by Soulaima Gourani
Brian, my spouse for 23 years, and I challenge each other to do something that we’re scared of doing every single year. We encourage each other to face our fears and challenge each other to do specific things that we think will benefit us in the long run.
I love challenges. I know that they help me become more flexible and tolerant, both in private and professional environments.
This one time, I set myself an interesting challenge.
I committed to a diet – but not the kind you might be thinking of. It was a small, concrete challenge that I’d watched others complete with (seemingly) the greatest of ease. It had nothing to do with slimming down for summer. It was a mental diet intended to hone my abilities to make judgments and establish a better overview. It was also meant to give my energy and happiness levels a boost. The diet started in my closet. Over the course of the next 12 months, I wouldn’t allow myself to own more than 36 items of clothing at once. At once! And the results of this diet extended beyond the simple fact of having a manageable closet.
I think it’s healthy for us to think about the way we consume – and maybe even over-consume – objects of low quality. I think we all stand to benefit from setting ourselves challenges. Once I got into the habit of limiting myself and going through my closet, I started limiting myself in different aspects of my life. I cut out activities that felt draining, not to mention boring jobs and draining people that I no longer felt any connection to. I no longer surround myself with things and people I don’t make use of or feel a healthy connection to because they have a sapping effect on my energy level – and aside from passion and competence, my energy level is one of my most important resources.
I’ve always been good at assessing where I am in life. Once a year I sit down and create a business strategy for the upcoming year, which I then go on to share with the people closest to me. Then I commit to working on developing as a person and I pinpoint the parts of my personal, academic, and professional lives that just aren’t working for me.
I also assess my network and the reason I do that is because contacts are something I can relate to. I can’t be something for everyone so I have to decide to whom I want to be someone.
The “one in, one out” strategy
The idea behind my clothing diet was that I would spend a year limiting myself to having 36 items of clothing in my closet at any given time (excluding coats, socks, scarves, shoes, underwear, and workout gear). Every time I bought a new item of clothing, I had to go home and either donate or sell something.
That didn’t necessarily mean that I bought fewer items of clothing, but rather that I had to learn to limit myself. I had to start thinking about what I bought and what I had to get rid of as a result.
How to get started:
1. Take a photo of your closet.
2. Empty its contents on the floor.
3. Make a pile of your favorite clothes, i.e. the clothes you like and the clothes that fit and suit you.
4. Put the rest of the clothes in two piles: “donate” and “sell”.
5. Take a photo of your new closet – and make sure to stick to your diet.
This diet can have all sorts of impacts on your life. It can give you the courage to say no to your annoying boss, your lazy partner, your infuriating brother, or your demanding and egotistical friend.
Try to apply the strategy to different areas of your life. Think about your friends, family, and job. Sort through the tasks you no longer want to waste your energy on and the people you don’t want to see, work with, spend time with, etc. Go through everything and make some changes. A messy life will drain you of one of your most important resources – your energy.
Happy New Year,
~ Soulaima Gourani
FB: soulaimagourani/ www.soulaima.com
Soulaima Gourani is the founder and CEO of Trade conductor, a highly successful business, and global trade marketing consultancy that has helped countless major corporations become what they are today and an official expert at World Economic Forum’s (Expert Network) Behavioral Sciences & Education and Skills. She is a frequent motivational speaker at conferences with approximately 200 public talks/year around the world, online coach, corporate advisor to major companies on customer loyalty, sales, service strategies and employee motivation and the future of business + author of several bestseller books and has contributed to more than 14 books on leadership, change mgt, SCM and how to get success in life. Soulaima helps to serve a common purpose: to create more innovators, critical Thinkers, and problem solvers–more peace in the world. Www.bigspeak.com
About The Author
