“That’s the good stuff,” is something my mom often says when we’re talking. She uses it to acknowledge something meaningful to her like appreciating my dad’s sense of humor or taking pleasure in stories about their seven grandchildren. I think about this too. There’s so much “good stuff” to enjoy and meaningful ways to spend our time.

Of course, not all of our time is filled with positive activities or thoughts. That’s life. Knowing this makes including the “good stuff” especially important. We need that balance. While my list could easily include hundreds of thoughts, for brevity’s sake, I’m just sharing twenty.

Linda’s “Good Stuff” List

1. Sipping my morning coffee
2. Seeing luscious colors
3. Biting a slice of juicy watermelon
4. Singing with or without music
5. Dipping toes into the river on a hot day
6. Laughing until the tears come out
7. Doing nothing
8. Writing in my journal and blog
9. Resting my feet on my purple velvet foot stool
10. Smelling anything baking, especially if it’s chocolate
11. Taking a walk with my husband and holding hands
12. Sitting by the river
13. Helping my clients with their organizing challenges
14. Conversing with my mom and her sisters
15. Receiving impromptu “I love you” text messages from our daughters
16. Hanging out with my family and friends
17. Seeing our daughters’ faces and hearing their voices
18. Hugging my family after being apart from them
19. Coming home
20. Getting into bed at night

What’s on your “good stuff” list? I’d love to hear from you. Come join the conversation!

Each day gives us the opportunity to use our time in a variety of ways. I just enjoyed a wonderful long weekend with plenty of time to relax and hang out with family and friends. It was a good combination of planned and unplanned time. Even though every day differs from a long weekend, we can integrate certain concepts to regularly give us a more balanced mix.

Looking at one of my typical days, I noticed that it was divided into eight segments. These groups represent how the time might be used during a given day. If you feel overworked and time-poor, try integrating some of these ideas into your day. It might result in a more comfortable balance.

8 W's of Time Management

Wake. Readying for the day sets the tone for the hours that follow. Review your morning routine. Do you give yourself enough time to prepare for your day? Instead, are you rushing and stressed from the moment you wake? What can you do to improve your start? I like to shower first thing. The water is refreshing and helps me wake up as I wash the sleepiness away. After getting dressed, I enjoy my morning cup of coffee and a small breakfast.

Work. The work begins. Do you feel ready to start? Have you looked at your calendar the night before so that you know where you need to be and when? Have you planned for travel time? Most mornings, I wake early enough to have some desk time before leaving for my clients. I use that time to catch up on emails, work on social media, papers, or calls. Then I go to work with my clients.

Waffle. You don't have to eat a waffle but eat something. Working takes energy. It's important to take a break and nourish yourself during the day. It can be tempting to eat on the run. I have been guilty of that and have eaten sandwiches while driving. That's not good for digestion or the other drivers on the road. Sitting and relaxing while you eat is beneficial and safer. Most likely, you’ll want to repeat the Waffle segment around dinnertime.

Walk. Since much of my work is indoors, getting some sunshine and fresh air is essential. Especially now, with the gorgeous spring weather, I love taking walks. It's even nicer when I'm walking with my family or friends. Not only is it great exercise, but I also get to reconnect with the people I love.

Wiggle. Add the toe-wiggling factor into your day. What do I mean by that? What makes you so joyful that your toes wiggle in delight? It's different for all of us. A simple cup of blueberry or grapefruit sorbet from our local ice cream shop, The Blue Pig, is enough to bring on the wiggle. I'm not suggesting that you eat ice cream every day. The idea is to incorporate simple things that bring you pleasure.

Write. Writing has become a regular part of my days between blogging, authoring The Other Side of Organized, emailing, social media-ing, and journaling. Using this way to reflect enriches my daily experience. Sometimes, my writing is just a sentence fragment containing a seed idea. Other days, an idea develops into a full-blown blog post. Writing in different locations is inspiring, too. One of my favorite places to write is at the Hudson River. If you don't enjoy writing, consider recording your thoughts or taking a reflection break where you don’t record but think about your day.

