If you are like me, you have some big goals for yourself and your business. As we enter the new year, it’s time to look at those goals and the steps you need to take to achieve them. No matter what your goal, to find success, you need to make room for it.
It’s not always about doing more. If you keep doing more of what you are currently doing, you are going to get the same results. Whether your goals are entirely new or an expansion of something that has been on your list before, you need to clear the clutter, turn down the noise, and face our fears so that we can be open to the opportunities that lie ahead.
Clearing the Physical clutter
When we talk about making room, we may automatically think that we need to get rid of material things. Overflowing closets and piles on your desk can drain your energy. Clearing physical clutter is a major step to simplifying your life. When we are able to simplify our life, we make room for something better to fill that space.
When I feel overwhelmed, I immediately clear the decks. I literally take a covered box I have in my office and dump everything into it. It’s similar to a practice I learned from David Allen’s Getting Things Done. Step one is to collect all your stuff that needs your attention. I like to take this a step further, especially with my workspace.
The simple act of clearing the workspace around me helps me to clear my mind while also freeing up my physical space. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not tucking this box away out of sight, never to revisit it. I have to process what is in the box but it doesn’t have to happen at that moment. We will get to that in another post.
When I feel stuck or overwhelmed, clearing the space around me gives me space (physically and mentally) to work. I then schedule in the processing time for the near future and continue the process regularly, to maintain the space I need both physically and mentally.
Turn Down the Noise
Speaking of mental space, routinely getting things out of your head and onto a task list will clear the mental space for more important tasks. Often I use my bullet journal to do a good old brain dump, getting everything out of my head, I then go back and decide what needs to be done with this information.
Of course, we all know that the never-ending To-Do list isn’t all that you have rolling around in your brain. There’s that little voice that’s worrying about what everyone else thinks. Sometimes it is comparing you to another person in your field or doubting your decisions. Stop listening to it! Stop caring about what everyone else is doing or what they might think.
Often this voice in your head and the worry is holding us back from who we truly are. One more thing about that little voice. It’s often creating doubt and expressing fears that can paralyze us. We often have fears of not being good enough, that we will fail, or maybe that we will succeed and not be able to manage it. If we listen to that voice, we will become paralyzed and not move forward toward our goals. Make room for success by shifting your mindset to a more positive belief.
Take a break
You need time each day to recharge. Taking a break from your work helps with productivity, focus, and creativity. Schedule in frequent breaks each day and schedule time off periodically. The week(s) before or after the new year are a great time to take a step back from the busyness of the day-to-day. It’s a time to reflect on the past year, to catch up on reading, go for walks, listen to your heart, and simply “recharge” so that you can face the New Year refreshed and ready for the success that awaits!
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I loved this. For me, I really need to attack the physical space to make room for success. I’m also guilty of not taking enough breaks. I’m going to take a break and tackle some physical space this weekend!
Thanks for stopping by. I Hope you get to tackle your physical space over the weekend. That’s my focus today, so that I can start the new year with a clean slate!
This is such a awesome post, I especially like turning down the noise. Less distractions and you can work faster. 🙂
I definitely find that I’m most productive when I slow down and make my surroundings quieter, so I connect a lot with this post! Thanks for the tips.
xo Kathryn
http://www.fashionablyfrank.com
Love the turn down the noise! More and more, I find myself enjoy peace from the quiet stillness.
What a perfect thing to read to start off the new year! I just cleaned my office desk this morning. It’s nearly empty and it makes me excited because it’s a space for creativity now, not clutter.
I hope you have a lovely 2017!
These are great tips to becoming more successful and productive. I can totally relate to noise and clutter. Starting in August, It will be my first time with all the kids at school.
Love this post!!! I totally agree with both the desk dump and the brain dump. Works every time 😉
Great read and great advice. I really needed to read this today! Thanks for sharing!
XO-Lisa
http://www.thatssodarling.com
Such a great post! Our mindset about success makes a huge difference. I specially liked the “take a break” part; I think it’s vital to take a break to recharge and renew energy and not feel guilty about doing this. It’s important to do it so you can focus on the important stuff and not get overwhelmed. Thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed reading it 🙂
You sound like me. Sometimes the clutter and noise becomes to much. I go little crazy until it is all cleared and quiet has resumed.
This is me to a T. Recently, I did the same thing and even purchased a new desktop organizer with drawers to keep the clutter off my desk. The other area I had to declutter was my e-mail. There were things I was receiving, that I didn’t even care about and everything was piling up. Pushing the delete button never felt so good!
Great post. I think we all have our way of motivating ourselves and creating an environment to make ourselves successful.
I love these tips! I am always looking for ways to help myself reach my goals. Turning down the noise is my favorite – I get the most done in complete silence!