Lost... in thought

Do you ever have so much on your mind that you cannot think straight?

On Saturday night, I crawled into bed and then remembered the laundry in the washer. I tried unsuccessfully to convince my husband to get out of bed and put the clothes in the dryer. I did not want to get out of bed. He didn't either. I fell asleep wondering if I would need to rewash those clothes.

Sunday morning I discovered that the clothes had not been washed. They were in the washer. The soap had been added. The washer had never even been started.

I get distracted all the time.

I often walk into one room, look around and wonder why I am there. Then, I have to walk back where I came from just to retrack my thought process.

I figured out my problem. My mind is too cluttered.

Just like clutter in my home can keep me from being able to relax. My cluttered mind can keep me from being able to be productive.

I think about too many things at once.

Not long ago, I sat in a meeting unable to concentrate on the topic being discussed. It was a meeting with people discussing a subject that I really care about. I began to make a To Do list just so I wouldn't sit there obsessing about the rest of my day. I got nothing out of that meeting. I also didn't make progress on my To Do list while I sat there. I had too much on my mind and I couldn't focus on what mattered at the moment.

I have decided to declutter my mind. I know it isn't going to be easy.

I have decided I want to be present in my thoughts. I am going to focus on one thing at a time. I will gradually improve.

I want to be present in my thoughts, actively engaged in what I am doing.

The last few times I have cleaned the kitchen, I cleaned it in record time. I didn't take one thing into another room and get distracted by something in that room. I didn't jump on and off the computer as I was working. I didn't remember a phone call I needed to make and stop and get on the phone. I focused on the task of cleaning the kitchen. It was simple and quick. I felt satisfied when I was done. I didn't spend hours trying to get the kitchen clean.

I want to be present in my thoughts, attentive to those that are talking to me.

I can have so much on my mind that I don't listen. I care about those around me and I need to show them by giving them my attention. When I am distracted by my agenda or my next question, I am not listening to my spouse. When I am thinking about what I need to do next, I am not listening to my chilren. I will give my attention to the person I am listening to.

I want to be present in my thoughts, less distracted by issues that affect my emotions.

The other morning I woke up and checked my email. I read an email that frustrated me. A few minutes later my husband told me something that I disagreed with. I was extremely irritated. We had a heated discussion. We ended up working it out that day. It was a day or so later when I recognized and apologized for letting an unrelated situation affect my emotions.

I am convinced that having an overactive, burdened mind interfers with my relationships, my productivity, my common sense, and my happiness. It enables overreactions and poor decisions.

I am paying attention to my thoughts. When I recognize a distraction, I refocus my attention. I am training my mind.

This was put on my heart this week when I realized that even when I am not constantly on the go, my mind can be swirling with out-of-control activity.

I encourage you to take captive every thought (2 Corinthians 10:5).