I have been in ‘clean up’ mode lately. Part of that is due to the fact that I just rolled out a new program (my 50K VA Bootcamp). When I am building content for a program, I tend to grab all of my old notes from things I have taught before, as well as my ‘swipe’ file that contains new ideas that I want to implement in the program. In short, I kind of pull a lot of papers and books out of their hiding places.
Once you do something like that, you can see just what it is you have been holding onto, and you can make the decision to use it or lose it.
I made the decision to lose a lot of things in my office lately, and it has opened up the space in my office AND in my head to build and create new things.
Clearing your brain fog is an essential piece of the creativity process. While I don’t consider myself to be wildly creative (I’m way more left-brained than right!) when I have a clear mind, I can really be a lot more powerful.
Here are a few tips on how you clear your brain fog so you can be more powerful & productive:
1. Literally clear around you. If you have a messy or cluttered desk, clear it. File things that should be filed, throw out things that you really don’t need, and decide where the new ‘home’ for other things are. While I don’t advocate to have a completely tidy desk, I do try to minimize what goes on mine. Everything has a place, so I try to keep it there. If you know where to find something when you look for it, that is a very helpful step.
2. Organize your thoughts. If you tend to make notes on anything that is within reach (again, guilty over here!), try to streamline your system by using one notebook (or several notebooks) dedicated for your thoughts and ideas. When you think of something that you want to get done (in your home, your life or your business), write it down in that place, and that place only. Then when you need to reflect on things, they will be more organized than a shoebox of scrap papers. If you aren’t a paper person, use a notepad on your computer or smartphone or something like Evernote. In any case, keep it all together.
3. Brainstorm often. Brainstorming is a terrific way to get things out of your head and onto paper (or the computer, whichever is more convenient for you). If you are like me, you feel a tremendous sense of relief after sitting down and brainstorming a bunch of ideas. Getting them out of your head will help clear up space for more important things. Sometimes just trying to remember to do things can cause you undue stress. Doing a brain dump with a friend of colleague is even more fun. I highly recommend it! Free mindmapping services like Mindmeister even make it simpler.
4. Make a list of your tolerances. I have talked about this before in another blog post. Tolerances are basically the things that you are subconsciously noticing every day, but not really doing anything about. They can keep your mind cluttered without you even realizing it. Work through the list to remove the tolerances that may be keeping your head full of unnecessary information, and free up space for more interesting stuff!
5. Turn off the electronics and experience quiet time. Whether you meditate or not, it’s essential to try to find at least 15 minutes every day where you are away from all technology and noise, to just be quiet. I like to sit on my porch and just relax, listening to the outside noises. I find it very soothing and it definitely helps my brain slow down a bit. If you meditate it’s the same effect. It’s an effective way to clear your mind so that you can come back to your day refreshed and calm. If you can do more than 15 minutes, that’s even better, but try to start there!
So whether you need to increase your mental clarity for a creative reason, or just in order to help yourself be more productive, try these tips. I’d love to hear if you have tried any of them and how they have helped you – or if you have your own tips to share as well! Post them to my Facebook page!