Today’s post is one that will hopefully help you to clear your mind and improve your focus.

The simple plan I’m going to talk about is writing things down.

I have a pad of paper and a pen at the side of my computer (where I spend most of my time). When anything comes to my head, I write it down. Whether it’s something that I need to do, or a great idea that has popped into my head, I write it down. This way, I won’t forget it, and I don’t need to think about it or worry about it. For now, it’s on a piece of paper, and when I’m done with what I’m doing, I can easily look over and see whether I should do it now or not.

It is a very very simple idea, and one that goes back to what seems like the stone-age; cold, technology-less times, where people wrote things down, instead of tapping them into their phone or computer.

I have nothing against technology, to be honest, I absolutely love it, but I’ve tried using to-do lists on my phone as well as on my computer, and I don’t find them as effective.

The major problem that I found was that I had to delve into the software to find that to-do list. Using my phone as an example, I had to go into the menu, into the calendar, into the day’s menu, and then I could finally see the to-do list. It’s similar with a computer, open the software, choose the right button, and find the list.

With a piece of paper at the side of my computer, it’s right there, right now, literally, there is a pad of paper with a list of things to do about 6 inches away from me. It’s there and I’m not going to forget about, I’m not going to forget to delve deep into software to find out what I need to get done, it’s all available right in front of me.

When I’ve written things down, I know that I don’t have to think about it for the time being. I’m usually busy doing something else, and if something is on my mind, I’m not going to be able to concentrate on the task at hand. If I write it down, I know that it’s there for future reference, I can let go of the thought completely, and come back to it when I’m ready.

A pad of paper costs around $3 and will last you a long long time. It really is such a small price to pay for such a useful tool!

These are two great reasons to have an easily accessible pad of paper near you, you’ll clear your mind of clutter and never forget something again!

Try it and let me know how it goes!