How to Gain Control When Overwhelmed with Clutter

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stuartpilbrow As I’ve told you before, my life isn’t necessarily simple. It can be quite complicated at times.

That’s why I pursue simplicity.

That’s why I battle clutter.

There are times when I begin to feel overwhelmed with all of the stuff around me.

  • Too much to do.
  • Too much to manage.
  • Too many things to think about and discuss.

Do you relate? Do you ever feel overwhelmed with clutter?

If you do, here are a few suggestions on how to push through it:

1- Don’t start with the clutter. Start with focus.

When we find ourselves overwhelmed with endless clutter, it’s easy to put all of our focus on the clutter.  But it’s not usually the best choice. When we do that, it only adds to our feeling of helplessness.

Rather, you should let the things you care about drive your actions. Learn to see past all the extra junk lying around until you have time to deal with it.  Keep things in their proper perspective.

The most important thing is not cleaning up the mess. The most important thing is to do the most important things.

Sometimes, people fall in love with the idea of being clutter-free. They worship blank spaces and get upset if anyone threatens to place an item on it. I don’t think that’s what most of us are looking for.

It’s our love for the important things in our lives that drive us to eliminate the unnecessary things.  Why? Because they hinder us from focusing on the people/things/ideas we love.

So, get crazy focused on the important things and stop letting the clutter drown you.

2- Find what motivates you and use it.

When you feel overwhelmed, THAT’S when you need other voices to speak into your life. You need to be reminded that it is possible to live a simpler life.

You need to hear other people’s common struggles and successes. You need to watch/read/listen to that video/movie/book/blog/podcast/song/speaker that inspires you to live differently.

Feeling overwhelmed is a feeling.

So, you have to get to work on your mind.

You know what works for you. Go for it!

3- Be careful with comparisons.

This can be tricky.

We definitely need to expose ourselves to other people’s perspectives and lifestyles. We can be challenged to “step-it-up”. We can be encouraged to keep going on the path we’ve chosen.

But…if we’re not careful, we’ll compare our life to their life in unhealthy ways. You can learn from a variety of people without imitating all the details of their life. You can also learn from people without fully agreeing with them.

A single guy with 10 possessions in a backpack can be very motivating to all of us. But your life won’t necesarily look just like his. I love to read about those guys, and it pushes me to reconsider what I really need. In fact, I’m going on a trip this week and I’m only taking one backpack. But I have 8 people in my family. 10 possessions obviously won’t cut it for us.

So, learn from people, but understand that your life isn’t their life. That’s okay.

4- Take baby steps.

We often feel overwhelmed because we’re looking at the whole pile.

Don’t.

Whatever jungle is in front of you, cut through it in small chunks.

  • One drawer.
  • One room.
  • One closet.
  • One project.
  • One stack.

Pick one small area, take 10 minutes, and process it.

Then do it again when you get more time.

You don’t have to do it all today. Every little victory will give you confidence to press into the next one.

5- Enjoy the process.

Take a moment to think about the things you love about life. Decide to enjoy them now. Not after you declutter, but now.

Decluttering is about getting rid of the excess so you can live life fully. It’s about taking attention OFF of stuff. When we’re overwhelmed with clutter, our attention is all ON our stuff. Don’t let it win.

If you don’t enjoy life now, wherever you are in your journey, you risk missing out on life while you’re preparing to live it. So live!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with clutter?

Do you think these tips above are helpful?

What else should we consider when clutter is getting the best of us?

 

What content would you like to see in the book?

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marc.floresI’ve been working on a book about decluttering your life and I’m almost done! I want to make sure that I’m not leaving anything out that would be helpful for the readers. 

So, can you look over the topics I have so far and let me know what you’d like to see added?

I don’t want to give away too much, but here’s the basic structure:

Introduction

Part 1- A Case for a Simpler Life

  • (This part is about half of the content and currently has 5 chapters on various concepts related to simplicity as a mindset.)

