Taking a few minutes to do the Mind Clearing process will help you reset your priorities so you are focusing on your important goals. Do you feel like your plate is too full? Are the things that are important to you being kept on the back burner? Letting the mind relax by capturing on paper a To-Do List all of the projects stressing you is the first step of developing an Organized Mind.
If some projects are like tangled webs, making a Project Action Plan will get you moving forward. A white board can be used to untangle the issues or for a sample Project Action Plan go to my website. Relief is almost immediate, because the mind now has space to think and process what is important. Then you can decide how best to proceed and work out a realistic time frame.
Emptying your overstuffed mental filing cabinet and doing a Mind Clearing is like doing a filing cabinet purge. Finding a secure place to park ideas brings a sense of relief.
Suddenly there is clear space and freedom to think. This leads to deciding what is most important and to making a step-by-step plan to getting it done.
List all the projects on your mind. You may want to separate areas of your life such as business and home.
As you look at your To-Do List, I encourage you to give yourself the freedom to say about, “This is no longer important,” about some tasks or projects and scratch them off your list. Yes, you may have already spent considerable time and/or money on this project, but now it has become an albatross hanging around your neck. In reality, it is no longer important or has much less value than the other items on your list. Do you have some of those “albatrosses” hanging around your neck? If so, give yourself permission to let them go. This step alone will free up a lot of energy and mental space.
“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the nobler art of leaving things undone.”– Lin Yutang
When I’m coaching business clients, after they do a Mind Clearing, we go through each item and I ask the question, “Are you the only one who can do this or can it be delegated?” We then discuss how delegating is not dumping. Delegating is giving another person an opportunity to learn new skills and also to have employment. One client realized half of what was on his desk was work that could be delegated, thus freeing him up to work on growing his business.
By doing a Mind Clearing, you now have clarity on your priorities. Take the next step and put key items on your calendar. Having it on your calendar will give you a visual reminder to keep your goals moving forward. Whenever you are feeling stressed and that your plate is too full, repeat the Mind Clearing.