| Can't sleep? Can't think straight? Too tired to | | | | - Prepare guest room |
| function? | | | | - Decorate porch |
| Trying to focus on your workload but can't? It's | | | | - Decorate bedroom |
| time to gain control and de-junk your mind! | | | | - Sort out unwanted household items for boot |
| In this day and age, it's all too easy to be | | | | sale |
| overwhelmed by the pressures of day to day | | | | - Food shopping |
| living. Have a good look around you. Recognise | | | | - Pay telephone bill |
| those strained and tense expressions. Everybody | | | | - Ironing |
| is juggling their workloads, many people are tired, | | | | - Time to chill out |
| irritable and stressed and struggling to cope but | | | | Once you have completed your list, read through |
| some people have learned how to manage these | | | | it, it may be a surprise to know just how much |
| pressures more readily and the answer is to keep | | | | you had revolving around in your mind. By seeing |
| your mind as calm and as organised as possible. | | | | the list in black and white, it makes it easier to |
| As a writer, I often have many projects on the | | | | identify the important issues and be able to |
| go at any one time, these projects range from | | | | prioritise in an efficient manner. My list enabled me |
| how-to articles, writing courses and books, and | | | | to see things clearly whilst my mind was just not |
| include many different subjects, ideas and | | | | capable of making any decisions whilst all of that |
| creative images which are collated in my mind at | | | | information was stored there, so I ended up |
| any one time. On top of that, I teach creative | | | | trying to complete all of my tasks and failing |
| writing at college too. One day I realised that my | | | | miserably. |
| brain felt scrambled, I had complete overload, | | | | Once you have written your list, number and |
| worse, I had so many ideas flowing through the | | | | prioritise it and systematically work your way |
| creative channels that I could not concentrate on | | | | through the points, you can then congratulate |
| any particular one! | | | | yourself. You have discovered the vital steps |
| Some people struggle with ideas, my dilemma | | | | needed for you to be able to control the amount |
| was the opposite, I had too many and worse, I | | | | of information which bombards your brain on a |
| completely lost my ability to wade through all of | | | | routine basis. |
| the information that was buzzing in my brain. My | | | | Each time you complete something on your list, |
| work suffered and my creative streak began to | | | | tick it, so that you can feel the sense of |
| dry up, not good when you need to stand up in a | | | | satisfaction from being back in control. |
| class and inspire people to write. | | | | If you have many demands on your time, it |
| I endured this for some weeks before resorting | | | | would be very easy for you to become |
| to my 'de-clutter' list system which I still use on a | | | | overwhelmed again. Keep a note of your ideas or |
| daily basis. The secret? To write down every idea | | | | thoughts on paper or you can keep a Dictaphone |
| or thought that is revolving around in my brain. | | | | handy so that you can record your thoughts. |
| This simple process has enabled me to bring order | | | | Choose your tasks carefully and always prioritise, |
| to chaos in a few simple steps and helped me to | | | | get the important or essential jobs out of the |
| break that never ending cycle of confusion. | | | | way first and this will eliminate the pressure from |
| Here is an example of my list: | | | | you. |
| - Write lesson plans for college | | | | Make sure you add relaxation time to your list |
| - Write stress management course for Internet | | | | too. With the important tasks out of the way, |
| - Research for article on herbal remedies | | | | and with your mind freed up from all that clutter, |
| - Mark papers for students | | | | you'll not only have more time to indulge yourself |
| - Send off query letter for article on insomnia | | | | but be able to feel the benefits of your free time |
| - Set up direct debit with bank | | | | a whole lot more. |
| - Choose birthday present and card for friend. | | | | |