When my clients are at a crossroads with a decision that they need to make, I often walk through an exercise with them I call the “Virtual Board.” I do this by asking, “If you could hand select a personal board of directors, who would be on it?”

The goal of the imaginary board of directors is to provide new perspectives to aid in problem solving. In his book, Thinkertoys, Michael Michalko describes a fantasy board as “a list of powerhouse business leaders and innovators who will assist you in overcoming your challenges.” Imagine having at your disposal the experience, wisdom, and know-how of whomever you admire most, living or dead. These “board members” can spur you into action in some aspect of your life where you‘ve been feeling stuck.  

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I recently took a bag full of clothes and accessories to http://www.bottomlessclosetnyc.org/ and I was surprised at how liberating the simple exercise was. Especially when times are tough, I think that we hold onto our “stuff” because it makes us feel a bit more secure. Closets full of “stuff” and a garage full of “stuff” can create the illusion that we have value.

Shedding even a handful of possessions creates so much space for other things. If you are having trouble letting go of that too-tight belt or too-small view of yourself, you may be hanging onto things that keep you too mired in the past.

My friend and fellow life coach, Gail Blanke, has written a new book http://www.throwoutfiftythings.com Through poignant and humorous stories, she inspires us to get rid of the "life plaque" we've allowed to accumulate. Her motto: "If you wanna grow, you gotta let go." That means eliminating all the clutter – physical and emotional – that holds you back, weighs you down, or just makes you feel bad about yourself. I asked Gail (GB), to share more thoughts on how she personally gains clarity and “pays attention to her inner voice”:

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One of my cousins, to whom I’ve always looked up to, keeps a magnet on his kitchen fridge which states, “Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you are usually right.” As a coach, I find that our inner chatter can be our greatest friend or our worst enemy. I teach my clients to identify negative self-talk patterns and replace them with a more constructive inner dialogue but it isn’t easy. It is often a lifetime’s work.

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