Decluttered By Design

How To Take Action Even When You Are Overwhelmed

April 29, 2019 Kelly Jayne McCann Season 1 Episode 6
Decluttered By Design
How To Take Action Even When You Are Overwhelmed
Show Notes Transcript

Overwhelm can keep us stuck. We get so caught up big picture thinking that we forget we don't have to figure it all out before we start. We can overcome the overwhelm and create real momentum if we focus instead on what we actually do know. And there is always something we know for sure. It may not be much, but it's a start. And starting is what matters most. Listen in to see how to make this super simple idea work for you.

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Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome. It's Kelly, Jane McCann, professional organizer and clutter coach. And you are listening to Decluttered by Design, a podcast where I provide practical guidance to help you declutter your life with ease. So I have been having a pretty amazing Spring. My cup of joy is overflowing, but with that there has come some overwhelm and I've had to do a fair share of self coaching. And I thought I'd share the elementary idea that has helped me the most. Now I think this is something that we all know, but just because we know something doesn't mean we remember to apply it. I totally forgot myself. And what actually triggered me to start using this idea was hearing myself, coach someone else to do it. That was a face palm moment and a half. So when you are in a situation where you feel completely overwhelmed, you've got a big project in front of you and you don't know where to start or what to do first, I want you to step back and use this super simple idea. I want you to take action on what you do know. Don't worry about the big picture. Focus on the edges or just a single pixel. I know this is so simple, right? Take action on what you do know. Don't think about the big picture. Like I said, this is something we all know, but we often forget to apply it because we're just overcome by that overwhelm and we're not thinking quite clearly. So let me give you an example of what I mean. Let's say you're feeling less than content with your life and you're thinking you'd really liked to change careers or maybe even go out on your own and start a business. Now, big move like that can seem absolutely daunting and it would be easy to get stuck in analysis paralysis or overcome by all that overwhelm and be thinking about all the effort and all the work that would be required. And I absolutely get that. But even in the midst of all that mental chaos, there is going to be something you can act on with certainty. There is going to be at least one step that you can take. You can do something as simple as researching career coaches or making an appointment with a local SBA office just to learn what resources are available. Now the power in taking action is that it creates momentum for the next action and frequently a bit of momentum is all we need to overcome the overwhelm and we can never take that second step unless we take the first step. Right, and that is why taking that first step as soon as you possibly can is so important. Let's apply this idea to clutter clearing. Let's suppose you have a truly cluttered space. It's overwhelming to even think about how you'll tackle it. In this case, I would suggest you don't even think about that. Don't think about how you're going to get it all done. Instead, focus on what you know for sure, like letting go of the things that are broken or gathering up all of the recyclables because somewhere in the middle of all that clutter there's definitely stuff you know you don't need and it probably goes beyond stuff that's broken or recyclable. There are probably perfectly useful items in there that you know you personally don't have a use for anymore. This has happened when I've coached one on one with clients in their spaces. We've walked into a space that's been really cluttered. They, you know, look at me with that deer in the headlights look and say, I don't even know what to do. I start asking a few questions. I pick up a few objects and so often I hear, Oh well I don't need that particular thing, but that's just one thing and there's so much more. And when I turn around and say to them is, you know what? You actually do know where to start because you've already identified at least one item that you don't need. So don't worry about how you're going to deal with the rest. Take action where you can deal with what you can in that moment. And here's another beautiful part about taking action. We often think that we have to have clarity before we can take that first step, but sometimes the clarity comes in the middle of the action. Another thing about action is that action always creates momentum. And action always feels better than staying stuck. So knowing that, wouldn't you rather take action on what you do know instead of waiting for everything to fall into place? After all, some done is always better than none done. And if you sit there waiting, you could be waiting for ever. So let me know what you think about this idea. As I said, I know it's incredibly elementary, but I think it's worth reminding people about because it's also incredibly powerful. This idea. Now, if you'd like a little more support, I would encourage you to pop on over to Facebook and look for the clear your clutter. Find your happy group. You will not find a more supportive group of people to walk with you through your clutter clearing journey. And as always, if you have questions, if there's something you'd like me to cover, feel free to reach out. You can find me everywhere at organizing Maven.