01.29.23
Clarity Matters: Start the New Year Right
Leslee Hill, Director, WEOC WBC at NIIC
Photo by Jonas Svidras on Pexels
Think about a time when you entered a cluttered room. Files are piled up on each other, items are topsy-turvy, and the space needs to be more tidy. It can be stressful to behold, not to mention anxiety-inducing.
But we need to note that this doesn’t only happen with physical rooms. It can also occur in our minds.
We can be overwhelmed by worry and what-ifs, clouded with indecision and lack of direction.
An article in Harvard Business Review states that people who felt overwhelmed by the clutter in their homes were more likely to procrastinate. Why? A cluttered physical space can affect our mental health. It can lead to increased anxiety and stress levels, impacting our ability to focus and complete tasks.
By using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other physiological approaches, scientists at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute proved that our brains like order. So, when we see disorganization, our minds can feel drained and our focus is reduced.
Whether physically or mentally, peace and inspiration are difficult to find in a place of clutter and debris.
What happens when we turn things around, get organized, and clean the slate?
Scientists found that participants could process information better, and their productivity increased after clearing the clutter from their work environment. Clearly, decluttering matters.
We can make an even more significant impact by making an effort to do mental clarity checks.
If you feel like there are too many thoughts circling in your mind, it pays to sort through your tasks by writing them all down so you can address them strategically.
Planning and setting your goals ahead of time gives you a clear-cut path to follow. Knowing what and when to do responsibilities can help you optimize your time. Not only that, but you also feel more in control of your schedules rather than your schedule controlling you. The more power you perceive, the less stress you will experience.
Like a clean room, our priorities are no longer intertwined. Thus, we become fully present and engaged in each moment.
As we welcome a brand-new year, starting with a fresh mental and physical slate can be powerful.
Getting organized may sound simple, but its impact is quite extraordinary.
If you haven’t yet, pursuing it as we begin the year can be an effective timeline. Classified under temporal landmarks, the beginning of a day, week, month, or year signals the start of a new time period. Ever wonder why people have a stronger urge to pursue a more ambitious goal or start over again during those times? It is because those markers structure our perception of time and generate “fresh start” feelings that motivate aspirational behavior. They highlight the possibility of doing away from our past state to pursue a brand new one.
As we turn the page on a new year, may you feel more empowered to work hard towards reaching new heights in your business. To get to anywhere else, clarity is a great starting point that will allow you to set a compelling vision. A great vision inspires action, and unwavering action gets you to where you want to go.
WEOC Women’s Business Center at NIIC is here to help you thrive. Visit our website for details.
