Recurring Themes

Click on Picture to read full disclosure

I picked up an old diary. I mean an old diary of mine, from my youth. There were two very similar themes that ran through those scribbled pages to what I lament publicly even now: time and energy. Mostly time. No matter what is done, I always seem to focus on the more that needs to be done. And it seems I have always blamed myself for the inability to do it all.

Though I try to learn and improve with each passing lesson in each passing year, I try to tell myself there is enough time and space for everything, and then I suddenly recall a phone call I was supposed to make…

What happens as I fill and fill and fill is that eventually, I over flow.

The consequence is I get stuck and have difficulty getting anything done because I cannot figure out what is next. I also get forgetful. I forget things, I lose things, I miss appointments…that’s the manifestation when I’ve let it all get too far out of hand.

This is easy to see in a physical way too.

My home is cluttered, my office is unbearable (at the moment), I have random to-do lists on papers scattered among several bags and rooms, and Marcus is the only one consistently making his bed and doing his chores right now. I don’t have time to “finish” the last thing, because it is so urgent I start the next. Does any of this sound familiar? Is it just me?

It’s time for a Change The Your World Wednesday.

Here are some steps I am taking over the next 10 days to help clear my brain and move forward.

The Done List.

At night I often write down my to-do list. In the past it has helped me to let go of what is on tomorrow’s list so that I can relax, let it sit, and sleep the night. But these lists can also get out of hand. Seriously. Columns of to-do’s making tomorrow impossible instead of potentially successful. Last night I decided to do the opposite, I decided to write down five things I did that day instead. I wrote the five and realized, wait, there was this big thing and that big thing I did too. I literally had already forgotten what I had accomplished that very day in the light of getting ready for tomorrow. Eesh. Even though tomorrow’s list is long, I shouldn’t sleep in dread of the impossible load, I should instead recognize what I am doing. What is being done. For the next 10 days I’ll start clearing my conscious by recognizing the steps I am taking.

Facebook break.

This weekend Marcus is headed out with a friend. I’m going to make this some “me” time. I’m going to avoid the Facebook vortex for the time he is at “Movie Club Camp” and give my brain some breathing room from that special brand of clutter.

Get Rid of Physical Stuff.

As I mentioned, my house is in “a state.” At this moment my office and the garage are the two worst culprits. My friend Robyn recently sent me information about a local junk & stuff removal service, AWA Services. Robyn has known me a looooonnnnggggg time, so she’s seen the how my physical surroundings reflect what is going on inside of me as well. She has helped me out of some tough situations and there have been times she literally helped clean up my life. SO, I consider it nothing less than a sign when she asked if I would be interested in being a part of a giveaway promotion with AWA Services. (I know, right?) For you friends in the Omaha area that are trying to de-clutter your world, check out AWA here for recycling and junk removal and enter the giveaway below. As I mentioned in the last FWF, the year winding to an end always makes me panic. These last few years especially as I try to mold a new life and, deep breath, find a new definiation of success. It’s all within me though, right? So I’m taking these few steps to clean up. How about you?

How are you settling your mind before the New Year? What tricks do you use to de-clutter your mind?

From AWA: We clear your home or office of junk, trash, broken items, construction debris, old mattresses, couches, etc., quickly and efficiently. We would like to offer a giveaway… A donation pickup/junk removal worth $165.00 which is 80-120 cubic feet. It will exclude tube televisions and will need to be in the Omaha area. To give you an idea of size a typical couch is about 50 – 60 cubic feet.  We take everything except hazardous materials. We will take the tube television but they have recycling fees we would need to charge (we do provide donation tickets from the charity for the TV’s). You can call for pickups or schedule on-line.