Every time I blog about living with passion and purpose, some readers tell me “that sounds great, Michael, but I don’t have enough time to do what I need to do, let alone pursue my dreams.”

My response? Do you have one hour a week? That’s the small amount of time I commit to defining my priorities and setting time boundaries — and the benefits are remarkable.

Even if your hectic schedule seems beyond your control, devote just one hour to slowing down and ordering your life around what matters most. When you do this, you’ll become more aware of the opportunities awaiting you and how to seize them.

How should you spend this hour? There are two key tasks:

1. Define Your Core Values

Your core values are the fundamental life principles that are most meaningful to who you are and what is most important. For example, my main core value is family. If you’re not clear about what yours are, your life can move in directions that are a waste of your time.

When you use your core values as the benchmark for all your decisions, you can quickly and easily simplify your life. So start off your hour by putting these values in focus, examining your commitments and saying “no” to those you are not passionate about.

[su_quote]“If you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.” Roald Dahl [/su_quote]

2. Clean Out Your Physical Space

Next, create more space to pursue your passions by getting rid of the distractions around you. We all hang on to stuff we don’t use — unworn clothes, things in drawers, gadgets sitting on shelves — that doesn’t support our values and pulls us away from life’s meaningful interactions with family and friends.

By donating or giving away all the material things you do not need, you gain mental and emotional energy to pursue your passions. Simply put, if something doesn’t truly matter to you, let it go — and be brutal about it.

I recommend you start one room at a time, beginning with the rooms you spend the most time in. Clean and organize what is left, and move on to the next room. It may take a few months, even a year, but do work on it each week. With every item you release, you’re opening up more possibilities for the relationships and experiences that count.

[su_quote]“Happiness can only be found if you free yourself from all other distractions.” – Saul Bellow [/su_quote]

Each of us has clutter in our lives that holds us back from becoming who we want to be and achieving our desires. What is holding you back? What can you start doing today to begin living simply, mindfully and most important – passionately.

I would love to hear from you about how you removed clutter from your lives and living environment.

Remember I’m always eager to hear your comments. Contact me at Michael@michaelmenn.com or at 847.770.6303.