marieclaire.com.au 45PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON IERACE/RELOAD AGENCY; GETTY IMAGES. HAIR & MAKE-UP BY NICOLE ABELA/RELOAD AGENCY
took me to shower, do hair/make-up,
walk the dog, exercise, get coffee, create
invoices – everything. The other thing
I did was make a sub-list of life admin
tasks that took less than 15 minutes to
complete (cleaning the kitchen, paying
bills, setting up an auto-filing system in
my inbox for low-priority emails); I
was then able to slot them into my days
without breaking a sweat (provided
I stuck to the 15-minute allowance).
Dividing my day into pieces meant
I didn’t have to multi-task or feel
overwhelmed. When you have a device
ticking down your mortality, suddenly
minutes become more valuable and
adorable seal pup YouTube binges
become less of a diversion.RELATIONSHIP
REBOOT
Then came the tough stuff: actually
cleaning up the mess I’ve made for
myself. My sinkhole of an inbox was
one thing (I put aside an hour every day
to tackle it ... 28,978 and counting)
but being an actual adult – with
relationships, responsibilities and a
Great Dane who relies on my care – was
another. It’s hard to hear that you’re a
workaholic with stress-fuelled anxiety
that presents as agoraphobia, because
you never leave the home-office. I know
now I had stopped caring about those
around me. So, I re-employed Knight’s
“Power of Negative Thinking”. Don’t be
a Flake, Noelle, be a Cherry Ripe!
Knight points out that relationships
are just as valuable as work and
finances, and require the same effort
and the same brutal culling when
they’re not working. Maybe you’re like
me – great intentions, but no follow-
through and a fear of commitment.
Make another list. Who gives you the
most joy and is that person getting your
time? Are you procrastinating by
mindlessly flicking through dating
apps with no intention of going any
further? Lending energy to toxic people
undeserving of your new-found passion
for lists? Guilty as charged.
So, I strategised, focused and
committed. I made a list that prioritised
people in my life: 1. Friends I’ve
neglected and would hate to lose.- Peripheries – the close-but-not-so-
close. 3. The energy vampires, Tinder
dirtbags, people who only called me
when they wanted something.
I put aside time to see each and
every one of the top tier right away,
reached out to the second and dropped
the others like hot coals. It felt good.
Positive. I had more time for the souls
that made me happier and I started to
feel more involved in life.
FALLING AT THE
FINISH LINE
Now, if you want to mess with a well-
oiled machine, toss in a match. Around
25 days into my shiny new regimen, I
was thrown a curveball in the guise of a
triple deadline and an emergency vet
bill. The lists shuddered to a halt. The
priorities splintered all over the place. I
realised that unless one has an iron-
clad mental capacity for dealing with
things that pop up, keeping it all
together is fleeting. It was a hard
lesson. I had to ask why it was
happening and come up with a solution.This part is still a huge work in
progress, but I’m currently training my
brain to meditate and put emotional
things to the side so they don’t sabotage
my day. You know, not using up all my
valuable shower thoughts on that
Tinder dirtbag I just ditched.
Getting yourself out of the mental
bunker and into “An Organised Life” is
tough, but this method of thinking in
negative gear and compartmentalising
is ridiculously simple. I could also
argue, though, that committing to any
type of organisation, be it from a life
coach or a Bunnings workshop, would
probably have a similar effect (sorry,
Mum, you were right). It feels good
to be accountable for my own shit
and while it wasn’t a magical cure, it’s
at least reduced my cycle of too-much-
to-do-too-little-time paralysis. I may
still be trying to slow down, but I’m
happy that clearing the noise has
since allowed bigger ideas and a sense
of calm to emerge.
Now, back to those 21,706
unread emails.