Achieve Greater Success on National Letting Go of Stuff Day

Human beings are natural “holder onto’ers.” We tend to hold onto things and ideas and even people because we either don’t want to admit that we have outgrown something (and I am not necessarily talking size).  We no longer “need” the thing we once found so precious and important. 

I know because when I moved my retail florist from a 3,000 square foot space to just under 600 square feet, I had things in my storage room that had been there as long as we had (28+ years). It was pitiful. So much ‘stuff’ we didn’t need, didn’t use and couldn’t sell. Letting go of that stuff freed me to take stock in whats important to my business, and what is really important to a thriving business such as getting lean and working smarter in the current economy.

In going through this process I realized that there are “steps” we need to take to move through the emotions of letting go.

Phillip Moeller, from usnews.com wrote an interesting article about how our “stuff” is part of our identity we are not willing to let go of yet.  He says, “”If you have walls and walls of books, you might have to let go of the possible self that is going to read all those books.” To successfully downsize, he says, “something in the individual has to change, and that’s the elusive thing we’re trying to look for.”

The first step towards letting go is to acknowledge that there are some things that you need to let go. And for some people, this is a bigger challenge than the actual act of “letting go.”

What have you been holding onto that needs to be let go of? Perhaps you are holding onto old marketing ways because you are comfortable with them. If you are guilty of this as I was, how’s that working for you?

If these strategies are still effective, I am not suggesting to let go of them. I am referring to those that you have been doing so long you could do them in your sleep. Maybe your “elevator pitch” is tired and passe’. Maybe it just needs to be tweeked.

I just read an excellent book called Go Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann and they talk about elevator ”pitches” being passe’ in their original intent. That if you can come up with a way to articulate what you “do” that helps others get what they want and need, then you are providing value.  Say so.

I came up with a new phrase for my florist which goes something like this. “We deliver fresh flower that are creative, long lasting and make people smile when they get them.”

The benefits?  Long lasting, make people smile, deliver, fresh. All benefits people think of when they want flowers. It’s a simple statement yet it says so much without saying so much, if you know what I mean.

Go ahead, give it a try. Feel free to leave your “elevator” pitch in the comments below.

What else are you holding onto that needs to be let go?  Do you have outdated inventory that has not seen the light of day for years? Get rid of it. Sell it on Craigs List or donate it to an organization that can and will make good use of it.

What about habits? Do you have little habits in business that are holding you back? If so, create new habits that will make you prosper.  

Are you holding onto fear of some sort? Fear of failure or worse, fear of success?  Mike Koller, a marketing coach says “the fear of success is much more subtle, harder to spot and also harder to eradicate” … than the fear of failure! One of the telltale signs of the fear of success is when you settle for less than you feel you deserve or are capable of achieving. To find out the other signs visit his blog MikeKoller.com http://www.mikekoller.com/are-you-afraid-of-success/.

The fear of success may be yet another emotional tie that keeps us from “letting go of stuff.”

So today, you have permission to celebrate National Letting Go of Stuff Day, by Doing it!

To your success… and then some!

Other notable events on March 25th:

1668 ~ the first horse race in America takes place
1807 ~ the first railway passenger service in England
1863 ~ the first Army Medal of Honor was awarded
1896 ~ the first Modern Olympics begin in Athens, Greece
1939 ~ Billboard Magazine introduced the ( country music ) hillbilly music chart.
1954 ~ RCA manufactures 1st color TV set, a 12-inch screen for $1,000

More great marketing ideas can be found in the Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year!

*NEW