Your Stuff Quotient!

There’s a lot of stuff bouncing around in my head lately, some of it causing undue stress and a bit of anxiety. There are the intangibles and the to-do list stuff(s). I realized many years ago that stuff has no place to go, it just keeps rattling around. However, I do have tools and techniques to share that will help alleviate the mind chatter and give it a place to go.

David Allen defines “stuff” as:” Anything you have allowed into your psychological or physical world that doesn’t belong where it is, but for which you haven’t yet determined the desired outcome and the next action step.”

As I see it there are several levels of stuff, we’ll call it the Stuff Quotient or the SQ. Then there is the Get it Done Quotient or the GID. As we head into the New Year it’s time to clear the slate of the SQ and move into your GID.

First, let’s differentiate what is good stuff from the stuff that weighs you down and saps your energy.

Make a stuff list – not in your head that creates more stuff. Fold an 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper in thirds. Make the following headings.

1.      Psychological stuff.

2.      Stuff I Don’t Need.

3.      Stuff I Need Add the psychological stuff to column 2 and 3.

Then circle the items in column 1 that keep rattling around in your brain and create an action plan to eradicate those thoughts. If you are visual you can visualize a giant shredder and imagine shredding those thought that weigh you down.  Or you can make a “Stuff Box”. Take an old tissue box and write down those pesky thoughts and stuff them in the box. Once a week clean out the box and burn the contents. After a while you’ll find that your stress and anxiety level diminishes as the item in the box get fewer and far between. Try it for a few weeks and see what happens.