Today's article is by the lovely Sue Rasmussen, who I interviewed in my Do What You Love Telesymposium earlier this year. Thanks to Sue for sharing this article!
I love the idea of a good mind sweep. You know, getting everything out of your brain and down on paper.
And I highly recommend that once in a while you do just that.
Start at your desk or in your office with a notebook (or my favorite way: with a clipboard) and start writing down a list of everything you want to get done. Move throughout the rest of your home and keep adding to your list.
Write down the printer that needs replacing, the office supplies you need to stock up on, the thousand-and-one great ideas you want to implement in your business someday, the new language you want to learn, the next trip you want to take, the home projects that have been begging to be finished.
You might even want to organize your list into categories like errands to run, phone calls to make, stuff to do while you're sitting at your computer, and so on.
And when you're done, your brain will feel so much better after putting that all down on paper. You will probably feel very virtuous and efficient, too. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back and tell yourself what a great job you did.
But here's where things can get sticky.
Now that you have a beautifully categorized list of hundreds of tasks and actions and reminders and great ideas, how do you feel?
Do you feel excited and motivated and raring to go?
Or do you, more likely, feel completely overwhelmed and exhausted and already way behind?
If, like me, you end up feel stressed and exhausted by your list, consider giving yourself complete permission to toss it out at this point...trusting that the important things on that list will get done anyway.
Yes, toss out your list.
Now don't get me wrong.
I'm not opposed to ever writing down items that you don't want to forget to do, or keeping track of when certain things need to happen (like "get birthday card" a few days before you need to mail it), or jotting down a list of things you need to get at the store.
My lists now tend to be very simple. I often ask myself, at the beginning of the day, what are the two or three most important things I'd like to get done today. I might write them down...or not (it's pretty easy to remember a couple of things, right?)
However, I have learned that writing down every little idea and task and goal and project simply does not serve most people.
Instead of having your life run by a big to-do list, what if you simply did the things that interested you most in the moment?
What if you followed your energy levels and inspiration?
Trust me...things will still get done.
Your life will not fall apart if you don't have a big task list.
You will still run errands. You will still clean the house. You will still return phone calls.
You will still accomplish amazing things in your life.
But you will be taking action from a place of inspiration rather than "have to" and "should" and "it's on my list."
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Sue Rasmussen is fascinated by the way we arrange our environment and how it relates to deeply personal and spiritual aspects of our lives that go far beyond our actual stuff.
She believes that our exterior world is simply a mirror of what is going on inside us...a reflection of what we believe about ourselves, our lives, and the level of abundance, joy, and ease we give ourselves permission to experience. And by simply letting go of our attachment to what no longer serves us in our physical environment, we open ourselves up to transformation in all areas of our lives.
Sue is internationally recognized for showing women how to unclutter their inner and outer lives, let go of what is no longer serving them, and make room for what really matters.
Visit her website at www.unclutter-organize-transform.com for articles, tips, and upcoming events.