You did it! You made it to the third and final part of my “Clear Your Clutter” series, and just in time for the official start of spring. We’ve covered that clutter is constricting and something we can and should learn to manage as best we can, because…Clutter keeps you from creating. And, nobody needs that.

Clutter is comprised of three things in the B3 world:
The literal (physical) clutter
The feelings (emotional) clutter
The thinking (mental) clutter

So far, we’ve learned ways to conquer the literal (physical) clutter and conquer the feelings (emotional) clutter. Now, in my final post of this series, we will learn to conquer the hardest of them all – the thinking (mental) clutter.

Clear Your Clutter (Part 3): The Thinking Clutter
Is there something on your mind? Does it really need to be there? When it comes to the ol’ thinking clutter, you have two options: lock it down and let it go OR make your move and move on. Far too often we get bogged down with this mental clutter – the toxic thoughts we allow ourselves to cling to and complain about.

Your third challenge:

Determine what’s bothering you. What is REALLY bothering you? Something at work? Someone at work? Something at home? The friend who’s not calling you back?

Make a list of those frustrations and then consider the following:

If it’s something that happened once and you’re dwelling on it all the time: Lock it down and let it go. Your time would be much better spent on moving yourself onward and upward instead of on holding grudges. You’re better than that and you have better things to do with your precious time. Forgive or forget and move forward. {For example: someone makes a comment to you that you find rather unsettling. You can let that anger and frustration build inside you or you can let it go. After all, it was just the one time.}

If it’s something that happens all the time and you’re dwelling on it all the time: Make your move and move on. Sometimes you need to step up. Believe me, you can do this gracefully and maturely. Determine what’s bothering you and address it like the awesome adult that you are. You’re going to be nervous, but like most things in life, at first it’s terrifying and then it’s awesome. Make the effort to make your move and then move on. {For example: someone makes rude or condescending comments to you almost every day. Instead of dwelling on your frustration, you make your move to address this individual and then you move on.}

Looking out for yourself matters. You can’t hide in the shadows your whole life. If you’re looking for a sign, this is it. This is your chance to make a change.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, writing down your thoughts, whether joys or frustrations, helps get them out of your head. They truly become less of a distraction when they’re on paper, which is why your list will come in handy and help you take action as you work through this exercise. Small steps taken consistently will end up in big results over time. Also – remember that you are 100% responsible for you. You can’t control other people’s thoughts, feelings and actions, but you can control how you react to them. The more you acknowledge your frustrations and address them head on, the more you’ll realize what ideals are most important to you in life. You’ll find yourself more capable of conquering your thinking clutter with ease. You’ll be stronger and more sure of yourself. While growing up is hard, that’s what it’s all about. Learning to live for you despite the circumstances and the curveballs.

Hurray! You made it through my first series.

We covered three huge steps. I know a lot of it is easier said than done, but every move you make to improve your personal space physically, emotionally and mentally overtime will make you stronger as an individual, help you expand your horizons and motivate you to move forward. Above all, it will allow you to think more clearly and positively so you can live a more focused life.

Positive thinking won’t solve all of your problems but it will make life far better than negative thinking will.

Now that spring is about to spring, I hope you remember (as always) that you come first in this whole “spring cleaning” ordeal that everyone gets so hyped on. There is no “special sauce” or quick fix. The reality is that you need to take a step back and make time to clear your own clutter so that you can be on your way to creating awesome things. You have so much potential. Let it grow like those dang spring flowers do. Which is right now. Go and grow.

COMING SOON: THE B3 BLUEPRINT. Not to be confused with Jay-Z’s The Blueprint III – as much as I love that album. Join the B3 Buzz today and get first dibs on the program for free when it launches this April! You can sign up HERE.