Sometimes You Need to Clean Your Garage First

An electronic drum set.

A bunk bed.

Two strollers, a swing, and bike trailer we never used.

These were just a few of the things littering the floor of our garage. Getting in the way of the things we did use, and making parking tight, even for a 2010 Nissan Sentra. It is a bit insidious, how junk builds up over time. As simple as cleaning out your garage can be, it just never gets the same priorities as “going to work” and “keeping the kids fed, clothed, and bathed*”.

But the junk piled up. Not really hurting anyone physically, but draining me mentally every time I looked at it.

So when my wife and I had a free-ish day while our kid was sick and melted to the couch watching Octonauts, we had a choice:

I could work on the 6 hour talk I was giving and she could jump ahead on some of her work. Or we could power through cleaning out the garage.

We chose the more satisfying of the two: the garage.

The wild part is it only took a couple of hours to put all of the things we didn’t want into a give away pile, organize the things we do like, and then power wash it (this was the most satisfying part). By the end, we both felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

And then I was really able to get to work.

For some reason, getting this looming, yet simple task done freed up my mental space to tackle the remaining parts of my intellectual work on my talk. I found flow easier. Ideas were coming. By the end, I knocked it out faster than I imagined I could.

My secret was clearing out the physical clutter to relieve my mental clutter.

You may not have a dirty garage, but what about a messy desk? A sink of dishes that need to go in the dishwasher. A yard full of weeds. All of these could be getting in the way of the mental clearness you need to tackle more meaningful projects.

So clean ‘em up!

Or if the task is just too daunting, and you have the means, pay someone to do it! Our neighborhood is crawling with kids looking to make a few extra dollars whom I have tapped to do some mundane physical chores that freed up my time and mental space.

Whatever it takes, clear out whatever your “garage” is, and reap the mental benefits!

Make a Good Day,

Cory

*Never mind keeping myself bathed and clothed. Since March of 2020 I have worn through more gym shorts and old T-shirts than I am willing to admi