The Cure for "Mental Clutter"

"Mental clutter" can be a big problem for many people. If you find that you have lots of ideas but not much time in which to implement them, chances are you're being adversely affected by mental clutter. Symptoms of this syndrome include frustration, worry, distraction, disorganization, and a constant feeling that you are forgetting to do something important. If you've got a lot of ideas in your head but still never seem to actually get anything done, here are some techniques you can use to transform mental clutter into productivity.

Make a Concrete Plan

If you're like many people, chances are you have a lot of ideas, but not a lot of concrete plans. The sad truth of the matter is that it's often more fun to think about an idea than to actually put it into action. It's also true that even the most brilliant idea won't do you any good unless you get it out of your head and put it to work for you. Making a concrete project plan is one of the best ways to implement your ideas.

In order to start the process, decide which of your many ideas you'd like to focus on first. If you have a lot of ideas, this might actually be one of the most difficult parts of the entire process. Once you've selected an idea to work on, resist the urge to jump around to other ideas and projects. Instead, focus completely on a single project plan to support a single idea. If you've never created a project plan before, you'll be able to find plenty of useful resources in books, magazines and online websites. Once you've created your project plan, you'll have a much better chance of actually putting your idea into action.

Stop Worrying

If you find that you spend a lot of time worrying and fretting about things - simply stop. Although it might be somewhat difficult to break the habit of constantly worrying about things, it's important to remember that worrying simply isn't time well spent. If you find yourself worrying or obsessing about something, force yourself to actually do something to fix the situation instead of just thinking about it. Not only will you make yourself feel better, but you'll also get a lot more accomplished.

Start Small

Many people find themselves plagued by mental clutter simply because they think they have to do too much too quickly. If you have a large project in mind, it's better to start on a few of the smaller steps instead of mentally filing the project away until you have "more time." After all, what are the real chances that you're going to have more spare time in the future than you do right now? Instead of letting large project ideas clutter your mind, start working on some of the smaller steps right now. Even if you only have a few minutes each day, over the course of a week or a month those minutes will certainly add up. Before you know it, you'll probably have your project finished instead of just thinking about it every day.