Recently, I was out in the garden pulling what seemed to be an endless amount of weeds. Our garden has been busy, and along with the summer flowers, weeds had sprung up around the garden beds and along the walkways.

Though once I put my gloves on and headed outside, it only took a few hours of easy labor to restore order.

Meanwhile, our usually lush lawn is slowly being infiltrated by weeds, thanks to the harsher weather we've had the past few seasons. Weeds that, when you keep them trimmed, look enough like grass that they're hardly noticeable. But visible or not, they're still there, challenging the healthy growth.

So... a little weeding and feeding was in order there.

Weeding — eliminating what is distracting or detrimental in our lives — is a powerful part of creating a life that feels healthy, inspiring, vibrant and fulfilling, too.

When does weeding matter most? It's important when you’re evaluating or setting big goals, or when you're making a significant change in your life or your work. But it's also a regular maintenance activity that improves your focus, flow and momentum, and one that can be effective in preventing burnout.

It’s hard to focus on the new and the now when your mind and schedule are chock-full of the old. Or worse, full of distractions that are actually keeping you from moving forward. 

Yet that’s exactly what many of us try to do. I often see people approaching goal setting and life/work transitions with lists of what they need to add. New habits. New routines. New plans of action. New commitments. They stuff their schedules and to-do lists with more, more, more. I’ve done it, too. Most of us have done some version of this. 

But sooner or later (and it's usually sooner), it backfires. This is how wellness and self-care goals get lost in the shuffle of busy schedules and competing demands. It’s how creative projects never get off the ground. It’s how you never really get around to revising that resume and leaving the draining job for one that challenges and motivates you. It’s how you settle for almost-good-enough and less than what you truly want and need.

It's how you start and stop, instead of maintaining steady momentum and flow.

More is where overwhelm starts and what leads many people to throw in the towel. More makes everything harder. 

Nearly always, what you subtract is more important – and more effective-- than what you add.

If you’re feeling blocked, overwhelmed, slow-moving or frustrated in any area of your life, it’s probably time to do a little weeding. If you're excited about a new challenge or a new job, weeding is going to help, too.

Here are a few questions to get you started:

• What do you believe that is keeping you from creating what you want in the area of your life that is calling your attention?

• What are the thoughts that are crowding out your optimism or peace of mind?

• Is there clutter in your physical environment that feels like it’s weighing you down?

• What areas of your physical environment don’t mesh with your goals or vision?

• What’s contributing to your mental clutter or lack of focus on what matters to you?

• What are you putting into your consciousness– reading, television, social engagements, conversations – that is distracting you or having a negative effect?

• Are your relationships supportive of your values, goals and vision?

• Are you collapsing under the weight of trying to do too much?

• Where are you not able to be who or how you want to be?

Where I'm weeding right now

One of the places I look first when practicing weeding in my life is my schedule. It's a powerful move to create space (and the one that often brings up the most resistance). After coaching many clients through this exercise over the years, I’m certain that most of us can cut back on our scheduled commitments. I’ve been doing some of that all year so that I can focus on what's most important at a time when there are a lot of demands and changes.

I also like weeding in the area of goals. This year, I’ve set a small but mighty handful of intentions for my work, home and wellness. I’ve decided that this is the year of doing a few things well — and focusing on them happily and mindfully.

My last area for weeding is being even more choosy than usual about what I’m letting in. That means focusing my attention on constructive conversations and positive action, not fear or noise. Fine-tuning my wellness practices to fit this chapter and making the necessary time to be quiet and unplugged, which helps me reflect and make clear decisions. I’m spending much less time on anything that isn't connected to my values or top priorities. I'm not trying to be everywhere and do everything because I know that's an un-winnable game.

Your challenge

Is it time to do a little (or a lot of) intentional weeding in your life so that you can create the life you desire and the work that fulfills you?

Do you need to clear space so that you feel inspired and able to make the contributions that are important to you? If so, I’d love to support you in this.