Have you ever noticed how your self-awareness journey is like cleaning out a junk drawer? Most of us have one—a catch-all space filled with odds and ends, random tools, and forgotten items. There are things in there you reach for all the time, things you’ll never use again, and a tangled mess of items you’re not even sure why you kept. Of course, it’s handy to have a pen or screwdriver when you need it, but do you really need 20 pens, half of which don’t even write?
Our internal lives work the same way. We collect behaviors, beliefs, habits, biases, and values over time. Some are incredibly useful, others are outdated, and some have been gathering dust for so long we forget why we’re holding on to them. Self-awareness is the process of opening that drawer, taking out each piece, and deciding whether to keep it, clean it, or let it go.
Every time I open my internal junk drawer, I usually find remnants of situations where I felt the need to exert control over someone or something to fit my timeline or expectations. Whether that’s obsessing over plans for an event at my business or trying to influence (read: manipulate) my husband into going on an outing without multiple side trips or errands, those moments are a reminder of what I’m still holding onto—old habits I know I need to release. Recognizing these patterns is the first step, but deciding what to do with them is where the real work begins.
Most of us think that cleaning out a junk drawer is a one-time task. Do it once, and you’re set. But our internal junk drawers, like the physical ones, are not static. They’re constantly collecting new odds and ends—some of which look eerily similar to what we just threw away. That’s the beauty of the journey, though. It’s not about achieving a perfectly clean drawer; it’s about cultivating the awareness to revisit it regularly. Each time, you do so with more clarity and wisdom, recognizing what belongs and what doesn’t. Intentional living stems from these small, deliberate acts of sorting and letting go. When you notice the beliefs that no longer serve you—or the habits that weigh you down—you gain the power to make space for what truly matters.
Sometimes, though, you’re not ready to deal with everything in the drawer. And that’s okay. Having a place to store the miscellaneous and sometimes troubling bits of our lives can be a good thing. It gives us a chance to pause, breathe, and deal with life’s demands without the pressure of sorting everything all at once. The key is not to ignore the drawer completely but to revisit it when the time is right. Some parts of your life will take time to unpack. Awareness is the first step, and action can come later.
There’s a special kind of freedom that comes when you finally clear out a drawer—or an outdated belief—that’s been weighing you down for years. Suddenly, there’s space for new possibilities, clarity where there was once chaos. And with each thing you let go of, you rediscover a little more of who you are. Self-awareness isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. It’s about learning to sit with the mess of your internal junk drawer without judgment and trusting yourself to sort through it, piece by piece.
The journey of self-awareness is never really finished, and that’s what makes it so powerful. Each time you return to your junk drawer, you’ll find new treasures to uncover and new clutter to release. Life is dynamic, and so are you. So, take a deep breath, open that drawer, and let the journey begin.
