Tuning Out the Clutter

Easier said than done. Sometimes life just stacks up on top of you. Rather you’re down in the dumps getting buried, or you are high in the sky with an overwhelming amount of opportunities. It seems whether you are on the valley floor or the mountaintops, a plethora of “stuff” will begin to mount on top of your shoulders. You name it, it can happen( school, job, work, personal dilemma, fights, etc.) So much stimulus can make someone go crazy. It appears like there is always going to be chores to do, people to call, and general tasks that need to be complete. If you find yourself overwhelmed you are not alone. In fact, I am in the same situation right now.

Everyone will handle their own circumstance differently. But here are some helpful tips:

Write it Out: Some people just need to see what they are thinking about on paper. It alleviates all the pressure to remember everything in your mind. You can even divide it by realistically writing what you can do today (key word realistically), and your long term goals (which you can schedule in a calendar). But for some this sounds like a great idea, but when it comes time to do it. It might not lead anywhere.

The Pieces Methodology: You need to clean, work, get exercise, do this do that. Sometimes some tasks won’t be able to be thoroughly completed (as much as you’d like) until another time. Instead of trying to climb a massive set of mountains, why not take a few steps. So if you have a crap-ton-to-do take a breather and try to tackle each little obstacle. Maybe you don’t have time today for a 2 hour cleaning on a weekday, but you can commit to 10 minutes a day. Maybe you don’t have time to read four chapters, but tonight you can knock out one. The pieces methodology can be helpful if you have daunting tasks that need to be carried out over a period of time. But be careful unfinished business that needs to be completely finished by a specific time could creep up on you, if you don’t commit and let things accumulate.

The I-Can’t-Do-This-Until-I Do-This: This is kind of a psychological trick. You want to do something fun or rewarding, but you set up your own minor goal to accomplish first. For example, I can go out tonight but I got to make sure I finish _____. It’s important to make sure you do not bombard yourself with a million things. A simple reward system is effective, if again, you make it realistic.

I’ll be honest. I have struggled in the past with ways to simply get things done. The mere thought of having a laundry list of several things that need to be marked off, can be well… stressful ( the stress of thinking about stress). Sometimes I feel in control, other times I feel like I’ve lost it. I shared a few techniques I have found to be helpful. How do you keep your life organized and your sanity? There are plenty of strong-willed women out there that could sure help out the rest of us.

Share your thoughts and advice below: