Learn | Do | Become

Every single day, we’re presented with a variety of tasks that need our attention, and we’re often faced with the question, “Do I do this right now, or do I wait until tomorrow?”

There isn’t a single answer to this question, but I hope to give you some food for thought today and some encouragement to move forward on the things that matter most.

The reason I started thinking about this topic is because our daughter Alia, who is also one of the STEP Coaches here at LearnDoBecome and runs all the details behind the scenes, posted this in the LearnDoBecome Facebook group:

When I read it, I was so inspired by how 12 minutes made such a difference for her. I pictured her feeling calm and relaxed the next morning when her two little children woke up and she was jumping into her day.

But then I also had to laugh because I had a full suitcase and a backpack sitting in my closet at that very moment–left over from the night before, when Eric and I got to bed around 1am after being awake for 21 hours because flights were delayed on our way back from a trip to the east coast.

I realized that I could have unpacked everything quickly right when I got home, but I also realized that I made the right choice for myself because I was exhausted and truly needed the rest.

That got me thinking, though. How do we decide when to just dive in and get something done and when to give ourselves a break and put something off until the future?

I hope these two ideas will strengthen you today!

(1) Remember the power of a microburst.

We often put off tasks because we build them up in our minds to be enormous time sinks. Alia thought the car clean-up would take 45 minutes. It took her 12. Following her example, when I went to unpack my things the next day, I timed myself, and it took 15 minutes and 30 seconds. Even just doing ONE microburst towards a big project is fantastic because you get to see the “true size” of the project. And, of course, the 2-minute rule is amazing. If something truly takes 2 minutes or less, we just do it–we don’t write it down or put it off.

(2) Remember that deliberately putting something off for the future isn’t the same as procrastinating.

I think of procrastination as willfully refusing to do something we know we need to do because it feels overwhelming or scary. And, truly, now that I know how to identify Next Actions and organize things into my STEP System, I rarely, if ever, procrastinate.

But using our discernment and deciding to move a task to a different day or time is not procrastination. That’s wisdom. The problem, however, is that most people don’t have a system to capture those deferred tasks and bring them back at the appropriate time. That’s why a simple calendar, a Next Actions List, a Someday List, and the full STEP System matters.

Life is often really complicated. The other day, I commented to Eric that my brain was having a hard time bouncing from each responsibility we are managing. A child of ours encountered something really difficult this week, an extended family member is in deep need of support, our volunteer work in the community is growing and needs additional leadership and volunteers, we’re creating a brand-new Success Path inside the ARISE membership–with a new certificate and stickers, we’re setting up a fun Holiday Planning event inside the STEP Coaching membership, we’re transferring all of our tech resources behind the scenes to a new platform and attending a conference soon, a 5-year-old neighbor invited me to her birthday party, we’re getting ready for the neighborhood Halloween events, I’m working closely with a nutrition coach to help me reach my health goals, and we’re trying to keep up our regular routines that unite us with God, keep our home healthy and happy, and create a strong marriage. And, of course, I’m not sharing “everything” on our plates.

Your life has its own unique facets, and if we don’t have our minds organized, it can honestly feel suffocating.

But a great system–matched with personal discernment–makes a difference. Sometimes you’ll choose to just jump in and get things done quickly. Other times, you’ll realize that you need to rest or sit with a loved one who needs you or follow an impression from your Higher Power that came to your mind to do something else.

At LearnDoBecome, we’re all bout creating simple systems so we can do what matters most. We’re cheering you on as you do so and look forward to serving you now…and into the future!

Much love,

Mamita shared, “I have been doing STEP for about 4 months and I am so excited by the progress I have made. This program was a gift from my husband and it is one of my favorite things he has ever gifted me. ”

She continued, “I love my dry erase, magnetic sticky notes…. plus my laminated list of the 18 paperwork tasks I need to complete each month, which I check off with dry erase.”