Part 2- Practical Tips for De-cluttering

With chapters about decluttering…

  • …Your Mind
  • …Your Schedule
  • …Your Email Inbox
  • …Your Bookshelf
  • …Your Paperwork
  • …Your Closet
  • …Your Home
  • …Your Workspace

Would these topics be helpful to you?

Within this framework, what additional suggestions do you have?

What am I missing?

I’d love to hear your feedback! Your suggestions may make it into this book, or they may end up in other projects to follow.

Either way, I want to hear what you have to say. Comment with your thoughts and share the post with others who may have suggestions, as well.

Thanks for your help!

 *Photo: marc.flores (CC) 

Prune So You Can Grow

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sporkist

Growth implies change.

If I’m growing, that means I’m looking different than I used to look. I’m not the exact same person that I used to be.

I’m me…only better. At least that’s the hope.

I woke up this morning thinking about pruning. Kinda weird, huh? Especially since I know very little about it. The one thing that I do know is this: You have to prune to grow.

After I made myself some coffee (priorities), I did a little research. Try to read these next few statements about pruning through the lens of your own personal growth.

Pruning can be defined as “the selective removal of branches, buds or roots”. A quick Google search resulted in a variety of reasons to prune. The ones I saw seemed to fit into these categories:

  • Deadwood removal
  • Shaping (by controlling or directing growth)
  • Maintaining health
  • Reducing risk from falling branches
  • Increasing the yield or quality

Good stuff. It’s not difficult to see the parallels between pruning plants and simplifying your life. Sometimes, things just have to go.

It’s not bad to have things. We just have to acknowledge that having things requires resources. These resources are limited. We only have so much time, brain-space, money, energy, storage space, focus, etc. Each item that we bring into our life requires something of us. 

Some people choose to stop adding things altogether.

Not me.

I want to grow. I want to learn. I want to experience new things. But that doesn’t change the fact that my capacity is limited. New things come in, but other things have to go out.

I have to prune. And so do you.

You have to look around and say “What is dead/ distracting/ unhealthy/ potentially harmful/ hindering progress in my life?” You have to be willing to cut it out for the sake of the future you. It might even be a categorically “good” thing that you just don’t have capacity for at this time.

What do you need to prune today so you can grow?

  

 *Photo: sporkist (CC) 

Create Meaning

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create meaning

      “What is the meaning of life?”
      “What is my purpose on this planet?”
      “Why am I here?”

Have you ever asked any of those questions? Many of us have (in one form or another). It’s common for us to seek some form of justification for our existence. We want to feel like we are part of something bigger than just a daily routine of biological processes.

We want to know that we “count”. We want to figure out how we fit into the bigger picture of all that is going on in the world. We want to be valued now, and missed when we’re gone.

Different people have different world views and expectations. So, pursuing meaning can be tricky.

  • How will I know when I find it?
  • Who determines the rules for what qualifies as “meaning”?
  • …and so on.

As you already know, these issues can’t be resolved in a blog post. However, I would like to offer a recommendation on how you can improve your approach. I think this will be helpful to you regardless of your worldview or background.

It’s simply this…Create Meaning.

By that, I mean to DO things that you consider to me related to meaningfulness. ACT on those things that show love and deepen relationships. PHYSICALLY put yourself in situations that you will look back on and say, “That had meaning.”

This may seem obvious, but it’s worth paying attention to. Looking for meaning is natural, but it can be intangible. You can look for meaning all of your life and never find satisfactory answers.  All the while, you are passing people who you could be helping, feeding, loving, getting to know….

This can be helpful to you personally, as well as to the whole world.

Personally

You are the one who determines whether or not something has meaning to you. You are definitely affected by the influences around you, but you are the gatekeeper to your belief system. Keep learning, but realize that other people’s values may not be your own. What have you found to be true? What things do you associate with a meaningful life. Pursue those things. Do something about them this week. And then do it again next week.

