Return to Leadership Solutions Publishing Home | Return to Bookstore Entrance

Putting Our Differences to Work.com | LS Companies.com | Debbe Kennedy.com | Global Dialogue Center.com

Clear the Cludder in Your Work & Life
Create Yohaku

By Debbe Kennedy

Today is the best day to begin your own renewal. Yesterday day is gone. Tomorrow is not yet here, but you can start today recreating your work and life. Even if your job doesn't seem as exciting as you wish it were---or your life for that matter, you can begin changing it with an important first step: Clear the cludder.

Last summer, I was profoundly influenced by two books written by Diane Dreher. The Tao of Personal Leadership and TheTao of Womanhood. Diane's two books found their way to me at a perfect time. I had just finished a series of projects and for the first time in months, I had a brief time to catch my breath from a hectic and rewarding schedule. Sound familiar? In both her books, she presents the renewing idea of creating yohaku. It was an idea I suppose I had pondered, but her unique presentation of the idea struck a new cord in me. I'll share it with you.

Yohaku is a Japanese word that means "the empty space" or literally "clearer than a ray of sun". Diane Dreher explains the concept by relating it to Japanese paintings, which always have a generous amount of "white space". The idea being that the empty space allows the viewer to step into the work of art. She goes on to explain that most of our lives lack "white space" and instead are filled with cludder. We have no room for new opportunities, new perspectives, new ideas, new people or our own renewal, when our offices, files, cars, closets, counters, drawers and schedules are cluddered up and filled to capacity.

As I read her yohako message, first from a leadership standpoint, then from a personal point of view, I began to recognize my work and life had little "empty space". I didn't act immediately, but the idea stayed in the forefront of my mind. One afternoon, I went to visit a business friend (a role model and very together type). As I entered her office she was standing over a file drawer adding a few new folders to what looked like a drawer with lots of yohaku. She looked up at me, smiled and said, "Hello. I'll be just a minute, I was just cleaning out my files making room for new clients. I like to do this occasionally. It always works."

I spent the next few days cleaning, purging, throwing out, packing up, giving away, emptying out all the cluddered spaces in my life. Another friend had taught me this practice some years ago, but this new emphasis helped me really get into it. The process alone is a growth experience. It's not so easy to let go of things for some of us---but the more you do, the better you feel. Lighter. Free-er. Renewed. In a way, it felt like ridding myself of some skeletons, old news, old thinking, old me. As I worked, I realized I had grown the past year or so, but had been too busy to realize it. I also realized I was ready for new opportunities of many kinds.

There are of course no guarantees the process will work for you, but it worked for me in many ways. Within a short time, renewal came in lots of different ways both personally and professionally. A few friends have also tried it and it worked in their lives too. Are you ready to give it a try???

Here are a four tips:

1. Start with the place you dread the most and save the best for last. For me, this meant my office files came first; my jewelry box last.

2. Set a standard of what gets thrown out. If you haven't looked at, worn it or used it in a year, you probably can do without it. If you have more than one, you can probably rid your files or drawers and pass it on to someone else who can use it. If toxic people or appointments cludder up your life, ridding yourself of a few of these may be especially freeing.

3. Pack up boxes with things others can use. Fill them with only good things---if you can imagine someone being thrilled with it, then pack it. Seal and label the boxes and put them in the car ready to deliver to a person, organization or thrift store. Pass things on the way you'd like to receive them.

4. Repeat the process 1-2 times a year. Practice makes perfect. The first time, it may be hard. Next time, you'll get bolder, especially after seeing the results you get. Just the personal satisfaction and sense of freedom is rewarding. Who knows what other new gifts will come your way when the cludder is gone and you have a life and work with generous places of yohako.

Copyright 1995-2006