Free LearnDoBecome Community Facebook Group

Alia’s Programs:

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 340]: Do It Now or Wait Until Later? appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

The community inside our STEP Coaching membership is truly amazing. They are building their STEP systems and USING them to create beautiful lives, and in today’s episode, I want to show you what that looks like. You’re going to hear how they’re completing projects, clearing piles of clutter, setting their family members up for success, and blessing the world with their goodness.

Along the way, as I share their stories, I’ve added in little suggestions, ideas, and principles you can apply to your own life TODAY. Whether you want to be a part of our STEP Coaching community (you’re invited!) or are watching from the outside for now, you can be successful at getting organized. We’re so glad you’re here with us today!

Here are the success stories shared in the podcast–plus some related links below to support you as you build, maintain, and grow with your own STEP system!

From April:

I recommitted to working my STEP system. Things got a little crazy for me and I was in survival mode. No shame; just getting restating with intention.

From Ana Maria:

Reduce a pile of papers

From Janet:

(1) Set up a weekly review tracking spreadsheet and did a weekly review!

(2) Chunked my projects that get written onto my white board (actually a function before fancy certificate frame from the Dollar tree where I turned the stock photo around to make it white LOL) into smaller sub projects that I can actually make progress on! Next win will be actually getting to cross one of them off which should be this week or next!

(3) Completed one of the projects I had chunked smaller to keep things moving. My 7 year olds school papers from last year are no longer strewn across the floor but are sorted back to the general piles he had them sorted into, and the ones to save are in a Bankers box labeled “William 6-10 years”!

From Sheryl:

(1) Grabbed my Tickler Files already made several years ago from studying David Allen and GTD…moved the 12 months to the front of “that” file cabinet…available in the kitchen for both me and hubby to access easily. Put the Saturday night tickets in the September file. Put the tickets for a tourism trip also in that file. Put other tickets for an October gig in THAT file. Put something to take to a medical appointment in the right place. Marked each of those in my well-kept Google calendar, but added (T). yay

(2) The Landing Spots are great, I found a transparent plastic box/holder to make a spot in the kitchen my husband can use for mail, “those things” around the table, etc., to get them back-to-me. It is TRANSPARENT, I can always see when there is something in there, and DEAL WITH IT! Sometimes it means I just move it to my more personal Landing Spot near my desk where I will deal with it that evening or the next morning, but more often than not, I just deal with it or toss it. It is a lovely challenge to keep it emptied.

(3) I have just started to mention that I have a big bear of a project, a Storage Unit that I want to be out of. I have been saying this for 2 1/2 years. There are reasons I have it, and reasons I have kept it, but I really “want” (but there are other values in life) to get out of it, and get everything tossed, donated, recycled, or processed properly. But it is A LOT!

Yesterday, I had a church meeting (I volunteer with a scholarship committee) and to get to and from that meeting I go right by/near that storage unit. We stop when we want to drop something off or pick something up.

Yesterday, I had scheduled in my calendar and announced to my husband that I would be stopping there after the meeting for a short while (couldn’t be too long, because we were planning to go out with friends for someone’s birthday dinner, needing to leave just over an hour later.

I stopped at The Storage Unit. I did a microburst. In 30 minutes, I had gone through 3 medium-small-ish containers of “stuff.” Papers. Books. Knick knacks. Things I had picked up at community promotional events.

I processed those into recycle paper, recycle plastic/metal/etc, garbage, donate, give to a sister-or-mom, or actually bring in to my home because it had a purpose (including being processed in my Command Central).

In that 30 minutes I also had whatever I was going to take with me in my van. When I got home I put recycle where it goes, donate where it goes (I did a donate-run this morning with that and seven other boxes lined up in my garage), etc. etc. everything in its spot.

That was inspiring, I enjoyed the birthday party;.

Today I went back to the storage unit for 2.5 hours. Got more done. Next time will probably be just a microprocessing burst, but at least I got over the threshold and found out that can be better-than-nothing.