Eat a meal with friends, take a walk in the park, make a funny video, spend time with your family. Don’t let the excuses stop you from making it happen. After a while, you’ll look back on lots of little meaningful events and feel different about your situation. Our personal feelings are not the only things that matter, but they DO matter.

The World

What meaningful things can you do for the world around you? There are definitely subculture-specific things that we hear from different groups. But, I think it’s fair to say that there are some universal activities that most healthy people consider meaningful, regardless of their cultural/religious perspectives.

Very few people would question the value of helping the helpless, feeding the hungry, educating the underprivileged, and rescuing people from slavery. These types of things seem pretty obvious. Any attempt to contribute to the well-being of others makes sense no matter what subculture you belong to.

So, in the midst of our seeking, why don’t we do something about the obvious things instead of spending all of our time debating the less-obvious, subculture-specific nuances?

Please don’t read this as an attempt to oversimplify a common struggle. My hope is to add a small bit of encouragement to fellow-meaning-seekers.

We may not have all the answers, but we can contribute to a meaningful life, today.

Do you relate?

What are some ways that you can Create Meaning today?

 *Photo: Lord Cuauhtli (CC) / Graphics: me

5 Ideas for Living Clutter-Free with Kids in the House

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everywhere
It IS possible to live a clutter-free life with kids in the house.

Well, at least “clutter-free…ish”.

I say “ish” because it’s a constant effort.  When you have kids in the house, the mess keeps coming.  This means that you will be at varying states of clutter throughout each day.

So, I’m not talking about something unrealistic. I’m talking about some ideas that will help you gain control of the clutter that plagues you. (Hint: They require getting the whole family involved).

These are things that we have stumbled upon over the past several years. I hope you find them helpful as well.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1- Stop adding to the problem.

For most of us, we already have enough. We can’t eliminate clutter until we stop adding to the number of things we possess.  We have to learn to love the things we have, see their value, and grow in contentment.  If we do add something new, we can use the one-in/one-out rule and not contribute to the problem.

2- Assign a home for everything, and consistently put everything in it’s home.

Many times, the things that are just laying around are there because they don’t have a permanent place to live. They are loitering. We have to assign them a residence and send them home after we use them. This is not a hard-nosed rule to force, but rather a mindset to develop. As a side note, it also saves a TON of time looking for things.  It’s always in the same place. For those of us that like change, that’s cool… the homes can change. We just need to make sure they have homes.

3- Have each family member wash their own dish immediately after every meal.

When you have a family, the dishes can stack up fast!  We have 8 people in our family.  If we’re not careful, my wife and I could spend 25% of our day washing dishes. But we don’t. After each meal, each of us wash our own plate, cup and utensils. We also dry them and put them away. This way, the only things left to clean are the serving dishes and pots and pans (which we also rotate). We’ve been doing this for quite some time and it makes such a difference. It’s also good for the kids because it teaches them to take responsibility for themselves and to contribute to the household.

4- Start having 10 minute de-clutter challenges.

For many, the idea of cleaning is anything but fun. However, if you break it down into 10 minute increments here and there, it’s not near as painful. In fact, it can be fun.  Often, we will announce, “Okay, let’s take 10 minutes and go through the house and see how much we can get put away.”

5- Develop a morning routine for the kids. 

Many years ago, we started teaching our kids to do the “3 Bs” as soon as they wake up.  The “3Bs” are their Bed, Body and Breakfast. It is a daily reminder for them to make their bed (and clean up around it), clean their body (brush teeth, shower, etc.) and to eat before they do anything else. Mom and Dad don’t have to make their bed later on, and the kids start their day feeling good about a clean environment. It doesn’t always work out according to plan, but it does most of the time.

If you have small children who can’t do it themselves, then it is even more important for you to find a time yourself when you consistently declutter.  You’ll be glad you did!

You may be reading this and saying to yourself, “That sounds nice, but my house looks like a tornado came through!” If you have a disaster on your hands, you may want to set aside an entire day or two to get some momentum under your belt.  If you can’t make that happen, at least grab a few 2-hour chunks to knock a dent in the mountain and begin processing all that stuff. (You can find more help on how to attack that disaster here and here.) But don’t wait until then to start trying some of these ideas!  Do it now so you don’t lose any more ground!

