I don't know about you, but while I love having choices and possibilities, too many can make me feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or distracted. There's a reason why most marketing strategies revolve around offering only three options or why consumers opt for three bids on home improvement projects. We want choices. We want enough information, but we don’t want to be overwhelmed by an overabundance of possibilities.

Think about the grocery store's cereal aisle. Talk about options. Not only are there hundreds of cereal types and flavors available, but also each type is available in many sizes. Unless you know what you want, just selecting a box of cereal can be intimidating.

What about when you're trying to organize, downsize, or let go of the thousands of things that you're emotionally attached to? Progress includes the many decisions we will make. It’s not just about what to keep or let go of, but why and where to keep our things or how and where to let go of them.

When possibilities abound and include variables that we have little to no control over, it becomes especially challenging to make decisions. So what can you do?

5 strategies that are particularly helpful when you’re struggling with decision-making

1. Find Sounding Board Buddy

It helps to have a good listener to talk through your options. The process of talking out loud can help you clarify the options. An added benefit is that your buddy might notice something you hadn't considered or ask a question that unblocks your thinking.

2. Exercise Flexibility

I mentioned earlier that we don’t have control over all of the circumstances surrounding the possibilities. The ability to have a plan or two while remaining flexible can help. When you are moving towards uncharted territory, you can't know with certainty the affect your decisions will have on the outcome. Remaining flexible let’s you choose more freely.

3. Identify Elements in Your Control

There are variables with all decisions. Some of those factors are within your control and most are not. Focus on identifying the parts you have complete control over. Work to resolve them. Move forward from there.

4. Sleep On It

There's nothing like a good night's sleep to help the brain relax. Sleep is a natural reboot for the mind and body. Waking up in a restful, ready state will help you approach the new day with clarity of thought.

5.  Decide, Then Let Go.

Choosing a path or making a decision is the work. It's the stressful part. Once you make your choice, breathe deeply and then let go of the outcome. Experience and live with the outcome for some time. If it isn't working, you can re-evaluate based on the new circumstance, and make the next decision.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What are helps you navigate the multitude of possibilities? Come join the conversation.

New trends and concepts promote possibilities. They occur in response to challenges we’ve had. In our world of 24/7 access to information, connectivity, and consumption, I’ve noticed several ideas that have converged around the trend to “go small.”  Micro-trends, minimalism and mindfulness have gained traction as a reaction to feeling overwhelmed by too many choices and excessive acquisition. By focusing on small we have the opportunity to reduce overwhelm and allow possibilities to thrive.

Overstimulation is everywhere. That adds to overwhelm. Think about the constant barrage of entertainment in public areas. TV monitors are no longer just in bars, but in restaurants too. You can’t even wait in line at the bank without being entertained by multi-screen videos demanding your attention. Cars, buses, and waiting areas in airports are plastered with monitors. It’s a challenge to find public or private spaces that are without the intrusion of constant visuals and sound. And even when we’re not paying attention to the public monitors, most of us are engaged instead with our personal devices like our cell phones or tablets.

The trends that have emerged are in reaction to all of this.

Micro-Trends

The trend of micro, spans multiple disciplines and industries (think micro-entrepreneurs, micro-volunteering, micro-breweries, and micro-lending.). It’s a trend focused on something specific, smaller and more personal. They’ve emerged as a reaction to the many demands on our time and the overwhelming amounts of choices? The micro-trends offer micro-focus.

Minimalism

The rise of Minimalism has become more prominent, as a reaction to excess acquisition. The overfilling of spaces with stuff has created overwhelm and stress for many people. The Minimalist movement emphasizes lightening up, letting go, and filling our lives with people and experiences instead of things. There are many blogs and books on the subject including Joshua Becker, Francine Jay, and The Minimalists (Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.)

Mindfulness

This isn’t a new trend, although I’ve noticed that it's gained more popularity and attention in the last few years. It’s a frequent topic seen in blogs, magazines, classes, and social media. There are tons of apps like for practicing mindfulness such as Headspace, Mindfulness Daily, and iMindfulness. The idea of being present, taking that small moment to focus instead of being distracted and multi-focused is very appealing.

How does narrowing the focus help you? Does thinking in micro, small, and minimalist ways help you visualize other possibilities more clearly? Does “going small” reduce your overwhelm? Does it help you focus and eliminate the abundance choices? What have you noticed? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.

As we shift solidly into the fall season, leaving summer memories behind, we open our minds to many choices and possibilities for next. In thinking about the future, we might be focused on something big or small.

How do we decide how to match our energy and situation with our focus? Have you noticed that there are times of inspired dreaming and other times of total overwhelm? Let’s explore how our our situations influence our choices.

Deciding When to Think Big

If you’re in a thinking-big-mode, you have large blocks of uninterrupted time. You have time to breathe and to take care of your basic needs like sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Your brain is in high gear and you aren’t feeling preoccupied by a million and one other things that need your attention. You either have the time or have carved out the time to focus on the bigger picture. Thinking big requires enough quiet to sift through and capture ideas. Thinking big demands enough mental energy and space to allow the seed ideas to surface.

Of course there are times when we’re super busy and stressed, and big ideas will surface. This is a normal occurrence. But to truly act on those ideas, we need that quiet space to sort, process, and marinate them.

