Chapter 1: The Power of Writing

To clear your mental space and sort through your thoughts, consider adopting a simple yet effective habit this summer: writing.

Instead of embarking on a journey to pen a short story or a novel, focus on a more pragmatic approach—write down everything that crosses your mind. When you commit your thoughts to paper, they begin to take on a new form. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by a flood of thoughts that arise in rapid succession, writing provides a buffer between you and your thoughts, which is incredibly beneficial.

Where to Start?

First, grab a notebook and a pen, then find a tranquil spot where you can focus on this exercise.

Next Steps

Begin by pouring out your thoughts. At the top of the page, write down today’s date. List your thoughts, ensuring each one occupies its own line. Some thoughts might be brief phrases while others could extend into multiple sentences. The length is irrelevant; just maintain a list format as you progress down the page.

Once you’ve captured your thoughts on paper, it’s time to organize them. Using different colored markers or pens, review your list. You’ll likely notice several categories emerging: daily tasks (e.g., “Today I need to…”), anxious thoughts (e.g., “I’m worried that…”), questions (e.g., “How can I possibly…?”), and broader reflections on life (e.g., “I aspire to achieve this goal…” or “How can I change this behavior?”). Utilize the colors to group related items together.

After this exercise, condense your findings into shorter lists. Label each list appropriately, such as “Daily Tasks,” “Major Life Goals,” and “Fears.” You now have a more structured set of thoughts to navigate.

What’s Next?

The “Daily Tasks” list is perfect for integration into a bullet journal, which is an effective way to manage your days, weeks, and months. In a separate notebook, create a grid using a ruler to designate boxes for each day of the month. Label each box with the corresponding day and month (e.g., “Monday, July 5”). Fill in each box with items from your “Daily Tasks” list according to their due dates. This gives you a clear plan for the month ahead.

For your “Major Life Goals,” “Questions,” and “Fears,” you’ll need to delve deeper, and this may require time. Use a journal to explore why these thoughts matter to you. If facing a fear, resist the urge to shy away; instead, investigate the root cause—when, how, and why does this fear affect you? If you have significant life aspirations, jot down strategies to break these goals into manageable mini-goals that you can tackle daily, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.

Regardless of whether you’re working on a bullet journal or a standard journal, you’re allowing yourself the time and space to engage in self-reflection and understand your thought process. By creating a physical method to organize your mental chatter, you effectively reduce mental clutter, leading to greater peace of mind.

And that is invaluable.

Chapter 2: Practical Tips for Decluttering Your Mind

In this video, "5 Easy Steps to Make Your Home and Your Mind Clutter-Free," Mel Robbins discusses practical strategies for simplifying your life. She emphasizes the importance of decluttering not only your physical space but also your mental environment, which aligns perfectly with the habit of writing we just explored.

The second video, "5 Ways to Declutter Your Brain," offers additional insights and techniques for managing mental clutter. It reinforces the idea that taking time to clear your mind can lead to improved focus and productivity.

Originally published at http://nelacanovic.wordpress.com on July 20, 2022.