Hopefully these ideas serve as an encouragement to those of you who have kids at home.

What other ideas do you have to eliminate clutter in the midst of a full house?

 *Photo: MissMessie (CC)

 

Be What You Don’t See

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Pohled do zrdcadla velkoměsta // Look in the mirror city
There have been times in my life when I felt lonely, hopeless, and angry.

Years ago, I felt like people at the office were being way too loose with people’s personal information.  My co-workers were spreading gossip, and it seemed like we were drowning in negative talk.  Because these were the people who were supposed to be the “safe” ones, I wondered if anybody was “safe”.

I remember thinking…

“If they talk bad about these other people to me, I wonder if they talk bad about me to other people?”  

It was very discouraging.  Who could I trust?

I know I’m not alone in this.  Many people’s experiences leave them feeling the same way.

Now, not all of my experiences have been like that…

I have met some truly “safe” people.  The kind of people that you could trust with your sensitive information.  The kind of people who will listen without inappropriate judgement.  I won’t say I’ve met hundreds, but I HAVE met dozens.

I have been around pockets of people who sincerely want to help others.  They mean it. They’re not just painting a facade.  They’re trying to be part of the solution, and they’re making a difference.

I have been exposed to people who are willing to be honest about their questions and doubts. They are willing to pursue the truth wherever it takes them.  There is no shame in this type of honesty.  It has been refreshing to meet and hear about people who are not willing to just take what someone else feeds them, but, rather, actually look for answers.

So, I found some of what I was looking for.  However, when I was in the middle of the void, I wasn’t aware of these things.

What do you do when you look around and you see a gap?  What do you do when it seems like nobody around is being honest, or doing their part?  Well, we have to make a choice.

We can either give up on hope in those situations, or we can choose to be what we don’t see.

For me, that’s the phrase that pulls me through those times.

If others are loose with information, I have to choose to be different.  I’ll be safe.  If it seems like people are “fake”, I have to turn my attention on myself and choose to act differently.  If it seems that people aren’t willing to pursue truth at the cost of their former beliefs, I have to decide to do it myself.

It has been stated different ways by different people, but we have to be willing to be what we don’t see.

..

 *Photo: Petr Mk (CC)

6 Steps to Living Well and Focusing on What’s Important

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Do you wanna come walk with me?

Success means different things to different people.  For me, it includes the idea of “living well”.

I love what Diane Ackerman said, “I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.”

I know that I can’t do everything.  So, if I am going to live well, I have to get very clear about what’s most important to me, personally. It’s true for you, as well.  Here are some suggestions:

6 Steps to Living Well and Focusing on What’s Important

1- Study yourself.

In the hustle-and-bustle of daily life, it’s easy to neglect introspection. We are so busy and surrounded by noise, we forget to look inside and figure out what’s going in in our hearts and minds. It’s surprisingly easy to be functional, yet broken.

Who are you, really?

If you’re not sure, you may need to block out some time to figure it out. To reconnect. To sit in silence and think about how your life is shaping up.  To look back over your days and figure out why you do what you do and where you’re going.

Before you can go forward, it’s important to know your current location.

2- Be honest about what you find.

Sometimes, when we take inventory of our lives, we don’t like what we see.  We can be tempted to deceive ourselves. It’s important that we don’t try to cover up those parts or try to make it look like something that it’s not. If you find yourself trying to justify the parts you don’t like, STOP! Call it what it is.

At this stage, we’re not talking about what we want to be.  We’re just getting a clear picture of what exists, today.

You’re not condemning yourself or putting yourself in a permanent category.  You’re just being honest with yourself.  If you’re not clear on what a failure looks like, you’ll never change it to a success.  So, for the sake of your future awesomeness, be honest!  It can be tough, but it’s worth it!

