“Your eyes are bigger than your stomach!” my mother used to say as I piled another helping of food onto my plate. I was just a child, with no idea that this phrase would echo in my mind forever.
This isn’t just about eating more than we need. Of course, taking care of our bodies and balancing our plates is essential for our physical health. But today, I see that this expression perfectly reflects how we pile on far more responsibilities than we were ever meant to carry.
It is so common to hear people complain about a lack of time. Caught up in the hustle between home and work, they often fail to take care of themselves or to make time for those they love. I am talking about quality time. There are days when I feel so guilty about this buildup of obligations — and the countless rain checks on coffee with friends — that even my sleep takes a serious hit.
What can we do to find that balance most of us are searching for? What is the right dose of duties, responsibilities, and time to actually enjoy life while we still have our health and energy?
In her book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying,” Bronnie Ware, an Australian palliative care nurse, prompts us to reflect on the urgency of organizing our lives to live better. Based on the stories she heard from patients in their final weeks of life, the book is a major wake-up call for those of us caught on this treadmill of racing against the clock, or even for those who settle, letting days pass by without truly living them to the fullest.
In my last column, I promised to follow up on the plan “How to Master Your Workflow in Five Steps,” sharing how I’ve been managing to get back into my writing routine and health habits without feeling overwhelmed.
The secret? Slowing down your mind!
When we evaluate the weight we carry every day — the anxiety of trying to do it all — it becomes clear that we must simplify. And the first step to simplifying your routine isn’t organizing your time; it’s organizing your mind. Stress usually lives in “open loops” — those pending tasks that keep nagging at us (“I need to call so-and-so,” “I have to pay that bill,” “I can’t forget about the book”). When we try to remember everything, we can’t focus on anything, and as a result, we make more mistakes.
If the main goal is to minimize stress and anxiety, let’s start by focusing on just the first two steps of this plan: Capture and Clarify.
● Capture: This simply means getting things out of your head and putting them onto paper or into an app. Write down absolutely everything competing for your attention: tasks, ideas, worries, and appointments. Don’t rely on your memory. By emptying your mind of the clutter, you open up space to breathe and focus on the present.
● Clarify (or Process): This means looking at each captured item and deciding what it means. Does it require action? If not, toss it, save it as a reference, or put it on a “Someday/Maybe” list. If it does require action and takes less than two minutes, do it right away. I also use a five-minute rule for quick email replies, texts, or making appointments. If it takes longer than that, delegate it or schedule it for later.
By practicing this kind of filtering, we stop wasting time and energy on things that don’t matter. With a clear mind and organized tasks, we finally free up room for what truly counts: taking care of ourselves, our spirituality, and having quality time for family and friends.
I know I had overfilled my plate when my mother called me out all those years ago, and looking at my life today, I realize it is still quite full. However, by organizing my routine, I can digest it all much better, and I will certainly reap the benefits.
What about your plate? Is it overloaded, or is it organized?
