily, ongoing, and never-ending - like family. Some relationships are lifelong, but sporadic - they pop up at intervals, like your best friend from school who you only talk to once a year, but you carry on a conversation as if you saw each other yesterday. Some relationships are short-term. These are the relationships that we need to consider.
Short-term relationships can be superficial - like the coworker you have dinner with once a month. Short-term relationships can be intense. You may meet someone and just click, like you've known each other your whole lives. You spend several nights a week painting the town red. These relationships may have a practical end: you may lose contact when one of you moves on to a new job or a new city. Sometimes the relationship just fizzles out. You stop planning time together. Sometimes there is an impasse and one or both people feel the need to cease contact. Realizing that not every relationship will be lifelong can help ease the transition when a relationship ends. Though saying good-bye can be hard, it is a necessary step to have the time to invest in the relationships that continue to be vital.
From time to time, we all need to do some closet cleaning. No better time than the present, especially when it's time for New Year resolutions. So, what's in your closet? What doesn't need to be there?