November Overhaul: Declutter and Streamline Your Business for a Powerful 2025!
Why leave spring cleaning to spring? Do it now.
Prepping for 2025
Step 5 on my 6-Step Checklist to Escape the 9-5 is Build Your Toolkit. So what does that have to do with an end-of-year cleanup? For me everything. And it occurred to me: this perspective might help a whole lot of you out there!
If you've been following my journey, you know I've pivoted my business this year. For me, 2024 meant the realization that my history blog, which was a hobby, needs to be my business and this Free At 50 blog should be my hobby blog. Read the details here.
In short, I've been de-cluttering! Not everything I purchased, saved, or followed serves my next chapter. But some things do, which means streamlining not purging. So here we go: let's do this. Let's declutter and streamline our businesses for 2025!
Let's make sure our toolkit is built in a way that serves us for the future. Get that coffee poured!
But before you start, check out my last post on setting up my history blog for success so you can get a solid sense of what you might need.
RELATED: Click here to get my 6-Step Checklist to Escape the 9-5.
Necessary disclaimer: As a blogger, I use affiliate links sometimes! I may receive commission from purchases I share; it does not change your price but sometimes you might get a discount.
Photo credit: Unsplash free stock photos
Declutter.
Subscriptions.
How many of you feel this vibe: you download freebies, subscribe to podcasts, grab a product... and you're subscribed- and you never look again. And sometimes, there may be a recurring monthly or annual cost attached?
Unload.
Unsubscribe.
How?
Here are 3 ways to find what you're subscribed to and quickly declutter.
- Do a run-through of your email inbox. If anything is still relevant to your current goals and needs, keep it. If not, hit that "unsubscribe" button.
- Do a close inspection of your bank account and credit card bills. Find those recurring costs and cancel anything not currently serving your needs.
- If you've been diligent, go through your planner, spreadsheet, or list you keep re: subscriptions and, again, unsubscribe/cancel as necessary.
Social media.
Here's what I've done- do the same, applying it to any/all platforms you're on. On Facebook, I left groups that were redundant and/or no longer relevant to my current business goals.
On Instagram, I unfollowed "least interacted with" accounts as well as accounts that served a purpose before, but not now.
Does that mean I won't re-join? Of course it doesn't! Reviewing social media opportunities as you evolve is vital. And I'll be doing that.
Your workspace.
Ditch the file folders, books, and things that you:
- never look at/use
- won't need for this phase of your business.
When I say "ditch" that doesn't necessarily mean toss it. It might- and yes, I was doing some serious shredding. But other things were filed or re-organized into other files. And many files were thinned out.
If you don't need it visible (IE on your desk), put it away.
RELATED: To get tips from a professional on setting up a productive workspace, click here.
Photo credit: Unsplash free stock photos.
Your laptop and devices.
I've saved a lot of things. Here's a little list of some of the things I know I won't be needing- maybe it can help you sort through your stuff.
- downloaded freebies and documents that are outdated
- downloaded freebies and documents no longer relevant to my business, goals, or needs
- photos - they can take up a lot of space!
- apps/subscriptions I do not use
How to do it well:
- block time
- do it in chunks- task by task
- create a specific list of what you want to declutter on your laptop and devices
- create folders to save/archive anything you don't need now but may use in the future
People.
I know it sounds crazy but... this kind of ties into social media.
Should you literally stop talking to people and delete them from your contact list? No, that's not what I'm suggesting.
But unfollowing people on social media whose content doesn't match up to your business, your needs, and your goals- that's important. As far as spending time with people, if you belong to accountability groups, masterminds, etc. that no longer serve you, go ahead and bow out.
Also - and this one might feel a bit uncomfortable - it's 100% ok to say "no" to invitations that don't serve you or your business. Celebrate the a-ha moment of realizing that's ok... you can say "no, thank you."
Photo credit: Unsplash free stock photos.
Add tools you need.
And here is the flip-side. Eliminating what isn't serving you frees you, your time, and your budget, up to add what will serve you.
- Subscriptions.
- Social media.
- People.
- Training.
- Technology etc.
- Your workspace.
RELATED: Click here to check out business tools I recommend to find what you need and be inspired.
The result: streamlining your business for success in 2025.
There you have it!
Keeping blog posts simple, concise, and with tools and resources that make it easy to get (and stay) on track!
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