How to Declutter Your Brain
One
of my favorite clutter-clearing sayings comes from Gail
Blanke, author of Throw Out Fifty Things: You can’t grow if you don’t let go. Sage
advice, whether you’re clearing out ill-fitting suits, getting over a breakup,
or starting a new career. But we all have trouble prying our fingers from the
stuff we love, even when it doesn’t suit us anymore. And when you cling to
ideas that don’t serve you, you’re putting yourself in an emotional and
spiritual straitjacket.
At
the heart of any clutter habit is fear, and that fear manifests as
indecision—which is why you keep two yoga mats and an old pair of boots that
you don’t wear but can’t part with. And so you do nothing, decide to decide
later, or not at all. But even indecision is a decision.
The
result is another source of stress. You might think stress hits when you don’t
have enough of something—money, time, or control, for
instance—but too much of something can also clog up the works and create a
negative stress response.
If
you’re clinging to old things, whether they’re actual objects or outdated ideas
of yourself, you’re staying stuck right where you are. And it’s keeping you
from moving forward into the life you want.
Cut Through the Clutter in
3 Steps
You
can become so accustomed to your stuff that you cease to see it or how it’s
holding you back. Here’s a short guide to figuring out where to focus your
energies and why.
1. Do a walk-through.
Start
from your bed and follow the typical path of where your morning routine leads
you—to the bathroom, then to the kitchen, maybe the laundry room, and so on. Do
this at another time (not when you’re actually trying to get out the door).
Pretend it’s your first time doing it. Where do you get slowed down? What piles
or unsorted stuff gets in your way? Where are you compromising the straightest,
easiest path from A to B to C and why? Jot down those areas that are
speed-bumping your morning and address them—by sorting it, storing it, or
giving it away. Repeat in reverse, from where you walk in at night.
2. Assess your
schedule.
Take
a look at your calendar for the next month. Where will you be spending your
days and evenings—and thus your time? How much of it do you want to do, and how
much is a complete and total drag. Also: How much of it is the same as last
month? Identify the wiggle room, the negotiable spots, and some time that you
can cordone off for your own goals and initiatives. Decide now to make some
changes, whether that means shifting things around, or straight-up canceling on
the things you frankly don’t need to do anymore. Reschedule your way out of the
rut by guarding your time a little more jealously.
3. Do a thought scan.
Take
five minutes right now to write down top three things you want to do, achieve,
or have happen in the next six months. How much closer are you to doing them
than you were six months ago? What excuse have you been using? Next to each
goal, write down all the excuses, and the thoughts and fears that come up when
you consider going for them, such as: I’m too old, I don’t
know where to start, or I’m afraid of embarrassing myself.
Question those thoughts (find out how negative thoughts hold you back).
And then? Take those tiny fears and old thoughts and toss them out, along with
the unworn boots, the books you’ll never read, and the suits that simply don’t
fit you anymore.
Jan Bruce
No comments:
Post a Comment