Closet Clean-Out Energy: Letting Go of What No Longer Serves You

In this episode of Hell Yes Habits, Elyse Bushard discusses the importance of letting go of things in our lives that no longer serve us, using the metaphor of spring cleaning. She emphasizes the need to create space for new opportunities and personal growth by releasing old habits, relationships, and identities that have become outdated. Elyse encourages listeners to reflect on what they are holding onto out of guilt or fear and to take actionable steps towards a more fulfilling life.

Takeaways

• Sometimes the biggest breakthrough comes when we're willing to make space.
• We hold on to things long after they've stopped fitting who we are.
• Letting go feels like loss, but clearing space allows growth.
• You don't build a hell yes life on a foundation of just in case.
• What am I keeping in my life out of guilt, habit, or fear?
• It's important to reflect on what no longer aligns with who we are.
• Making room for the new is essential for personal development.
• We often hold onto old routines that keep us stuck.
• Letting go can be a powerful act of self-love.
• You deserve space to breathe, move, and grow.

#HellYesHabits #LetItGo #GrowthMindset #SpringCleaning #PersonalGrowth

Transcript

Elyse Bushard (00:01)
Hello, hello, what's up? What's up? Welcome back to Hell Yes Habits. I am your host again, Elyse Bushard and today is Friday. I was gonna have all intentions of recording this like a responsible adult earlier in the week because I actually had inspiration for it on Monday, but then the week got crazy. You know how life is. So here we are.

I'm still never missing a Friday. I haven't since November 22nd and we're not gonna start now. So if you haven't and this is your first episode, welcome to the shit show. I'm just gonna preface this by it's been a crazy week. So if I go off on tangents, I mean you're here and you love it and you're over 20 episodes in by now and

So just roll with it with me. And if you're not, go back and listen to the other ones. ⁓ And this podcast wouldn't happen without this community that listens in and waits for these ⁓ every week. I love you all. Shout out to all of my family, friends, and friends, adopted friends who have now started listening to this podcast and are, you're all my friends.

international people, you're all my friends, so welcome. ⁓ Like I said, the inspiration for this episode actually came to me on Monday and it was based on a talk that I heard on Growth Day app. If you don't have Growth Day and you're interested in more about it, message me, either text me on here or DM me on Instagram ⁓ or Facebook if you still use that. Some people...

I'm still on there. ⁓ But I, yeah, it was like, I listened to this training, it was like six minutes long. I probably listened to it on Monday about five or six times because it was just that, it's such a simple concept, isn't it always, right? It's always something simple that like can be applied to our lives that your like mind is blown, like changes your life forever.

And it perfectly goes in theme with the fact that like a lot of us during the spring, I don't know who made this up. I feel like the media did that it's spring cleaning. But anyways, it is basically inspiration from a Monday talk of a guy. His name is Ed Milet ⁓ and he is a huge like multi, I want to say billionaire.

and not that that matters, but I like to like preface. He is a motivational speaker. He's a personal development, like guy. ⁓ he's, he has like award winning podcasts and speeches everywhere, but it's such a simple concept. He's in this app called growth day. Again, if you are interested in growth day and having more personal development in your life, because

I'm just going to preface that everyone needs it in their life, whether you think you do or not, because even the most positive people need reminders and resets. And that's what this app is. It's so simple and it's digital and it has like a digital journal in it. can, there's so many things, but I digress because this isn't about growth today, but it is where the inspiration for this came from. So,

I would, it would be a disservice to you if I didn't mention where this came from and how powerful Growth Day is in my life. ⁓ But anyways, so spring cleaning, right? We all have the closet that we wanna go through, the deep cleaning that we wanna do. I feel like this is something that the media and cleaning companies just put on, but regardless.

I love a good spring refresh and a season refresh. And a place that we all can relate to that is our closet, right? Because every season, if you live in a place that has four seasons, I love Colorado because we have four seasons, but you shift between wardrobes, right? You're not gonna wear your sweatshirt in the summer. ⁓ Now, I...

I digress because in Colorado it can vary when we're transitioning, but when we're in full-blown summer, you're not going to wear your hoodie, right? So you go through stuff like I'm going through like my winter stuff, for instance, and things just don't either fit me anymore or like why am I holding on to this? Like I have a box full of shirts from events that I used to work.

I don't wear them. I actually did have a quilt made out of some of them, but because there's like multiples of these shirts, but I'm holding on to them. Some of them don't fit me. I'm still holding on to them, because it's like the memory. Anyways, I have a problem. I know this. I'm not the only one though. I'm calling some of you guys out that hold on to stuff like that, but-

I'm sure you're like, why are you going on this tangent about cleaning out your closet? Because I have a point. Is that sometimes, and just go with me here, sometimes the biggest breakthrough comes when we're willing to make space. But the question is, so like space in your closet or space in your life, but the question is, what are we still holding onto in our?

in our lives that just isn't fitting anymore. And I say that as it applies to your closet, I'm sure, but also life. And so today we're talking about the things, the people, the routines, the dreams, the identities even, that we keep dragging around long after they've stopped fitting who we are. I mean, that's like a mic drop moment for me. So I'm gonna repeat that.

We keep dragging around things, people, routines, dreams, identities long after they've stopped fitting who we are. It's like a closet full of clothes that don't fit, don't feel good, or just aren't you anymore. They don't align with you. So why are they still hanging in there? Why are they still hanging in your closet?

