Declutter Your Mind

Do you want to know the secret to making major change in your life? It's not what you might think...

It's not quitting your current job.

It's not going to conferences on non-clinical jobs.

It's not making connections on Facebook or LinkedIn.

It's not even coaching.

Do you want to know what it is?

It's DECLUTTERING.

When you declutter your surroundings, it gives your brain a decluttering head-start.

Your brain cannot think about a future of change when your surroundings and your mind are cluttered. Pick up your favorite guide to decluttering, Marie Kondo- first or second book, or the one I'm reading now, "Decluttering at the Speed of Life" by Dana K. White.

You'll be amazed at how much more clarity you have once you start decluttering your surroundings. I did a major overhaul of my bedroom during the early days of the pandemic, and now it is my sanctuary, for sleep of course, but also for calm and quiet, for thinking and journaling.

Don't be overwhelmed. Just pick one area to start. Get a big trash bag and throw things away that are obviously trash. If something is out of place, put it where it belongs. When it comes to clothes, if you don't wear it, or if it doesn't "spark joy" it goes in the donate pile. Otherwise it must fit in the drawer or the closet where it belongs. If it doesn't fit, use the "one in, one out" rule. Everything must fit in its place.

Get started with one small space. See how you feel, and you may be inspired to tackle the next area. As you get used to the feeling of a decluttered space, notice what it does for your mind. Calmness will sneak in, ideas will flow, and your creativity will explode.

When your mind feels cluttered, and your to-do list is never-ending, try making the 3-2-1 list I learned from my friend, Ali Novitsky. Put the top 3 things you NEED to get done today at the top. Put 2 things you WANT to do next. Then put one thing that can wait until tomorrow to get done. By really prioritizing, your mind will feel less cluttered.

Now go declutter!