(4) A couple things that were such a SMALL part of [at least] one of April’s early-to-me videos, yet I caught them, and caught on to them, and they make a nice difference! 1. UNTIL YOU GET USED TO THEM, (and I am NOT used to them), LABEL YOUR CUBBIES. She had a quick pic that went by with the small-kind-of-sticky notes. I did that, with Sharpie Marker, so I could SEEEE them from a couple feet away while seated at my Command Central. 2. And then, somewhere in an early video on “gathering supplies” either she or Eric or both mentioned “a label maker” and I decided I didn’t need that because my Sharpie Marker and little sticky notes work so well… but then I remembered my brother-in-law GAVE me a Nelko labelmaker and MANY refill labels for Christmas last year, I swore I would get through the learning curve in a month so he could return it to Amazon if I decided my Sharpie was enough–I didn’t get thru the learning curve, AND I didn’t get it returned, and decided there “would be a time” in my life it would work out for me. Well, this is the time. This week I started using it. And after some trial-and-error, I figured out how to make those labels come out really BOLD and LARGE (have to use 2+ labels for some things), yes, it is an app on my phone, and I learned how to make it work (ask Google for the steps that don’t seem obvious) and they look so professional on my rack-I-am-using-for-cubbies, and not only do my eyes see them, but my BRAIN sees them…and therefore I work twice as quickly when I am processing.

From Julie:

I watched the recording of the Bring Your Biggest Pile of Clutter. I had four months worth of stuff in an unprocessed Inbox. In the first 10 minute microburst, I finished a first order sort, where I identified the level 1 items, the recycling, the shredding, material for in-flight projects, and a bunch of papers that need filing (another project!). In the second microburst, I dumped the recycling in the bin and handled the shredding (quick wins!) then started processing the level 1 stuff. Not finished with level 1 yet, but the pile is sorted into smaller subcategories, and I am spending 10 minutes a day to whittle them down.

From LeAnne:

I now process my current emails daily and capture any actions. I occasionally get a few days behind if I am traveling but I catch up as soon as I get home. One problem I’ve always had was getting back to my email folders to take action (I joined STEP several years ago) . Since I’ve started the STEP coaching (one month ago) I’ve developed a system to prevent this problem and for dealing with my backlog of emails. If my daily email inbox processing and capture doesn’t take more than 5-10 minutes and I don’t have too many pressing items on my agenda for the day I proceed with another 15-20 minutes of processing/capturing or taking action, moving backward by dates in my inbox, immediate action, engage weekly and waiting email folders. For instance, stopping to take action on this STEP email by answering this question. Sometimes I can only take action and clear one or two things but other days I clear a lot of emails. To give myself a soft stopping point, I clear backward by one day if there are a lot of emails or by several days if I have only a few emails for the days I’ve reached. Or, like today, I’ve stopped to take action on an email to clear it and it took a little time, then I stop for the day. There is normally nothing level 1 urgent that I have left in any of my folders, typically it is something important to me but optional. If I can’t finish taking action on something or need to do it later, I move it into the appropriate domain in my next actions list or into my someday/maybe or incubation folders and note that I have an email saved in my email support or tickler files. Thus, I know when I will see it again. I may not know when I will do the action but I’m tracking much better. “Progress not Perfection.”

From an anonymous Coaching member:

I got my command central set up (after starting and stopping 2x in the past!), then, after hunting for something in paper piles (that haven’t become a project yet), I realized THAT was something I could put in my tickler file, ah HA! I got help with making lists on my phone on one of the coaching calls and I’m really loving having all my lists in my ‘reminders’ app on my IPhone. All my thoughts for later have somewhere to go that’s not the closest piece of paper! I also took “clear the garage” off my to do list and made it into a project which I’ve already completed a few steps for. I have a long way to go, but I’m feeling a lot more hopeful that eventually everything will get dealt with. I also appreciated that in this new version there isn’t the strong encouragement to get your whole email inbox to zero before moving on. That was a hurdle for me before! Thank you!

