A messy office, mini-van, and mind
I remember a mentor of mine several years ago introducing me to this concept, : “How you do one thing is how you do everything”….I giggled when I realized how true this was for me when it came to organization at home, in my car, and at my office. All of them were a bit cluttered, unorganized and not serving me. It was so calming once I organized these spaces so it had me consider if I could apply this same principal to my thought process in other ways. Remember that our brain is filled with thoughts. Researchers estimate we all have upwards of 60,000 thoughts per day. Our thoughts create our feelings, which then fuel our actions (or sometimes inactions), which ultimately give us our results. So what are we all doing to organize these ever-important thoughts? Imagine all those thoughts were in your closet or bedroom, for example. How would we begin to organize them? The first step is to become aware of them. When you are IN your mind, you are at the effect of your thoughts, and it’s very difficult to recognize what is rational and irrational. First, you have to first watch yourself think and recognize your patterns.
Try it now---> What are you thinking about? ________________I have my clients complete a ‘Thought Download’ which is where the writer takes 5 minutes to empty out everything in their mind without any filter. This thought download provides a sort of screenshot for what is happening at a given time. I then have my clients examine the effects of only one of those thoughts and to consider if they want to continue thinking it, consider donating it, or throwing it into the garbage can. I encourage all of you to pull some of your thoughts out onto paper and become aware of what they are creating for you in order to make a conscious decision on if you want to keep them.Many of my friends and clients have been reading books on minimalism and the tremendous relief and joy they get from cleaning up their homes, and I am recommending the same for your mind. So, once you have emptied out your mind in the thought download, ask yourself the following questions, just like you would if you were cleaning out a closet, or mini-van like my own: Is this thought current or outdated? Is this thought serving me in any way? Do I really want it? If it can work for cleaning our homes, why not for our minds? Let’s not wait until our minds are so dirty that it is so hard to start. Let’s keep on top of the mess by thinking about our thinking often. Remember, just like with a house, it isn’t a one -time deal - you have to stay on top of it. Do daily thought downloads, models, and cleaning. Take some of those nasty thoughts to the garbage can and donate the rest.If you would like me to send you a sample thought download, reply to this email and I will send you one.
If you want to learn how to de-clutter your mind and start some next level thinking and creating, please contact me for a complimentary coaching call: http://bit.ly/2rD8YZk
Here's what a recent client (Amber F.) said about working with me on 9/29/18:
I've spent many hours over the years with different therapists who have tried to help me manage my anxiety and depression and then help me work through a traumatic experience. It was always very vague though. I accomplished more in 9 weeks with Melanie than I did from years of therapy. She helped me sort through a lot of negative emotions while giving me the push I needed to finally accept what is. She offered much more specific and concrete ways to work through how I experience my life. I am a constant work in progress but after my work with her, I am able to take a step back and become more of an observer in my life rather than a reactor. Rather than avoiding tough emotions and situations, I feel much more empowered that I can go right through them, experience them and move on. This has been priceless.
