Bloganuary: Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

This response is going to be “how I prevent clutter because I can’t deal with clutter,” more than it’s going to be “where can you reduce clutter in your life.” This is because I generally try to be as organized as possible due to a combination of executive dysfunction and Can’t Remember Shit.

Many of these techniques were acquired via therapy for my anxiety. Others were snipped from Kevin Sonney’s Productivity Alchemy podcast, which I highly recommend. Via this podcast I was able to learn about tools to increase productivity and I swear I will eventually try a few out.

I have difficulty keeping track of things I need to do, and also with working up the energy/motivation to get them done. I have a lot of anxiety related to getting things done. (This generally translates to not actually getting them done. I can’t do the thing because there are suddenly so many steps I can’t possibly finish the task I need to do in order to do the task.) This is just the way my brain works and I have to trick it using various methods.

So, I generally try to be as organized as possible, and make an effort to reduce any clutter. This was much more difficult when I was younger, but occasional had bouts of therapy to develop methods and tools to deal with my anxiety and executive dysfunction.

My primary method is bullet journaling. The app I use is Evernote, which is useful for creating bullet journals and also to work on my various writing projects. (It is also helpful for notes involving keeping track of medications, bills I’m paying and so on.) However, bullet journals can be a little frustrating as a lot of the time, I get distracted by some task or errand that comes up that wasn’t on the list.

I am currently working on ways to remind myself what needs to be done, with a less strict “schedule.” It turns out I really really really don’t do well with a deadline. (This is a thing I already knew, but I did not realize exactly how bad my ability to work to a deadline is.) The bullet journaling does work, but I need to change the format a bit so that I can split up the lists a little more easily.

Because I have been having trouble keeping track of when I take my meds, I have started creating little weekly calendars and checking off the times I took my meds. This has made it easier to keep track of when or if I took my meds. Another thing I am attempting to do is “remembering” that something needs to be done. (Otherwise it won’t get done.) I am doing this by making little note cards about the various tasks that need to be done, and when they should get done. This has been somewhat helpful.

(It looks like the thing I would most like to be uncluttered is my brain.)