3- Determine what you want to become.

If we don’t know what we’re shooting for, we will almost certainly never get there. If you’ve never taken time to determine your values, do it soon!  If you haven’t reconsidered these things in a while, it’s probably time for a refresher.

  • What do you want to become, anyway?
  • What type of person do you want to be?
  • What things are most important to you?
  • What do you hope to accomplish during your lifetime?
  • Who are the people you care about the most?
  • What character traits do you want to demonstrate?

Only you can answer these questions. It doesn’t matter how others would answer these questions.  It matters how you answer them.  You will only consistently chase after things that you truly care about. So it’s important to get clear about what those things are.

If you have a hard time getting your wheels turning, there are a number of exercises you can use to prime the pump.  Here’s one example:

Imagine you’re sitting in the back row of a funeral, and you realize it’s YOUR funeral!  People are standing up, one by one, to talk about your life.  Who are those people?  What would you like them to say?  Pretty heavy, huh?  Your answers will give you a hint about what’s important to you.

4- Fix what doesn’t match.

If you see a clear gap between what you are and what you want to be…fix it.  It seems obvious, but it still needs to be said.

Living well requires action.

Of course, we will always be making tweaks to how we approach life.  Perfection is not a reasonable goal.  We have to get used to the fact that we will be continually working on ourselves. However, when there is a gaping hole in our approach to life, and the solution is within our ability to adjust…we must act.  Life is too short to neglect our shortcomings.

5- Fight to focus on the most important.

Once you determine what is most important to you, pursue it tenaciously!  Nobody else will make it happen.  You have to make it happen.  Remember, this is your life and nobody else’s.

You will face opposition.  You will have setbacks. You will walk through times of confusion and discouragement.

But stick with it.

Constantly look for ways to keep first things first.  Be willing to say “no” to anything that hinders you from your big “yes”.

6- Get help.

Don’t try to do it alone.  We are our best selves when we have the support of our tribe/ family/ team/ community/ friends/ whatever-term-you-use-for-your-”people”

Let people in.

Open yourself up for relationships.

Learn from other people.  Read. Listen to podcasts. Join a group.  Do something to get the help that you need.

There are other people who are doing what you’re doing.  Let them help you.

The task of living well is a noble task.  We have what it takes.

Let’s do it.

..

 *Photo: liquene (CC)

 

Minimalism– The Process IS the Destination

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Atilla1000

Minimalism is a broad stream.

Addiction-to-stuff is fairly common.  As a result, many people are becoming attracted to this idea of “living with less”.

There are so many perspectives on what it is and what it means. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with everyone’s suggestions on what it takes to be a “true minimalist”.

  • Sell these.
  • Wear this.
  • Count those.
  • Live in this.

It’s easy to get down on yourself and feel like you’ll never get there (wherever there is).

You may have friends who ask you, “Where are you going with this, anyway?” At times, you may even ask yourself that question.

Minimalism doesn’t really answer that question.

The answer to the “where?” is up to you, individually. Minimalism isn’t trying to take you to a specific place and make you into a photocopy of the next guy. The idea is that you focus on what’s important to you, and go there.

Minimalism, as a concept, doesn’t really focus on the “where?” question. It focuses on the “how?”. You decide what’s most important in your life. Minimalism is a strategy for how to accomplish those things.  It’s about living with less so you can live well.

Ironically, the end game for minimalism isn’t primarily about stuff (even though that’s what we often talk about).  It’s about your priorities.

Our time, space, and mental bandwidth are all limited.  We have to limit (or eliminate altogether) that which is less important so we can enjoy and focus on what is most important.

The process IS the destination.  You don’t have to be like somebody else, necessarily. Just try to get clear on what you want in life, and then work through what you have to say “no” to in order to maintain it.

You can do that today.

You can choose to focus on those people, things, & projects that are most important to you.

You can say “no” to some of the things that rob you of your resources and energy.

If you do, you will actually already be where you’re going.

You minimalist, you.

