My brain works in layers. I have so many thoughts at once. It’s difficult to finish a sentence sometimes, let alone complete a thought.
It seems like I worry about a lot of things all at once too. And I have so many things to say, how do I write this long thought concisely?
I have all of this brain clutter (and more) rattling around and then I wonder why it’s so hard for me to start creating!
Why Does it Feel So Hard to Find Start Something I Know is Important?
All of this negative self talk is nonsensical. It’s not helpful and it’s not true!
It’s so easy, (and so human) to get distracted and procrastinate when it comes to starting something new or working on things that bring up your insecurities.
Procrastination gets painted as a “discipline problem,” but it’s more like a discomfort repair strategy. When a task is triggering, your brain looks for relief fast and the brain clutter emerges. It manifests as a barrage of uncertainty, fear of judgement and the feeling that you might not do it “right”. Avoiding the task works in the moment. That’s why procrastination is often defined as delaying something you intended to do, even though you know you’ll feel worse later. And if your nervous system reads the task as a threat, even a social one, your body can slide into a defence response like fight, flight, or freeze, which makes “just sit down and work on your content” feel weirdly impossible.
What is my Brain Clutter Trying to Tell Me?
There is no hidden message in your brain clutter. It is just your body’s way of protecting you from perceived fear of vulnerability and exposure.
Whether it’s a tag line, an elevator pitch, a brand story, social media post, etc. that you’re trying to perfect, you are putting yourself out there in a creative way, and it takes time to get it right.
When you’re building something, it rarely (I won’t say never) comes out in one neat sentence right off the bat. Writing is rewriting, as my grade 12 creative writing teachers, Mrs. Minov used to say, and that means that it takes time to find your message. That was in the ’90s, when experimenting and putting yourself out there took a lot more time and effort.
These days we have the luxury of social media and so many creative tools at our disposal. It’s okay to experiment publicly, make mistakes and put yourself out there while you’re still figuring things out, especially in an era where people deeply crave authenticity. You get as many chances as you want to get it “right” and you get rewarded by the social media algorithms if you post often and experiment. This gives us a tremendous opportunity to move through things faster and learn as we go.
Remember: Practice makes progress.
How to Break Through the Brain Clutter
If you’re reading this, I know there is a big part of you that believes in yourself and knows you have a message to share. So how do you stop the brain clutter and get to work on achieving your dreams? Here are a few things that work for me:
1. The Just Five Minutes Rule
This odd little productivity hack is so simple. All you do is set your timer and commit to working on the project you’ve been delaying for five minutes. That little bit of momentum is often the push you need to move the needle and at the end of five minutes you find yourself in a nice little flow state to continue creating. You can read more about it here.
2. Break Down Your Goals into Achievable Steps
If you like to make lists, break down your action items. As far as action items go, writing a first paragraph feels much lighter than writing a first chapter, doesn’t it? As does, taking “create a content calendar” and turning it into “brainstorm” and make a list of 10 ideas for content themes that I can use over the next month. AI is a great resource for this.
3. Keep it Simple and Focus on the Things You Do Best (to Start)
If you’re a writer, don’t start with videos. If you’re a photographer, don’t start with writing. There are so many places on the internet to share content, so why try to fit a square peg into a round hole? Once you get comfortable putting yourself out there, then you can experiment with other formats and find new ways to share your gifts with the world.
4. Accountability Groups and Partners in Believing
There is nothing like a little accountability and support to build momentum.
Accountability, consistency, repetition and positivity can get you through difficult moments and keep you on track. Find someone going through the same thing you are and start an accountability group. This has worked wonders for me. It used to take me 5 hours a week to write a blog or other big pieces of content. My writers group meets every Tuesday from 3pm – 5pm, and in that short span I’m able to complete an entire blog. It’s wonderful (I’m writing this from my writers group right now)!
I actually host a personal branding accountability group called Momentum Collective every Monday. If you’re interested you can learn more HERE or sign up HERE (it’s free)!
5. Trust in Your Vision and Know That Clarity Will Come
When you catch yourself sliding into self doubt and negativity, give your head a little shake and say (out loud or in your head) “I’ve got this”. Someone told me looking in the mirror and saying “you’ve got this” is even more impactful, but either way, try to stop the pattern of self doubt. Replace the negative thought with something positive. Think about where you’re headed and watch the magic happen!
And while it might feel messy at first, I promise you that it’s actually momentum disguised as messiness. The only way out is through, so you have to start and then keep going to actually make it through.
So, if it’s not already obvious. I believe in you!
I know you can take the steps to finding your message and creating a personal brand, but if you need help, consider signing up for my FREE accountability group on Mondays or trying out a clarity coaching session to help you move through this stage with calm, confident ease.