Where do you take your smartphone?
Like most people, you probably take it to work, in the car, whilst working out, on holidays, to sporting events, to dinner, whilst hanging out with friends, in the lounge room, the bedroom and probably the bathroom.
So how many people do you take with you to all these places? I mean, how many contacts do you have in your smartphone? From an energetic point of view, you are carrying all these people with you – in your pocket, handbag, and backpack – wherever you go.
In your contacts you probably have friends – old and new; family – close and not so close; work colleagues – from the must haves to the ‘I somehow have their details’; acquaintances – people you’ve met at a party or through a friend, who you thought you would catch up with one day but haven’t; and flings – you know the ones.
The thing to ponder is, with smartphones being part of our everyday lives and taking them wherever we go, we are also carrying these people around with us.
There has been lots of research and reality TV shows about de-cluttering your life and the benefits for your emotional, mental & physical health through living with less. Benefits such as feeling more empowered, less stressed, more focused, happier and more satisfied.
When was the last time your de-cluttered your contacts in your phone? I know I regularly need to review the number of apps, photos and music so I have more space, yet there was something more liberating and cathartic about de-cluttering my contacts. It wasn’t through a necessity in creating more MB of space, as they don’t really take up a lot of room, but it was more from an energetic and inspirational level.
Now, I’m not suggesting removing the contact details of people that you NEED to have, like an ex-partner (whom you have kids with), your manager, family members or certain key customers. This process is more about removing those people from your phone that you carry around with you day in / day out that don’t provide any value to your life, yet you just haven’t let go.
Maybe there’s an old girlfriend / boyfriend, an ex-colleague who you don’t talk to, an acquaintance who you met at a party or you thought you’d catch up with one day and it’s now been 5 years, or perhaps an old school friend who you never keep in contact with. Then there are those contacts that you have no idea who they are – don’t you love the way some contact details get imported into your phone!
So a simple process to go through is…
- Do I definitely NEED this person’s contact details? If yes, then keep them.
- If not, does this person inspire or tire me?
I think you know the answer; if this person doesn’t feel you with inspiration, positivity, friendship, support and love then it’s time to de-clutter and remove their details!
You will be amazed at how wonderful and light it can feel to remove their details. To free yourself from any old negative associations or memories and know that you are no longer carrying them around with you as you go through life.
Give it a go and see how you feel.
And remember, if you really really really need to get in contact with them again, there is always a way.