From Gayle:

Used step to create landscape project – w next steps and actions. And added them to my CBNAL! And scheduled them and project is now complete!! Huge win for completing a project!

From Sharon:

My husband and I are involved in organizing a work team mission trip to Peru in January – it involves members from several churches and is a big project with lots of moving parts! I have been using my Command Central to collect information and was able to easily find it and organize it for the team meeting we had last night – success!!

Our STEP Coaching page is linked here. (More details below.)

Video: Learn About the Tickler File

Video: 4 Steps to Clear Your Biggest Pile of Clutter – Workshop with April and Alia

Podcast: The Joyful Intersection of Organization and Finance

Free Emails to Zero Resource

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 339]: You’ll Love These STEPper Stories + Takeaways for YOU appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

(The message and photos from Cassie mentioned in the podcast can be found toward the bottom of this post. )

It’s common to work on hidden projects—or multi-step tasks—that lead us down frustrating roads. Projects like, “Get addicted to my phone,” “sleep-deprive my body,” or “overtax my nervous system.”

What if we instead focused on projects that are actually good for us? Truly. Projects that don’t stress us out, don’t overextend our energy, and actually leave us better off.

But it’s an art to select and focus on these projects, and today I’m sharing some ideas that can help us do just that.

Inside our ARISE membership, our October focus is “Personal Replenishment Habits to Start TODAY for a Peaceful Holiday Season and Beyond.” I decided to make “Personal Replenishment” my only Current Project in the “For Me” category this month, and I’m already feeling more relaxed.

I hope you can listen to the whole episode, but here are a few key points.

One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that everything is urgent and “everything needs me right now.” That’s all-or-nothing thinking. And while it recognizes that we can contribute to a lot of things, it ignores the fact that other people can contribute, too—and many things can wait.

When you have several things you expect yourself to get done, even if they’re good things, you might feel a sense of strain and stress on your nervous system when you’re not doing all of them.

This year, as I prioritized “Personal Replenishment,” I took some of my other personal projects off of my lists and put them into “Next in Line” projects. It’s been amazing because I’m giving myself subconscious permission to focus on fewer things.

Every project needs an outcome vision. David Allen, author of Getting Things Done®, recommends we ask ourselves, “What does ‘done’ look like?”

On a quantitative level, I could say that I want my internal battery to feel like it’s at a 9 or a 10 as I go into November.

Qualitatively, by the end of October, I would love to have a lot of our holiday decisions already made. I want to get plenty of rest. I want to be outside as much as possible. I also want to spend time journaling, processing emotions, having some conversations with Eric about the things we’re carrying, and being in a mentally healthy headspace.

I want time for music and more “leadership thinking time” around LearnDoBecome, and I want to demonstrate “extreme self-care.”

I should also mention that during the month of October, we have hundreds of our STEP community members who are building their Command Centrals.

This is such a great way to replenish because each person is going to be building a system, doing a mind sweep, learning to process, and getting all of that stuff that’s been weighing them down out of their heads and into a trusted resource that can help them for the rest of their lives.

That honestly is one of the best ways I can think of for them to replenish, because then they’re going into the holidays with clear minds.

Especially in this rapidly expanding world of A.I., we might feel like we need to be computers in order to be successful.

But there’s a very important human element that we need to incorporate into our lives a bit more.

A computer doesn’t actually know what it’s like to care deeply about someone or something—or many someones and many “somethings”—and to be so exhausted that you don’t know if you can show up in the way that’s needed.

What I love about the ARISE membership is that we come together with a peer group that will not support burnout for each other. We can call each other out when we’re trying to do too much or when we’re not being wise with our resources of time, energy, and money. We’re focusing on the things that really do matter.

At LearnDoBecome, we talk about creating systems for the things that matter most. Conversely, inside most conferences and coaching programs I’ve experienced, the focus is often on the opposite:

There is some excitement in that because you think, “Oh, I could be something amazing!”

