Tags
Administration, business, Dreams, Freedom, goals, Life, Order, Organisation, Systems
Last week I wrote about starting, and it got me thinking about the many reasons I hear people give about why they haven’t yet stepped out on their idea or dream.
Those reasons are often legitimate hindrances or distractions: ‘I had another baby and don’t have time’, ‘I got divorced’, ‘we bought a new house and it’s not the right time to take financial risks’, ‘I’m afraid’.
But I wonder if those hindrances could be overcome – or at least shifted a bit – with the application of a few organisational tools.
Let me ask you this: If you could clear some clutter and confusion, free some time, and create some brain space, would that idea or dream seem a little less overwhelming and a little more possible?
An example: Someone who feels that they can’t afford to step out on a business idea would be much more equipped if they had a clear budget and a system to track their spending, streamline the excesses, and begin a savings plan. (There are some great free mobile phone apps that make this quite easy.)
You see, systems are not just boring administration requirements. They are tools that can help you to streamline your life to create space for what really matters to you.
It’s all about the small stuff, remember. I have no idea how I will fit the ‘big picture’ of my life’s dream into my world tomorrow. But that won’t stop me from working toward it today – building foundations, laying guideposts – so that when it comes time to build the towers, we’ve at least cleared the debris.
My uncommon faith in systems is the reason I do the work that I do. They break down complex, overwhelming tasks and events into manageable pieces; they mean that you don’t have to re-think a task every time you repeat it; they absorb all of those unnecessary details that fill your mind with noise, so that there is room for dreaming and creating.
I see a well-ordered life like a camp fire: the wood needs to be arranged in order, smallest kibble first, with room for oxygen to flow between the logs and fan the flame. We want our lives to be a blazing fire – but is there order and space to feed it?
If you’re holding back on stepping out, or are frustrated with how your life looks, I challenge you to identify the reason, and then work on creating some order and space around that. It’s not rocket science, but it is powerful.
Your dreams won’t become a reality by default; you must be intentional about pursuing them. Over to you.
*This article was prompted by A Year With Myself, a global network of women who ponder and write and grow in the process. I am one happy participant in the journey this year.