-

 *Photo: Atilla1000 (CC)

5 Reasons Why It’s Okay to Say “I Don’t Know”

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-23

Why is it SO hard to say “I don’t know”?

They’re only three simple words, but they’re weighty.

It’s not uncommon for us to feel tremendous pressure to have all the answers. We are managing expectations being put on us by friends and co-workers, as well as those we place on ourselves.

It’s easy to give in to the pressure and act like you know something that you really don’t.  Pride can be hard to swallow.  You don’t want to feel like an idiot in front of the others, so you lie, or twist the truth, or, at the very least, answer deceitfully.  You already know this, but I’ll remind you again…

That’s not good.

It will likely come back to bite you.  If not, you still have to live with yourself.

On the other hand, there are times when you live up to your values and speak honestly. You’re not proud of your lack of information, but you know you have to speak the truth.

Feels good, huh? That’s because it is good.

Our communities will be better for our honesty in this area.

So, when you’re tempted to give in and lie, remember these 5 reasons why it’s okay to say “I don’t know”:

The Reality– / #1- You don’t know everything.

It seems obvious when we read it or say it out loud, right?  I mean, who really thinks they know it all? However, in the moment of questioning, there can be tremendous pressure to have an answer for everything. It serves us well to remember this simple truth and call it like we see it when it applies… Sometimes, we just don’t know.  And that’s okay.  It’s okay to say “I don’t know” because it’s true!

The Good News– / #2- Neither does anybody else!

You’re in good company.  Every single person you meet today and tomorrow will also fit into the “Doesn’t know everything” category.  This is important to remember because we sometimes think we’re the stupid one and the other guy has it all together.

Not so.  We all have limited capacity.

Each of us know about a very small percentage of knowable things.  You’re not an idiot.  You’re human.  So, when you don’t know, say so.

The others around you may feel better because they know their own limitations.  You could end up being an encouragement someone else who was feeling kind of stupid, as well.  Even if the person with whom you’re speaking acts superior, we all know the truth…she doesn’t know everything, either.

The Obvious– / #3- Everyone else already knows that you don’t know.

Often, we are oblivious to this. We are scared to death that someone will find out that we don’t know a particular thing and think less of us. In reality, they already know we don’t know.

They can see it on our face.  They are reading our body language. They know it’s not within our area of emphasis.  Many times, the only person who isn’t aware that they already know, is us!

Keep this in mind when you’re tempted to fake it. Admit you don’t know. They already know it’s true. They are just waiting to see how you respond.

The Payoff– / #4- People will respect your honesty.

When you are honest about what you don’t know, you build trust with the people around you. They realize that you are not just going to say whatever is necessary to look good. You show yourself to be an honest person. You show that you are willing to admit when you’re wrong and address reality. They don’t have to worry about whether or not you will throw them under the bus or twist stories at their expense.

By the way, you will also build your self-respect. You know when you’re telling the truth. It feels good to know you owned your mistakes or your partial ignorance.  Have integrity and respect yourself.

The Reminder– / #5- It’s not all about you.

There’s something bigger than us at play, here.  It’s reality.  It’s truth.

Whatever is…is.

We can only make progress and get the most out of life if we are seeing things as they really are. We have to know where we’re starting and where we’re trying to go. When we paint false pictures about what we know and what we’ve done, we blur the assessment of our situation. It’s hard to do anything with that.

It’s my opinion that we should preserve truth. By that, I mean we should seek to see things for what they really are, and state them accordingly. We should poke and prod and ask questions until we find what we’re looking for, and then be honest about what we found.

When we value truth, we realize that we are not the ultimate and only authority.  Reality is what reality is.

We are all subject to what exists, and, as such, are common pursuers of truth.

So, when we don’t know, it’s okay to say so….it’s not personal.

——

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Do you ever struggle to admit when you don’t know something?

Why do you think that’s the case?

