What is the art of elimination, you might ask? It is the little known nugget of wisdom that asserts "the more we honor simplicity by clearing our mental and physical space, the more we can be present in the now and the more satisfying and rich our lives will be." What this means is that we can often gain far more by removing obligations from our schedule and clutter from our space than we can by adding more to our already overwhelming existence.

Let's suppose you have a beautiful crystal wine goblet in front of you that is filled to the top with a fine Cabernet. Life is good. The waiter comes along with more fine wine and several top shelf champagnes for you to taste. Unless you make room for these new goodies to come into your life, they must pass you by. You may be reading this thinking, "I'd just drink the full glass of wine very fast so my cup was empty as fast as possible."

I would then ask you, "How long could you sustain that mode of operation?" A very short period of time, indeed. As Confucius might say if he had the chance, "there is only so long you can fill an already full cup until it is spilling all over you, your table, and the floor."

Clearing Your Physical Space

Your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. What that means is that if your surroundings are chaotic chances are your emotions and insides are as well. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Out of control? Drained of energy? Well, the clutter free challenge is for you!

Most people think of cleaning clutter as a painful task that requires a great deal of time and energy. I am here to tell you that it need not be so! Shift your mindset as it relates to your surroundings and once you experience the freedom from clutter and disorganization, you will never turn back.

What is the clutter free challenge? It is a way to make cleaning your surroundings be more fun like playing a game. Here are some versions of the clutter challenge that might work for you:

Throw away, sell, donate, or otherwise get rid of 10 items a day every day for 90 days. Hint: The items need not be big. It can be as simple as cleaning out a messy pile of old mail. Secret: Once you get started, your momentum and satisfaction will build and you will find yourself getting rid of tons of clutter and un-needed items.

Focus on organizing one room a week for however long it takes you to work your way through your entire house or apartment. Each week, take one room and clear it out from top to bottom. Put stuff where it belongs, throw it out, sell it, donate it, or otherwise deal with it once and for all.

The benefit to this approach is after one week you'll have one room that truly inspires you where you can spend time relaxing and renewing yourself. In addition, your other rooms will look even worse than they did before by comparison which will help you keep your momentum going. Side benefit: You discover unique and sometimes unidentifiable items you didn't know you owned in the process. For example: "Look honey, I found two beautiful champagne flutes. I wonder when and where we got them?" or "Oh dear, what is that dried up, fault- ridden item in my refrigerator? Maybe Timmy can use it for his science project."

Make a list of the top 12 things that drive you nuts on a daily or weekly basis as you move about your house. Handle at least one of these items per week for 12 weeks. Tolerations such as these drain your energy and take up space on your mental to-do list.

If you don't like these games, be creative and make up one of your own. The key is to make the clutter free game part of your mindset. Once you've cleared the clutter and organized your space, the satisfaction you feel and the energy you've freed up will inspire you to maintain the progress you've already made and continue the game on an ongoing basis.

Clearing Your Schedule

I could write books on the fact that all of today's modern conveniences and technology advances were supposed to make our lives easier. Not by a long shot. If anything, it simply increased the pace of life, added to the overwhelming number of things we need to tend to, and made it more difficult to create strong boundaries around work and personal life. However, blaming technology or others not only doesn't solve your overbooked schedule it creates a circle of negativity that will permeate all you do.

The answer? Do what you need to do to create space in your calendar for you to live your life by your own design and to simply "be". That means scheduling unstructured and unscheduled time just for yourself and the things that matter most to you. Keep in mind this simple, humbling fact:

We are all going to die with items on our "to-do" list. Therefore, give yourself permission to take the pressure off a little so you can actually experience life.

Questions to ponder and help create space in your schedule:

Is it time to reduce or eliminate some volunteer activities?

What really matters to you?

Schedule time for these activities and eliminate activities that don't either fall into this category or contribute to your overall well-being.

Is your schedule filled with obligations and appointments with no time for fun, relaxation, or spirituality?

Remember balance is natural and required for all of us, as part of the natural ecosystem, to exist. It is not a luxury, so give yourself permission to take the action necessary to create balance in your life.

Do you find yourself spending all your free time in front of the TV?

If so, reduce or eliminate TV. Life is not a spectator sport, so get out there and make it uniquely yours. Are you drowning in chores and errands? Delegate or hire someone to do it for you.

Do you honor yourself by taking a mid-day break at work every day?

Schedule your lunchtime like you would any other meeting. Physically get away from your workplace and do something you enjoy. You'll feel better AND be more productive.

Is your time spent properly balanced between all the areas of your life?

Keep a diary for a week and see where you spend every hour of the day. If you don't like what you see, ask yourself: What areas need more attention? Less attention? Adjust your schedule accordingly.

It takes courage and commitment to stand up for yourself and create the space you need in your world. So, surround yourself with the support you need and acknowledge yourself for every step of progress you make!