You might be wondering what that title has to do with business or anything else in your life.

After all, a vacuum is quite a rare thing – even outer space isn’t a pure vacuum.

But we can get close enough in areas of our lives. And when we do, great things start to happen as if by magic.

If you’ve ever done any spring cleaning or had a de-clutter, you’ll know how good that sensation is.

It’s as though the weight of whatever you’ve thrown out or given away has been lifted from your shoulders.

You may even have gone round with a broad grin on your face.

The same happens in any area of your life.

One of the things I’ve started to do more often is de-clutter my inbox.

Sure, it takes time to click the unsubscribe link and then click whatever buttons or options there are on screen (especially on the annoying ones that know your email address but can’t be bothered to fill it in for you or ask you to confirm it by typing it in again, but there’s always the “spam” button to send those where they deserve to be).

But it’s a done once, gone forever thing. So over the coming weeks and months it’s a time saver.

And – even better – it reduces all the rubbish that’s in your inbox. Stuff that you’d have once eagerly awaited but now wouldn’t even give the time of day to.

Your email inbox isn’t the only area of your life that will benefit from this kind of de-cluttering.

Maybe your hard drive folder of stuff you’ll look at eventually (which, in real life, we all know means “never”) could do with some serious use of the delete key.

Maybe your Tivo or Sky+ box could do with deleting all those television programs that seemed so important when you pressed record but you’ve never quite got round to watching, even when there’s nothing else on.

Maybe the space surrounding your computer if you’re still old fashioned like me and use a desk-based machine.

Then take a look at the other things in your life that you do out of habit.

If you’re anything like me, there’ll be stuff in there that could benefit from being culled.

Maybe the newspaper or magazine subscription that turns up like clockwork but never gets read apart from maybe the headlines.

Maybe an online subscription that works the same way. The cheaper ones are the ones to watch out for here – $5 a month here, $10 a month there, $7 a year. Nothing that’s going to turn you into a millionaire if you didn’t pay it but it seems more effort than it’s worth to find out how to unsubscribe.

Start creating your own vacuum by getting rid of all those small, unessential things.

And maybe some big unessential things as well.

Because they act a bit like an elephant in the room.

Set aside a bit of time – maybe 15 or 30 minutes. Chances are that you’ll go over that time (which is fine) because it’s actually very therapeutic doing this.

Creating a vacuum in your life – personal or business or both – works a treat.

Apart from the inner glow of satisfaction that you’ve finally got rid of a bunch of things that have been conspiring against you for longer than you’d care to admit…

There’s now the space (a vacuum) for something else to come into your personal or business life.

And it will.

Because nature really does abhor a vacuum.

Abundance is everywhere and abundance takes over the space you’ve just created.

What you’ve just done by creating your own mini-vacuum is freed up the space for something else.

And whilst that space is fresh on your mind, you can at least influence what goes into it.

You might find you’ve got 10 or 15 or 30 minutes spare in the day – time that you can use to unwind or put your thinking cap on or spend quality time with someone close to you or absolutely any other purpose you choose.

Time that’s appeared as if from nowhere.

Which is the real secret to this kind of de-cluttering.

And which means we all need to do it more often than we usually do.

So, I challenge you…

Create your own mini-vacuum somewhere in your life.

And then consciously re-fill some of the space you’ve just created.

Probably not like-for-like.

So you don’t have to go out and subscribe to another hundred email newsletters you’ll never read.

Or find piles more of “essential” stuff to fill your garage (enjoy the freedom of the extra space instead!)

But other things.

Maybe a new hobby.

Or, since this is supposed to be about business, maybe a new venture or direction.

Whatever works for you.

And whenever you want this fantastic feeling again, just find an area of your life where you can create your own mini vacuum.

Oh, and feel free to type in something in the comments box below if this helps you!