What’s bugging you? There has to be something… something you’ve been putting off… something that pops into the back of your mind periodically… something you don’t want to do but has to get done… something you need to deal with…
It’s amazing how the things that bug us can totally throw us off course. Maybe it’s as simple as a closet that is full of junk or making a call to someone who talks a lot. When we know we have to clean the closet or make the call but don’t, things just don’t seem quite right… our lives are cluttered and our minds aren’t totally focused. These things take valuable energy away from the things we enjoy doing and make us feel overwhelmed with life.
So now is the time… don’t think about it and just do it! What if there are lots of things piled up? Make it an intention to take care of one thing a week (or more frequently if you’d like!).
What if you’re feeling totally overwhelmed and need some help identifying this stuff that’s robbing your energy? Check out the exercise below…
Ask yourself the following questions…
· Living environment
o What in my living environment could be cleaner?
o What closets and drawers have to be cleaned, organized, and/or purged?
o What rooms make me feel stressed or anxious to be in?
o Do I feel good about how my house looks from the outside?
o How would I feel if a friend stopped by unexpectedly? Is my place company ready (don’t get carried away here… we aren’t talking spotless) or is it a total mess that I wouldn’t want anyone else to see?
· Relationships
o Which conversations have I avoided that I know I need to have?
o Who do I feel I should show more love to and/or give more time to?
o What do I feel bad about that I know I should apologize for but haven’t yet?
o Who have I lost touch with and feel that I need to get back in contact with?
o Who do I need to forgive?
· Finances
o If I was faced with all of a sudden making zero income for several months would I know my financial reality?
§ Do I know how much money I have? (Think beyond just the checking account… do you really know how much you have?)
§ Do I know how much money I spend?
§ Do I have things identified that I could do to make money if needed? (Having a plan B is very freeing…)
o Do I feel that my money is invested appropriately?
o Is there financial planning that I feel I need to do that I haven’t gotten around to (i.e. retirement, estate planning, etc.)?
o Do I have debts that I know I need to start paying off?
o Have I met all of my legal obligations like tax returns?
The list above touches on some of the most common things we avoid. There are other, deeper issues, that we all have… some of which affect these things we’re putting off. As you consider your answers to these questions think about why you’re avoiding.
How about when we fall off course… when we go back to the old reactionary routines and lose sight of our visions?? This happens to everyone no matter how far we are on our journeys! Here’s what to do…
· Get back into the present and remember that right now is really the only thing that matters.
· It’s essential that we learn from our challenges, but this is different than beating ourselves up. Avoid making statements like I always _____, I never _____, I’m just not _____, I’m a failure at _____. These statements are excuses and sap our power to be the best we can be.
· Step out of the situation and observe it like it happened to someone else and think the advice you’d give someone else in the same situation. Give yourself this advice.
· Be thankful that you recognized what happened and have the opportunity to change course. This is an awesome learning opportunity and will help in the future!
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