And often, pushing yourself and feeding your anxiety can feel way better than taking a deep breath and slowing down. But it comes at a cost that most people don’t even think about: our inner peace, our relationships, and our connection with our Higher Power.

We don’t do that here.

We’re creating lives we actually love—where we, as a community, wake up excited and go to bed content.

We move at a pace that makes sense. We do beautiful work, make meaningful contributions, and build strong relationships in the process.

We know that true joy comes from doing what actually matters for the long term.

I hope that this episode has given you some ideas to think about, and I hope you’ll take this idea of “Personal Replenishment” and run with it this month!

Remember that if you want to join us LIVE inside the ARISE membership, we’ll be diving deeper into this topic together during our workshop on Tuesday, October 13th at 10 a.m. Pacific.

We’re so happy you’re here, and we’re so proud of the beautiful lives you’re creating!

Much love,

April

Cassie’s Photos & Message

For anyone interested in going through the on-demand version of our STEP Momentum accountability group, it’s available for all STEP Mastery members on the homepage of their program when they log in. Click here to learn more about STEP Mastery!

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 338]: The Art of Creating Projects that Are Good for Us appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

A few weeks ago, Eric was talking with an extended family member who has had some items sitting in a storage unit for more than 10 years. The hope was to eventually use the items or rent them out to people who could use them, but in the meantime, the storage bill has continued month after month.

As Eric drove home from working with this person and trying to find a solution, he started thinking about the financial side of the situation. The storage unit was costing around $170–$190 each month. Over 10 years, that adds up to roughly $21,000.

If the storage unit was emptied and the money was invested instead, it would have grown to $44,000 in 10 years, and to $155,000 in 20 years! Even with small things and amounts, the power of compounding is incredibly powerful!

Eric and I started talking about how impactful that example is because it isn’t really about a storage unit. It’s about all the little places where money is leaving our accounts without us stopping to ask whether it could be put to better use.

We talked about recurring subscriptions, memberships, storage costs, and other expenses that can quietly add up. When we find ways to eliminate some of those expenses, we can redirect that money toward paying down debt, building savings, or investing for the future.

I also love the connection between getting organized and getting our finances in order. Sometimes the physical clutter around us represents money that is tied up, being spent, or simply not being used as intentionally as it could be. Taking the time to process those things can create more space in our homes, more peace of mind, and potentially more room in our finances.

We don’t have to make huge changes all at once. Sometimes it’s simply about noticing one recurring expense, making one decision, and then letting those small changes compound over time.

There is power in those small financial decisions and how we can start looking for opportunities to put more of our money to work for us. We’d love to hear your thoughts/ideas in the comments!

The STEP Momentum accountability group begins with a kick-off call on Wednesday, September 30th @ 10am Pacific! The assignments to build the Command Central and go through the STEP program will begin on Monday, October 5th (Note the Sept. 30th kick-off call!)

Details about the ARISE 60-day free trial can be found here! We’re having a special financial net worth quarterly event on Wednesday, September 30th @ 6pm Pacific.

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 337]: The Joyful Intersection of Organization and Finance appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

Alia and I hosted a live “Bring Your Biggest Pile of Clutter” event focused on helping our Becomers clear a specific pile using a four-step process.

We explained how to identify a pile as a project, define what “done” looks like, determine the very next action, and use a Next Actions List to bookmark (or set a good stopping point for) the project.

Our group worked together in two 10-minute microbursts, sharing progress and celebrations in the chat, and we answered questions about breaking down large projects, the three-box method, and using the eight processing questions for both physical and digital items. (More details linked below in the “related links” section!)

We also announced that our STEP Momentum accountability group (where we go through the STEP program together and set up the Command Central in 1 month) has its kick-off call on Wednesday, September 30th @ 10am Pacific. More details here!