When are good times for thinking big? Scheduling personal retreats, vacations, or days off are great ways to carve out some thinking big time. If you want to focus on BIG, make sure you create the environment to allow big to flourish.

Deciding When to Think Small

If you’re in a thinking-small-mode, you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Your time doesn’t feel like your own. Your schedule doesn’t have much empty space. The number of to-dos and responsibilities you’ve committed might be keeping you up at night. You’re managing life, but feeling like you’re on that continually moving hamster wheel with no stopping in sight. Does this sound familiar? If so, thinking small will help.

It doesn’t mean that you won’t future think or allow a big idea to be captured. It does mean that in order to move on at this moment in time, using a different approach will help. Taking small, next steps will encourage forward movement while reducing overwhelm. It will help you move on so that you can eventually focus on thinking big when and if you’re ready. But it’s hard to get to that point when you’re in the high stress, high overwhelm mode.

These are fluid phases. Having an awareness of where you are, locating yourself on the energy and overwhelm scale will help you to better navigate. What have you noticed for yourself or others? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

There are opportunities each day to choose success and positive outcomes. I just returned from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization’s (ICD) annual conference in Portland, Oregon. What an amazing time I had with learning, meeting with colleagues from around the world, exploring a new city, and taking a break from my normal routine! You may already have seen some photos and sharing about the trip from my recent tweets and Facebook posts. The learning that kept appearing for me this week was centered on having happy, successful and joyous days. I’ll share some highlights with you.

Face Fear

We’re all afraid of something. Fear is real, even if our fears aren’t based on anything concrete. Fear is real in our minds. One of my fears (that has actually happened on several occasions) is the fear of being locked out of my hotel room. Sometimes it’s been a glitch with the key card and other times it’s been about my door-opening challenge. I’m not great with keys, locks and doors. For this conference, I decided to try the hotel’s new technology. They had an option to get a digital key, which uses the hotel app on my iPhone to open the door. Needless to say, I was nervous each time I stood in front of my door thinking, “Is this going to work?” But consistently, it opened every time. I never tired of it working. Each time it opened, I smiled and felt giddy. I felt like the winner of a game. Facing my fear did wonders for increasing my daily happiness quotient.

Journey Together

One of my favorite speakers was Satwant Singh, nurse consultant from London, who spoke about reclaiming your life and space, especially when working with individuals with hoarding tendencies. He was a soulful, gifted speaker with a great sense of humor and humility who engaged the group through interactive exercises and discussions. One of the things he said that when working with his clients, he tells them, “We are on this journey together.”  I often express something similar when working with my organizing clients. We all have challenges. Knowing you have support along the way increases your daily successes.

Prioritize People

Another wonderful speaker was the energetic, vivacious, Ayla Lewis from Happy Brain Science, who presented a workshop on the science of being happy and productive at work. There were so many takeaways from her talk, but one that stood out was about choosing happiness by investing in relationships. One way to do that was through “active, constructive responding.”  I loved this concept she described as celebrating and savoring the good times with those around you. That includes something as simple as giving high fives for positive successes they’ve experienced or taking time to express that you heard them talk about a success they had. As she said, being there for your people during the “good times,” and not just the bad, has an even bigger impact on your relationships. Joining in their happiness increases yours.

Be Mindful

Mindfulness, the practice of stepping back and just noticing, was the “hot” topic that was mentioned in almost every conference session. Some of the speakers had us participate in some group mindfulness exercises. The mindfulness training benefits mentioned included decreased feelings of depression and anxiety, reduced stress, and improved executive function for aging and ADHD. One mindfulness exercise we did was the 18-second practice of focusing on your breath. Try it by breathing in for four counts, holding your breath for six counts, and exhaling for eight counts. Do you feel clearer, happier and ready to face what’s next? Taking time for breath awareness creates more successful choices and moments.

Social Support

We had a panel of aging experts, Barbara Cohen Grant, LCSW, Rick Steinberg, MD and Robert Winningham, Ph.D., talk about the physical, mental health, emotional and lifestyle change challenges facing adults with chronic disorganization as they progress into advanced age. They said that “social engagement and support is critical for well being,” especially with elders. The friends’ circle continues to decrease as grief and loss increase. The need for social engagement and support is essential.

Ban Should

The dynamic, knowledgeable speaker and mental health therapist, Kevin Ashworth, director of NW Anxiety Institute, spoke about the role mental illness in clients with disorganized lives. He shared a wealth of valuable quotes, statistics and insights. One in particular stood out. He said, “You cannot use the word ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ without feeling bad.”  What a powerful statement! How often do those words creep into your sentences? Developing an awareness and removing them from your conversations, seems like a guarantee for adding more happy, joy and success to each your day. 

Let Go

The engaging, comedy writer and producer, Rick Green, shared his personal story, experiences and knowledge about living with ADHD, a neurodevelopmental syndrome. He suggested a phrase that appeals to their emotions, which can help people let go of a physical possession. When someone is struggling to let go, he suggests saying, “Someone would love this.” It reframes the potential act of loss to one of giving. What a beautiful way to experience success.

We can look to many areas to increase our daily experiences of happiness, joy and success. I’ve shared a few that were inspired by last week’s travels. What resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!