Let's dig into this. know this is a huge concept. Again, simple, But again, like a few months ago, I finally decided to clean out my closet. This was and it's been a process. I'm telling you that I put stuff off too. And not just like the quick, the quick like shift a few hangers kind of clean, but the real honest everything on the bed type of clean and

Like I was holding up this blazer for instance, I hadn't worn in seven years and I had a moment and I kept thinking, but I used to love this. I wore this to that job interview and it made me feel powerful. But that was a different version of me, a different job ago, a past version. It was actually hard for me to admit, but keeping it wasn't helping me anymore. It just wasn't.

And that moment hit me like a truth bomb. It's like, what else am I holding onto in my life just because it used to fit? And again, not just talking about your closet. So what this really means, it goes beyond blazers and jeans, which by the way, I have an obscene amount of jeans, let's not even get into that, that I keep because I'm like, I'm gonna fit into that.

or those, because they're cute and they fit me in high school. my god, Elise, get rid of them. Anyways, I digress with my jeans. I know again, I'm not just calling myself out. But it's bigger, like I said, than blazers and jeans. We hold on to friendships or relationships that once gave us comfort, but now...

they feel heavy, one-sided, or even misaligned, like for the season of our life. We hold on to dreams we've outgrown because we've evolved, ⁓ but we're too scared to let them go because we poured so much time into them. We hold on to old routines that helped us once but now keep us stuck, like the hustle culture or staying quiet to keep

the peace and not speaking our mind. And then there's like an old morning routine, even just something as simple as that, that we haven't shifted because it's comfortable, but it actually isn't getting us to the point where we wanna go. And then we do this with even feelings, like guilt, resentment, or fear that we've let live just rent free in our minds for way too long.

And that doesn't fit where we want to go anymore or who we are anymore. And again, I'm going to say holding on to these things, feels safe. Letting go, it feels like loss, right? It's like the end of an era, if you will. But actually clearing the space, that's where your hell yes life has room to grow.

That space. So let's think of your closet again for a second. Like when you are cleaning out, you make room for the new, right? Like hangers are empty and you make room for a new piece that could be your new favorite outfit that feels so like you and expresses everything you are. But because we're holding on to the old, we don't have room for the new. I know this is.

This is mind blowing, but just like stay with me. ⁓ So again, I wanna put this into action for something that you can put into practice. So let's make, let's call it a hell yes habit let go list. ⁓ And ask yourself,

just in your head right now or jot it down if you're a person that likes to write things down. What am I keeping in my life out of guilt, habit, or fear? Again, what am I keeping in my life out of guilt, habit, or fear? Number two is what did I once love but no longer aligns with who I am or who I wanna be? And number three,

What am I afraid to let go of and why?

So again, I'm just gonna repeat those because, or you can rewind, but what am I keeping in my life out of guilt, habit, or fear? What did I once love but no longer aligns with who I am or who I wanna be? And what am I afraid to let go of and why? And then let, period, it, period, go, period.

That's weird to say on a podcast, but like let it go. Start with one thing. like a relationship, a commitment you have, again, a routine, your morning routine. And even go as far as like a limiting belief. Like, are you being held back by something? Are you thinking that you're not worthy of something and it no longer

fits though. It's no longer something that you believe and you just know you need to let it go to get to the next right thing.

because it no longer fits. And honestly, here's the truth though. And this is another mic drop moment. You don't build a hell yes life on a foundation of just in case or quote unquote used to be. You build it by getting clear on what fits you right now and making space for what's next.

Again, you don't build a hell yes life on the foundation of just in case or used to be. For instance, the closet idea. Like, I used to wear this or just in case I become this size. And I am staring at my closet right now and I have two things in there that qualify for both of those things that I will probably now get rid of.

Probably. I will get rid of, ⁓ after I'm done recording this, I will add it to my bag of things that I need to get rid of. ⁓ But again, you build it by getting clear on what fits now, like what fits the season of you now, and making space for what's next.

You have to make space for it though. You can't keep holding on to the old things that make you feel comfortable.

And now I'm gonna do something a little different. I know I tend to close right now and go take action. But I feel like this warrants more of a reflection time. And since you're listening and I've got you all ears, I want you, if you can, please don't do it if you're driving or taking a shower and you'll get soap in your eyes or I don't know. Don't do that.

⁓ So like just think about ⁓ and take a deep breath and visualize your life as a closet. What is one thing you know you need to take off the hanger and release?

You deserve space to breathe, to move, and to grow.

and you're not who you were. And that is a beautiful thing.

silence but like I don't know why I just said silence but like I wanted that to sink in.

And yeah, like this is such a profound concept. Like as soon as I heard it, I knew that this was the next podcast topic. I love when that happens too, because then it's not Friday and I'm having to think of something or spark inspiration. But like, I love when it comes from other places that I listen to for inspiration and can pass that on.

because I love this community so much and I want you guys to thrive. ⁓ And I know that I took this to heart, not only to motivate me to finish cleaning out my closet physically, but reflect on my life and what can go so I can make room for the new. And maybe that's a boundary, maybe that's setting up a boundary for yourself, for a relationship.

for anything in your life. I would love to hear if this sparked anything for you, any thoughts, feelings, vibes. ⁓ But also, DM me one thing you're gonna release this week. I would love to hear that. You can also text me, I have a text number on here, ⁓ because I would love to cheer you on. And if this hit home, share it with someone else, because I know that this message

is so important and so relatable on so many levels. And so share it, yeah, with someone else who's still trying to squeeze into an old version of themselves. And you just know that if they let this one thing go, or you help them let this, let a thing go, they will soar and you can be a part of that. ⁓

because I love being a part of this community and I love your support. just let me know what you think. And until next time, let's let go, like let's let go and make room for new hell yes habits for a hell yes life. Love you.