Before Bill Gates went into his garage to start making a huge corporation, people used complicated languages and commands to make computers to do what was to be done.
Bless the bright young brains, one fine morning “windows” opened and made computers a common man’s assistant. More people looked at this cute box with a lot more admiration and even a bit of respect. Things were easy. The computer finally seemed to have learned English.
Here is a story of a small child of 7; he deleted all files that were saved on the desk top of their family. He looked up with all innocence in his baby eyes and explained to a distraught parent: “But I couldn’t see the pretty Angel”. You are right; the family did have a beautiful picture of an angel as their wall paper!
The English speaking computer had obeyed orders from all who used it and had “saved” each and every file that was asked to be saved. The poor computer did not have the “mind and brain” to tell the order giver, if that particular artifact would be of any further use to make life better or richer. There are such files saved in our own internal computer too.
Tasks to do, obligations filed away, perceived threats as well as opportunities to name a few not to mention about what we think about certain person, place, event or thing!
So it is not about the good bad or ugly. It is about utility and creating enough spaces to operate instead of boxing oneself amidst clutter of things and thoughts and even emotions.
Self application:
Everyone can do with some spring cleaning at home. However, there is this feeling of “ Oh.. how can I throw this away? We got this when…….and there is a story so poignant that the object that takes most of a particular shelf or even the corner of a living room is fondly dusted and left as it were before. Until, next spring when the same question and dusting occur.
Do we hold the experience of something beautiful that happened to us in objects? Yes, most of us do and we also hold them in memories. In the same way, we also hold experience of pain. Objects that remind us of pain or loss are left alone. They come in the way, but the thought of getting rid of them can be an over whelming task. In the same way, we hold emotions and feelings from the painful experience, cluttering the mind and clouding it with fogs of doubts and indecision. This clutter can be a dead weight slowing you down and tiring you.
- What does clear or mean to you?
- How important is space: both physical and in the mind, for performing better?
- Does clutter get in the way of progressing forward both emotionally and physically?
- Have you taken on tasks and responsibilities that seem a bunch of clutter which has gained in weight and has become overwhelming?
- Looking at your computer wall paper, which happens to be your loved one’s picture, do you miss the twinkle in the eye or the beautiful smile? Is it hidden behind those icons of files you kept on desk top so that they are handy and easily available?
- How many windows do you have open in your compute by mid day of your work?
- What windows actually have no business to do and can be closed? Both in your computer and in your life!
- How does having only fewer and significantly relevant windows, help at work and in life?
Coaching application:
A significant number of coaching sessions start with:
“I am overwhelmed with the stuff I have to finish by ….. “
“I am not able to think through so many things and really decide on…. “
“I am confused about what is expected out of me, I am getting mixed signals about….. “
A coach can support the client to clear their clutter primarily from their minds. A coach can also lead the client to figure out clearing the spaces to free up energy and flow. Just as an architect or designer would redo and restructure a house to create more space and utility, a coach can work with the client to reframe perspectives and initiate action to unclutter mind, thoughts, even physical spaces and progress in the journey.
Some powerful questions :
How do you feel about having to do all of these activities?
If you were to drop a few things to do, would you feel lighter? What does feeling lighter mean to you?
Would you like to list out the “open windows” in your life? Would you like to look at which ones matter?
Looking at yourself as someone who has completed all the various things you mentioned you have to do, what do you see? How many things in the list did this person actually have to do to get there?
Summary: The process of un-cluttering and clearing clear spaces both physical and in the mind can bring momentum for a Client and even help when they are ‘stuck’. Discovering the Power of Simplicity would be the focus and success of this power tool application.
References:
Oxford dictionary online
Power of simplicity: Jack Trout (1999)