Clearing out the cluttered mind
“When people will not weed their own minds, they are apt to be overrun by nettles.” Horace Wapole
Where do you spend your mental energy?
I spend part of each day blogging where I contemplate life. Kinda. I mean, I'm supposed to be thinking about things (ahem), I mean, Things, capital T.
Unfortunately lately my thoughts seem to spend an inordinate amount of time swimming in the shallow end of the pool.
Seriously. Sometimes my brain plays small.
Can you relate?
I think about my to-do lists: scripts to read, emails to return, groceries to buy.
Oh wait. Did I sign the field trip permission slip yesterday? When do I need to RSVP to the party again? Did I send out those invoices? Where did I put the stamps?
I think about things I dread: tax forms, doctor appointments, cleaning up my database.
There has to be a better way to back up my computer! I really should call and negotiate my cable bill. Is Mint up-to-date? Where did these moths come from?
Then, of course, I check my phone.
These are small concerns, distracting me from engaging in some of the more challenging things which should be in my mind. The things I should think about and don't.
Then I realize, I've gone a couple of days without writing Morning Pages.
Ah ha! There's a big part of my problem.
I've fallen down the slippery slope of compromise: sleep a little late, double down "next time," or cut a few corners. Before long, my brain is cluttered with unprocessed ideas and undocumented trivia.
Is there something in your life that you KNOW is worth the effort that you have walked away from? Maybe it's a habit or discipline. Perhaps it's a relationship.
What about doing a restart today?