[00:00:18] EMMA: Have you ever noticed how clutter has a sneaky way of taking up more than just physical space? Over the weekend I was helping my daughter clean out her room and somewhere between the keep. The bin and this has somehow turned into a family archeological dig. I had a realization Clearing space in life creates clearing space in business.
[00:00:42] That's it for today. Thanks for joining us. all I wanted to say. Kidding. Uh, today I wanna talk about why making room for what is next might be the most powerful thing you do before the year ends. I love a good declutter. if I am stressed out, I go to declutter.
[00:01:00] Nothing is safe. Now, we are also in the. season of life when we're about to move house and what happens when we move house? Well, what happens when Emma McQueen moves house is that she goes through every single room systematically and ditches what is not necessary by her standards. Not her husbands, not her daughters, by her standards, which means we don't have much to move.
[00:01:23] Smart. Hey, smart, until someone says, Hey, Where's my favorite toy? Where's Bugsy? Yeah, no, they all got bin. see ya. decluttering that goes far beyond cleaning a bedroom, folding some socks. We are talking about clearing space in your business in your mind, and in your everyday life so that you can walk into 2026 filling lighter, clearer, and more focused.
[00:01:48] Because clutter builds up really quietly. Have you noticed? It shows up as old habits, outdated systems. Clients who drain you subscriptions, you forget [00:02:00] about, oh my goodness, so many subscriptions we forget about and thoughts that no longer serve you. But there is a simple truth to all of this. If you want new results you need room for them to land.
[00:02:11] So My husband was away for his annual golf trip, and I'm helping Evie clean out her room now. Evie is 11. If you have an 11-year-old, you know how monumental that task is. I found things that had been there for months, stinky things, slime Harley finished hot chocolates. Now, normally I love decluttering. It's something I do, as I've said, when life feels just a bit full. But this time I just finished wrapping up the Thriving Women Launch, and if you have listened to that episode, you'll know what that felt like for me.
[00:02:43] I was enjoying a quiet cup of tea and knowing we are moving house in a month, I thought we'll just tackle a couple of boxes. Of course, I'm an overachiever. My daughter was very happy to do just a couple of boxes, but that is not what happened. Once we opened the first drawer and grossness took over.
[00:03:02] Momentum got me to the next draw, and then the next draw, and then the next draw. Suddenly we are knee deep in photos from 2020 in memories in lost stationary, in odd socks and treasures from three years ago. There was shells, there was sand, there was bracelets, there was wool.
[00:03:22] There was a whole stack of crap that I could not tell you why I was there. So with a little bribery in form of a movie afterwards, four hours later, several cups of tea later, the transformation was complete. If you've listened to anything, you will know that my daughter loves jelly cats and squish mellows.
[00:03:44] If you don't have kids, just go to the shop and have a look at the Squish meows aisle 71. I counted 71 Squish meows. I put them all in one of those massive bags and pop them in her cupboard, saying to her, yeah, [00:04:00] we'll just pop these away for now. And her looking at me knowing that I'm gonna throw those out any moment I get her room was spotless.
[00:04:09] Bags for donations, bags to give away bags for the bin in a very tidy keep pile. And honestly it felt incredible. I think it felt far better for me than it was for her, but that feeling made something click for me. Decluttering is not about the tidy space, although that's lovely. It's about who you get to be after the clutter's gone.
[00:04:32] there's business clutter that we pretend not to see so I wanna talk about that and how this relates to business because the same patterns show up. We tolerate things we've outgrown because they feel comfy and familiar. We hold onto clients who drain our energy because it feels easier than letting them go.
[00:04:52] We stay married to systems that no longer serve us because switching feels mighty hard. And we keep saying I'll sort that out later, but later, rarely arrives. And here are some of the places, clutter sneaks in systems that used to work, but now they slow you down. Subscriptions that you're still paying for and never using.
[00:05:17] Offers that feel heavy rather than exciting. Admin, you avoid because it kind of spiraled months ago and now it looks like a train wreck. Messaging that no longer reflects the woman that you are now and habits you know are holding you back. And the biggest one. And the biggest one for me, mental clutter.
[00:05:38] The thoughts that whisper, I should do this. I need to fix that. I have to get around to sorting this out until your brain feels like an old computer with 47 tabs open. See, clutter is not just stuff, it's the stories we tell ourselves. It's the decisions that have not been made, so you keep making similar decisions over and over again.
[00:05:59] It's the energy [00:06:00] that has nowhere to go. There is a beautiful thing about decluttering the moment when you remove what no longer fits you create space for what does fit.
[00:06:11] Space for new clients, space for new ideas, space for new opportunities, space for growth, space for breathing, for thinking, for being the leader in your own business.
[00:06:24] You cannot bring in the next version of your business while clinging to the old one, who I was five years ago is dramatically different to who I am now. And what I want you to ask yourself as you're thinking this through is what feels heavy to you? What feels outdated? What have you outgrown? And what keeps taking up energy with absolutely no return?
[00:06:50] Clearing space is not giving up. It's about leveling up, sometimes the simplest action can shift everything. Canceling a subscription, updating your office suite, cleaning your inbox, rewriting a process, declining a project that no longer aligns, refreshing a workspace, letting go of clients who are not the right fit anymore.
[00:07:15] That's a tough one. Every time you clear something out, you make a statement, I'm ready for what is next let me say that again. Every time you clear something out, you make a statement. You tell the universe, I am ready for what's next. And as we approach the end of the year, this is the perfect time to pause and take stock, not with judgment, but with absolute intention.
[00:07:43] We have a few weeks left to tidy the edges of your business and your life. The work doesn't stop. You don't set and forget. You don't do it once and never do it again. You don't shower once and then think that's okay for the next month, do you? You don't make your bed once and then not make it the next day.[00:08:00]
[00:08:00] No, you don't. The work does not stop. It's simple. Shifts into alignment mode. want you to ask yourself. What would feel lighter if I let it go? Where could I create just a little bit more breathing room? And What clutter has quietly been holding me back?
[00:08:19] Clearing space is not about perfection, it's about preparation. Preparation for what's next. And if you think I actually need support with this. then I'd love to walk beside you with one-on-one coaching. Sometimes we know exactly what needs to be cleared.
[00:08:38] We just need clarity, accountability, and a plan that works for the season that we're in. And we get to look at the whole picture when we work together. If you want more space, more focus, and a business that feels aligned and intentional, reach out. We would love to support you. Until next time, clear the clutter, open the windows, and make room for what's coming next.
