Mindful Monday | Becoming a bricklayer

“When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers.”

- COLLEEN C. BARRETT

Amen. Here’s to being a bricklayer.

Everyone wants to tell you what to do, me included.

Granted, I’m mostly sharing with you how to lay brickshow to get and stay organized.

How to simplify your life so you can focus on your values every day.

And a quick look around will reveal that the world is apparently full of experts, happy to design something but less willing to build it.

Let’s change that.

Let’s return a sense of pride and accomplishment to actually building something by laying a few bricks.

You don’t need a fancy system with lots of moving parts to simplify your life.

In fact, reading that last sentence should make you chuckle if you’ve ever thought you just need to figure out HOW to get organized BEFORE you could get organized.

As far as systems go, The Organizational Triangle is about at simple as it gets: 3 rules to guide you and in fact, only two that you need to GET organized and one you need to STAY organized.

You can also hear more about The Organizational Triangle at the UnStuff America! Podcast.

We often spend a lot of time running around, doing research and planning … which can be really helpful if we then apply what we’ve learned and do something.

Less helpful if we just end up hoarding information and never laying a single brick.

The Internet makes it super easy to hop from site to site gathering information.

And a good story will convince you that you need to design the perfect system for it to work … this time.

More likely, what you need for it to work is to become a bricklayer and hang up your architect’s hat.

Here’s an easy way to start.

Set a timer for 30 seconds right now and make a list of the projects you could be working on today if you only laid a few bricks.

It doesn’t need to be a fancy list, you don’t need to spend a few hours creating a template online … a pen and paper will do.

This exercise is just a way to focus your mind on what’s already in front of you the things you have already said are important to you.

When the timer goes off, circle the one project you’re going to take on today.

Which project gets a brick or two closer to being finished?

Pay attention to any story that says “tomorrow” or “later” or “someday.”

That tries to convince you that you will take action as soon as you do a little more planning or research or design.

Chances are, it doesn’t require any of those things.

Success just needs you to lay a few more bricks.

Do you drink coffee? Or like morning shows?! Then check out these fun and fast-paced TV segments I’ve been doing on The Morning Blend. I share quick-hit tips on organizing and unstuffing your life.