Wrap-Up. Days are full. Before finishing, take time for preparation and closure. Preparation might include reviewing tomorrow's schedule, clearing your desk, gathering items you'll need the next day, or selecting your clothes. I have a pull-down desk. I know I've finished my wrap-up when I clear the surface, turn off the light, and close the desk. It's my "done for the day" signal. How do you know when you’re done?

Wish. Your day is nearing the end. Give yourself time to relax, dream, and restore. Perhaps you like reading in bed, watching a movie, or lying down and doing nothing. Sleeping and dreaming will replenish your energy and get you ready for tomorrow. Each new day brings another chance to design the day with your combination of W's.

Which W’s resonate with you? Are there other W’s you’d like to include?

Clutter is part of our lives. Have you ever thought about nourishing vs. unproductive clutter? One standard definition of clutter is “to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness.” Unproductive clutter drains us. What if instead, we reframed the concept of clutter and only pursued clutter that yielded a positive outcome? What if we only sought out good clutter?

Nourishing clutter has a rejuvenating effect. It fills our lives with family, friends, meaningful work, experiences and downtime. Instead of our homes becoming overrun, we trade the excess stuff that drains our energy for experiences and people that replenish us. By shifting the focus of our collections away from things, we can alter our relationship to our possessions and become more vibrant.

What would be possible if you filled your life with nourishing clutter?

Jackson Pollock, painter

Do you ever have so many thoughts twirling around your brain that it feels as cluttered as a room full of stuff? It seems like our thoughts have nowhere to go and that our heads could burst. We jump from one idea to the next. We lose focus. We feel frazzled. We have no clarity. Details and minutia cloud the big picture. This is mind clutter.

I’ve experienced it and I know many of you have too. Unlike physical clutter, we can’t donate our mind clutter. We can’t toss it in the trash. However, we can do some things. Recently, when my mind felt too full, I tried a few techniques that worked.  Perhaps a combination of these ideas mixed with some of your solutions will help you the next time your mind is feeling cluttered.

8 Ways to Release Mind Clutter

• Grab a Pen – Whether you prefer traditional writing or typing on a keyboard, recording your thoughts to another medium helps to release and make sense of them. Whether you create a list, use short bullet points, or write long paragraphs, the act of transferring your thoughts will reduce mental clutter.

• Invite a Distraction – Let your mind wander by shifting the focus away from internal to an external distraction, such as watching a movie or reading a book. Focusing on a different “story” can help alleviate frazzled feelings.

• Unleash Creativity – Pull out the colored pencils, paints, or instruments. Bake a cake or knit a sweater. Find a creative outlet to help loosen your thoughts and unclutter your brain.

• Be Kind to Self – It’s stressful when our thoughts are cluttered. Feeling this way is temporary. Be gentle with yourself during these times. Take good care by getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and maintaining a balanced diet.

• Initiate a Conversation – Another effective way to clear your mind is to share your thoughts with a friend or family member. Talking and being listened to, even if there is no resolution, can be a great way to gain perspective and organize your thoughts.

• Change the Scenery – Getting away from your customary environment to a different location can help reduce mind clutter. It could be something simple, like going for a walk, or more elaborate, like exploring a new town or destination.

• Play Some Tunes – Listening to music can significantly improve your mood and help clear your mind of extraneous thoughts. Singing or dancing along is an added benefit. I’ve recently started hula hooping to loud, upbeat music. Aside from being fun, it’s great exercise and helps me refocus.

• Eat Some Chocolate – I admit that eating chocolate goes against my healthy eating and exercising suggestions. It’s just that as a chocolate lover, I have to fess up that indulging in a bit of it helps me when my mind gets too cluttered. There are some other benefits to eating chocolate. The operative word here is moderation. I’m not suggesting a chocolate-fest, but a piece or two.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about releasing internal clutter. What works for you when your mind is cluttered?