And we also have a fun month of STEP Coaching planned that will pair up with STEP Momentum. More details can be found here, and everyone who signs up by September 30th will receive a 4×6 inch Next Actions List notepad from LearnDoBecome!

Slide Deck

Zoom Chat

Here’s what one Becomer shared during the call:

Podcast: 3-Box Method

Podcast: 8 Processing Questions

The 10-minute nature timer we used can be found here.

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 336]: 4 Steps to Clear Your Biggest Pile of Clutter – Workshop with April and Alia appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

We asked our ARISErs what their number one pain point is when to comes to achieving financial independence, and they told us that it was all about the budgeting and tracking—just trying to be consistent.

We’ve found that if we can master these first initial steps, then everything else will be SO much easier.

In today’s podcast, Eric and I are outlining the 10 dominoes to financial independence.

As we shared each principle, I (April) took the position of someone who might feel like these ideas are too difficult to implement, and Eric and I worked together to overcome these concerns. So, if as you’re reading these 10 “dominoes” below, you’re thinking, “Yeah, but this doesn’t work for me…” then please listen to the podcast! We guarantee you’ll feel hope. And if you want to work with us to master these principles, check out the link below to start your free trial of ARISE! Okay, lets’ dive in:

1 – Dream

Dream a little and decide on some things you want.

2 – Track

Create categories and start regularly tracking your spending.

3 – Budget

Create a monthly budget (from categories), track spending, and carefully keep within it.

4 – Surplus

Use budget to create a small surplus (either increasing income or reducing expenses).

5 – Reserves

Use surplus to build an “emergency fund” and then 3-6 months reserve funds.

6 – Un-Debt

Use surplus to pay down/off credit cards, student loans, and other debt.

7 – Invest

Use surplus (and what went to debt) to begin investing in 401(k), IRA, brokerage.

8 – Un-Mortgage

Use surpluses to continue investing 15% and also paying off a home mortgage.

9 – Growth and Giving (Compound)

Use surpluses to continue investing 15%+ and giving charitably.

10 – Independence

Achieve financial independence and retire comfortably with peace of mind.

_____

We hope this podcast was helpful, and we’re so grateful that you’re here! If you join ARISE this month (September 2026), you’ll receive:

The ARISE Membership– an amazing gathering place for community members that are using their Command Centrals to refine relationships, health, finances, individual purpose, and more. We focus on a new topic each month, and this is an amazing opportunity to receive coaching and support from Team LearnDoBecome. You can sign up for a free, 60-day trial here.

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 335]: 10 Dominoes of Financial Independence appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

We have a real treat today–a beautiful, insightful interview with one of our STEPpers and ARISErs, Amanda Christensen. We’ve known Amanda for years through our programs here at LearnDoBecome, and we were always delighted and impressed with her, but it wasn’t until this interview with her that I truly realized how much she has overcome.

She posted a few photos inside our community forum featuring her recent “Command Central Clean-Up” and shared how quickly she’d been able to get things under control. When I reached out to ask if we could share her photos with the broader community, she said, “Of course! I love to shout from the rooftops how much this system means to me.” And then she added, “Did I tell you I am now the junior high school robotics coach for our school?”

Wanting to know more about how she’s created so much energy and bandwidth in the midst of a very full life, I asked if she’d ever want to come on the podcast, and she gratefully agreed–with just one day’s notice! We wanted to make this a casual, fun conversation where you could hear what her life was like before LearnDoBecome and the STEP program, what it’s like now, and what she did to make that transformation–that YOU can do, too!

This interview was so much fun to record, and even though we know you are busy–probably feeling too busy to listen to a podcast–we hope you will turn this on while you’re driving, walking, cleaning, or taking a little rest, so you can see that there is truly hope when you build a system to get yourself out of the overwhelm.

Amanda described starting the STEP program while managing a large family, business, and farm, explaining how she would constantly forget important tasks and feel overwhelmed. She explained how she completed the entire STEP program modules during a 10-12 hour road trip, and how the system helped her organize her home office, basement, and Command Central.