 *Photo: Emery Co Photo (CC)

4 Ways You Can Free Up Brain Space

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Overwhelmed

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the “stuff” that fills our minds.  We are receiving more new information every day than many people received all year just a few generations ago. There are more options in almost every category of choice.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Options are good.  Information is helpful.

However, if we’re not careful, we can allow our minds to get so crowded that there is no bandwidth left for dreaming and working on new things.  We begin to feel overwhelmed and heavy with all of the things we’re trying to manage in our brains. The weight can have a negative affect on our relationships and our most important work.

Creativity is something that most people say they value.

However, most of the people that I speak to about this subject tell me that they do not think they are creative.  Each time, I kindly disagree and encourage them find the things that they are good at bringing into existence.

Each of us can be creative.

We have to cultivate the right attitude and environment for it to happen.  Part of that cultivation requires us “freeing up brain space”. (Thanks to @SiriEmbla for inspiring me with the terminology!)

We have to try to get as much as we can out of our head and out of our line of sight so we can experience peace, focus on our priorities, and be creative!

Here are 4 ways to accomplish this and “Free Up Brain Space”:

#1- Attack the stacks!

When we have piles of paperwork, magazines, bills, email, toys and who-knows-what all over the place, it is crazy-distracting. Our minds are triggered over and over again, each time we see those stacks, with both fear and intrigue.  We are using precious thinking capacity to run background programs, worrying about what might not be getting done.

There is another way.

  • Give everything a home.
  • Process your inboxes to zero
  • Declutter a little at a time until you’ve worked through all of the problem areas.

The piles tend to build up because we are using the objects as reminders of something we need to do.  Don’t fall for that clutter-creator!  Put the objects where they belong.  You will need triggers to remind you about those things that need to be done, so…

#2- Use a consistent Calendar/Task Management tool

What kind of tool? Whatever works for you! The key to it’s success is your consistent use of the tool.  You need a place that you mark all of your appointments and to-do items.  If you don’t use a tool, you may find yourself trying to manage all of this information in your head and rehearsing your appointments over and over again in your thoughts. Things will inevitably go undone, which will also add to your second-guessing and mental clutter.

Instead of leaving the flier for the neighborhood garage sale (along with the map you drew on a napkin) on the table, you can write “Garage Sale” on your calendar on the appropriate day with a (G) beside it reminding you that you put the map and flier in your “G” hanging file.  Then, you don’t think about the sale each time you see the map, you only see it when you need to see it. You get the idea.

Whether it’s paper or digital, free or paid, old or new….just figure out what you like and use it.  (For the record, I use iCal and Evernote, currently.)

#3- Automate some of your processes.

We don’t want to become robots.  We are living, breathing, passionate creatures!  To keep it that way, I’ve found it helpful to put some things on “auto-pilot” so I don’t have to think about them very much.  You can do this with both digital and analog techniques:

  • Pay your bills with auto-pay services
  • Use applications for storing and using passwords, auto-completing sentences, and auto-renewing balances.
  • Use trigger actions to remind you to do things, like “Each time I brush my teeth, I clean the countertop or think of 2 things I’m grateful for”
  • Post notes in places to remind you to do certain actions that you always want to remember.
  • If you use a digital calendar or task management tool, set recurring tasks to repeat and use reminders.

#4- Eliminate what isn’t essential.

This is one of the fundamental attraction points for minimalism.  It’s not that many of the things that cloud our minds and lives are “bad”.  It’s just that there are so many of them, we lose the ability to focus on what’s most important to us, personally.

So, some things just have to go.

Take an inventory of your physical, digital and thought space.  Find duplicates, time wasters, and things of lesser priority.  Give them the boot.

You can’t manage it all. You must make some hard decisions.

You have to eliminate something that you kind of like, so you can achieve and appreciate the things you really like.

The real estate in your head is precious and limited.  We can only focus on a limited number of things.  We’ve got to do what we can to keep our RAM open and available for bringing new and beautiful things into existence.

How about you?  What are some things you do to clear up brain space?

*Photo: mootown (Creative Commons)