Clarify & simplify - get rid of clutter
I was recently listening to this podcast about neuroplasticity. The featured guest was a neuroscientist, Dr. Tara Swart Bieber. In the podcast, she described the five things you need to support your brain health: rest (sleep), hydration, oxygenation, fuel (good food/nutrients), and to simplify. As she discussed what it meant to simplify, she described it as removing extra decisions, for example, choosing what you’ll wear the day before so that you don’t have to think about it the next morning, or planning your meals ahead of time (p.s. I’ve got a great meal planning template!).
I happened to be already thinking about this idea of simplifying, albeit in a slightly different way. I woke up a few weeks ago and had a lot of work to get done. But, as I entered our living room, there was stuff everywhere – toys, clothes, shoes, pillows, bags. As I made my way to the kitchen, the piles continued. I felt completely overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in our home and completely unable to get any work done with the house in that state. After the messes were tidied, I started looking into the effects of clutter on our brains. Unsurprisingly, the effect is large. Clutter can lead to increased levels of cortisol, a hormone that causes stress. It also impacts well-being and seemingly leads to procrastination. Most importantly, clutter can limit our ability to process information. Research suggests that a clutter-free space allows increased productivity, fewer distractions, less irritability, and the ability to process information better.
There is the visible clutter, like stuff scattered throughout our homes or offices, but there’s also the clutter that just takes up brain space. Making extra decisions (why Einstein and President Obama minimized their wardrobe choices), weeding through mental to-do lists, and navigating the never ending calendar of responsibilities, is all another form of clutter with likely much the same stress effects.
Unfortunately, our finances, and decisions around finances, occupy some of that space. For a lot of people, it shows up in a “will there be enough in my account?” or “did I remember to pay that bill?” or “how much debt do I have now?” kind of way. This financial clutter is adding to the levels of stress and burnout that we feel.
It might be challenging to navigate all the clutter that exists in your life, but by getting really clear on what exists in your financial world, you can reduce at least this one form of clutter from taking up any brain space and keep that area tidy.
To get more clarity in this area, write down a list of all your recurring expenses; keep track of big things like your insurance carriers, utility providers, and where you make mortgage payments; write down your checking, savings, and investment accounts and their balances. Get everything related to your finances on paper so that you can have a clean slate to look at it. You’ll not only remove stress from your life, but you’ll also have an opportunity to see your finances differently - neatly, cleanly, and with room for creativity to approach them meaningfully. There are a few added benefits to this, as well. If something were to happen to you, you’ve made things a lot better for your loved ones. And, if you manage your finances with another person, this is a great opportunity to get on the same page, literally.
You may find, after you’ve tidied your financial information, you have more things on paper than you want. For example, you might have more subscriptions and memberships than you knew. Or, perhaps, you have some old bank accounts that you can ditch and consolidate into one you enjoy using. By tidying the mess first, you’ll be able to decide what you want to keep and what you want to toss.
I’ve made a free resource for you. The Essential Financial Clarity Guide is exactly what you need to keep your financial life in order and take the clutter from your brain and simplify it on paper. Set aside just one hour, print it out, write down all your information, and store it somewhere safe. You’ll have immediate relief knowing where everything is and you’ll get insight into what your financial picture looks like.