This allowed her to handle major life events like her father-in-law’s illness, a house struck by lightning, and switching banks. Amanda discussed how the program helped her prioritize tasks, manage digital and physical clutter, and maintain systems during stressful situations.

She emphasized the importance of starting with small steps like the “clean a drawer challenge” and using microbursts of focused time to tackle overwhelming piles, sharing that the transformation allowed her to show up for her family and business in ways she never could before.

Here are Amanda’s recent photos that she posted! And extra links are below!

Podcast: Your Multiple-Choice Perfect Day

Podcast: Clean a Drawer with This 3-Minute Technique

Podcast: Six Specific Microburst Examples (You Can Do This, Too!)

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

The ARISE Membership– an amazing gathering place for community members that are using their Command Centrals to refine relationships, health, finances, individual purpose, and more. We focus on a new topic each month, and this is an amazing opportunity to receive coaching and support from Team LearnDoBecome. You can sign up for a free, 60-day trial here.

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 334]: No Longer Drowning in Piles – Featuring Amanda Christensen appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

One of our community members posted this question recently, and I just knew we needed to address it here on the website and on our podcast, so here we go! She said:

I’m struggling with “feeling behind” every day. I want to get to the landing spots, the capture tool, the weekly review, the dinner plans, the context-based Next Actions List, the projects, the routines, etc… but I know it’s too much for each day. It’s stuff I want to do everyday so I can feel on top of it but I can’t do it all in the time I have. And when I don’t, I feel like things are falling through the cracks because my system needs me to do all the things each day. It’s a cycle of renewed motivation or a new plan to get to what matters and being exhausted and defeated after 2-3 days of it. I know I need to cut stuff out of my life but there really isn’t much I can cut right now. It’s all so purposeful and intentional and important to me or my family. Am I doing this wrong? Why do I feel like the day is stuffed full with routines and no room for real life or helping on the spot or just needing an easier day… there’s no room in my mind for that.

_______

Ahhh, okay, I can absolutely empathize with the pain here. You know you need a system to keep everything running, but “working the system” takes time you feel like you don’t have. Or even if you do have your system in place, sometimes new responsibilities or life changes can get us off balance. How do we get out of that cycle?

In this specific situation, we dug a little deeper, and we found out a few more important details:

So today I’m going to share a variety of ideas and principles that we’ve been discussing in our members’ area, and I hope that these ideas will be helpful for you, as well!

First, I want to highlight what Coach Taryn shared. Her advice is always amazing! She said:

I’d love to share a few general thoughts that we as a team see popping up frequently–along with a few things to consider as you look at how to adapt the system to you.

I know this is A LOT to think about. It can take time to find the right flow for you. I’d love to hear more about the details or answers to any of these questions. We’re cheering for you!

I love that Taryn’s recommendations stay within the framework we teach–things like having a Current Projects List, but keeping it light, still maintaining routines, but giving them a little more flexibility, and continuing to focus on things that are meaningful, but perhaps taking a simpler approach. Sharing family work, delegating tasks, and protecting even a few minutes for personal replenishment are also incredibly important. I genuinely believe that the reason I loved motherhood (for the most part!) was because I wasn’t “doing it all.” I took a daily nap, the children all helped with the housework, and Eric and I set up shared responsibilities and supported each other. Of course there were busy times, but we did our very best to create a life that was sustainable. (That often meant that I wasn’t “impressive” in many things. But I was well rested, and in hindsight, I think that was a wise decision.)

All right, now I’ll share a little more about this conversation. After reading the question posted, I had a couple of additional questions:

(1) How big are your routine projects, like birthdays, holidays, and gardening? I am wondering if perhaps you could simplify? Our garden, for example, has sat barren for a few years because it needs a lot of bandwidth to start it—and then the food processing in the fall is also a big set of projects, and we have had other things needing us. We want to garden, but we are giving ourselves some time. One year we JUST did tomatoes. And for birthdays, we have 4 traditions we do for each person that are very simple and take minimal prep, which is super helpful because 4 of us are within a 5-week period of time.

