Welcome to Week 2 of our Solo Turn-Around, in which soloists refuse to participate in the economic doom-and-gloom, and instead focus on opportunity and potential.

To move forward requires making space for change to enter your life -- on a physical level as well as an emotional one. Longtime Working Solo colleague and organizing expert Julie Morgenstern is the ideal guide. Her new paperback, SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, presents a four-step process to help clear the decks so you can make the most of your space, time, and energy. Julie's four steps include:

S: Separate the treasures.
Julie emphasizes that SHED is not a de-cluttering crusade -- although it's important to let go of things, habits, or behaviors that may be holding you back. Instead of starting with what must go, ask yourself: What gems are truly worth hanging on to?

H: Heave the trash.
What's weighing you down? Identify it -- stuff, emails, habits, time-wasters -- and take on the tough work of dealing with it. Send excess stuff to be trashed, recycled, donated, or sold. Delete, delegate, or diminish your involvement with non-productive tasks. This step can be challenging, but worth the effort. Julie says a mix of panic at the loss and relief in the freedom is normal.

E: Embrace your identity.
Who are you without all your stuff? Celebrate who you are, regardless of what you own. It's OK to stay "empty-handed" as you await new opportunities to enter your life.

D: Drive yourself forward.
Now that the clutter in your life isn't holding you back, what do you want to take on? Which direction connects to your genuine self?

While it's obvious how the SHED process relates to physical clutter, you can use its framework to manage change in many areas of your life. It requires no major financial investment, and it's an undertaking that many soloists would put off in busier times. All of which makes it a perfect activity to embrace these days. What are you ready to shed in your life?

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com