Moving and Purging

Since I just finished a move from North Carolina to the Northern Virginia area, I thought this was an opportune time to talk moving and purging.

Have you ever tried to physically empty your house of all its contents? It's not easy. Think about that for a minute: literally, remove every single object -- every coat hanger, shower curtain, role of toilet paper -- from your home. Obviously, the longer you live in one place, the more stuff you accumulate, but it doesn't take long to accumulate a lot of stuff.

Over the past ten years I have become pretty efficient at moving. I have moved a total of six times since 1999. Moving is a miserable process, but like with any activity, you can learn a lot about yourself in the process.

Every time I move I use it as an opportunity to clean up my household "footprint" -- to purge stuff that is just taking up space and sucking up valuable energy, things I have no use for.

Just like you can move and purge your house, you can move and purge your life of all the clutter that's sucking up much needed energy -- realign your priorities and focus on things that really matter. Moving and purging your life is a chance to jettison those things that are no longer important, but continue to hang around and steal your valuable lifeblood.

I've written previously about the benefits of keeping your body and mind in motion (see Keep Moving below). In practically every instance, keeping yourself physically or mentally in motion leads to positive things. One of the opportunities that presents itself when you keep moving is the ability to purge.

It's amazing what a cathartic experience moving and purging is. The benefits of moving and purging outweigh the misery of the task. I like to think of the process in terms of short-term pain for long-term gain.

Related Random Thoughts
Slowing Down the Game
The Perishable Mind
If Some is Good, More is Better

Keep Moving