Today I’m challenging you to create some “white space” in your life.
White space can refer to many different things, but I’m talking about mental white space. Now before we get to that, I want to give you an example of “white space” that has nothing to do with the mental aspect, but it relates to it.
In school, you’re taught to write using paragraphs, bullets, & bold or colored lettering to separate thoughts, ideas, or topics. You see examples of this when you read a book or a blog post… hopefully. By formatting your writing this way, you are creating “white space” around each thought, idea, or topic. You’re making what you say stand out, easier to read, & scannable.
This works the same way for our minds. We need space. We need things to stand out, to be easier to remember, to be scannable.
It’s no secret. We’re all busy. Life is full of things pulling our attention this way & that way especially for those of us trying to run a business & a household at the same time. Not to mention adding in other responsibilities like work, friends, hobbies, errands, etc. Our minds are FULL of things we need to do. That’s why creating mental “white space” is so important. It will help you not feel so overwhelmed & it will help you prioritize what you need to do.
This is not a one-time thing by the way! You should do this as often as you need to. Daily if necessary.
So in the following steps, I’m going to teach an exercise on how to create this “white space” in your mind so you can separate your thoughts & ideas & make life a little more manageable for yourself.
Creating Mental “White Space”: An Exercise in Clarity of the Mind
- Get a blank piece of paper, set a timer for 5-10 minutes, & write down everything you’re thinking of. EVERYTHING! Business thoughts, work deadlines, dinner plans, friends you need to get in contact with, church responsibilities, dates with your man, plans with your kiddos, household chores, etc. EVERYTHING!
- Look at your paper & cross off anything you can’t control. Those things that are out of your reach or unrealistic. Forget them!
- Next put a #1 next to the things that you can accomplish, start to finish, in 10 minutes or less. Put a #2 next to the things you have to get done today. Put a #3 next to the things you need to get done this week. Put a #4 next to the things you need to get done this month. Don’t go any further than that.
- Now turn your paper over or get a new one & put all your #1′s together followed by #2′s, #3′s, & #4′s.
- Get started on the #1′s. Don’t skip ahead. Once your finished with #1′s, move on to #2′s.
- Once you’re finished with today’s tasks, get your planner or calender out & schedule #3′s & #4′s in the appropriate places.
Now you’re finished with this exercise! You should have a lot of white space in your mind. You shouldn’t feel overwhelmed. Everything should be nice & neatly organized in your planner.
Again, do this as often as you need & remember… keep it simple sweetheart! Life is better this way!
Do this quick exercise & tell me how it worked for you in the comments below! I want to know if it was helpful or not!
Oh yeah, help a friend out & share this post via the buttons below. Everyone needs some “white space” in their life!
