It’s Time to E-M-P-T-Y Your Mind

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a lot on my mind. If I’m not careful, pending deadlines, pressing issues, personal commitments, and even my grocery list can take up simultaneous residence in my grey matter. When this happens, their good friends, anxiety, and distraction aren’t far behind.

I once had the opportunity to interview?The New York Times bestselling author David Allen . His watershed book,?Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (published in 2002), changed how many people spend their time, energy, and resources for decades.

David and I explored how increasing individual productivity and reducing anxiety can start with emptying our minds of the clutter that takes up space between our ears.?

David discussed how our minds are great at generating ideas but poor at storing them.

When we try to hold too much in our brains, we create unnecessary clutter and stress. Instead, we can purposefully empty our minds by writing things down, adding them to a calendar, or finding another home for them outside our heads. This approach allows your brain to do what it does best—generate new ideas and insights.

I couldn’t pass up the chance to create an acronym to reinforce this idea: E-M-P-T-Y, as in EMPTY your mind. Here’s what each letter stands for, along with a question to help you think:

• EVENTS: What meetings and appointments are you on your mind but not on your calendar?
• MILESTONES: What results or outcomes are you mentally tracking that should be written down?
• PROBLEMS: What troubles, pressures, or issues are swirling in your head that need to be clarified and addressed?
• TASKS: What to-dos are bouncing around in your brain that you need to organize?
• YEARNINGS: What goals, dreams, and desires are stuck in your thoughts rather than being captured somewhere actionable?

You’ll find that emptying your mind frees up space for new thoughts, ideas, and innovations.

Make it a great day!

Patrick

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