(2) Can you give me an example of a project you are putting off because you don’t have time? And can you tell me what the very next 10 minute next action is for that specific project?

In summary, here’s what she said:

Here was my response:

I hope as you wrote all that out that you can see how much you are doing and how many people you are supporting! From my perspective, you are in a very busy season, and I would not suggest a “For Me” project that feels like one more thing. I would suggest more rest, lists as short as you can make them, and as much calm as you can possibly create. I would also prioritize any projects that will make every month going forward easier. And I would involve the family in an “all hands on deck” kind of thing. Tell me if I am not seeing the whole picture, but I would guess you are being INCREDIBLY strong for everyone else, but your mind and body would deeply appreciate a break. But you feel like you can’t take that break because you are living in accordance with such beautiful values that you are hoping that you can do it all somehow. Push back on me here if you disagree. I am just trying to lovingly prevent you from burning out, as I see a lot of myself in your story. You are clearly capable, but sometimes that can actually be the problem because you may find yourself pushing to your limit and overriding the body’s signals to slow down. (At least, that was what I did…) There is a great way forward, but it usually includes cutting things down to about 50%, getting your systems locked in, and then growing from there.

Sometimes I hesitate to go into these bigger life topics because I never want someone to feel criticized for their big goals and full schedules. It’s just that I’ve paid the price of doing too much, and I hope I can save others that same angst.

This was her response:

YES… I feel like you are saying things I haven’t found words for yet!

But April… you say cut back 50% and I immediately want to cry. The thought of what will fall through the cracks. The thought that there’s so little of what I’m doing that feels negotiable. Maybe I’m not seeing it clearly but everything feels so needed. But I do feel like I’m exhausted and nervous that I’m missing something ALL the time. Or if I feel like I’m on top of it for a day or two, I feel nervous for when it will fall apart because I know it’s not sustainable to be jumping from one thing to the next thing to the next thing and every single minute of the day is crammed and filled with routines I feel need to happen. And the time I allot is only enough of a taste of each thing so I never feel like I can enjoy doing it at a normal humanly pace. Just saying this all out loud makes me realize how ridiculous it all is…yet I just keep doing it cause so much is dependent on my actions!

That honesty is GOLD right there. Have you felt similarly? Maybe you are in that spot right now–or you have been in the past. I am so grateful she was willing to open her heart.

This was my response:

Ahhh, I can TOTALLY relate. When I was living in that state—even after STEP, while our business was growing and I was trying to be all things for all people, I couldn’t let anything go, so I just lived with rashes all over my body and meltdowns every few days… I finally had to make changes because my body started shutting down, but I am hopeful you can learn from my experience. STEP is going to help, but only if you don’t “overfeed the machine.” Wisdom and order has to be part of it. I have a podcast about 7 Rules I had to replace that may help with some of the mindset things. Also, in hindsight, I would have had the hard conversations earlier–with Eric, our children, business associates… It became natural for me to put my own health last so everyone else could thrive. I finally learned that I could simplify, delegate, kindly say no, and even forgo whole projects and the world didn’t come to an end. I will say that my “output” decreased when I started showing myself respect and caring more about my nervous system, but I became SO MUCH HAPPIER, and ultimately my family could feel it, and I have been rebuilding a new life from there that isn’t dependent on “April being the martyr.” Therapy and journaling was helpful, as well. No one was ever TRYING to make me sick, but unless we speak up and say, “Hey, I’m serious. This isn’t working, and I need to set some new boundaries,” no one will ever know. The things that really matter won’t drop. There is room for what really matters. It’s teaching ourselves how to let that wiser version of us lead and tell the fearful, anxiety-filled part of us that it’s okay to step back. You are being brave even having this conversation with me. It’s the easiest thing in the world to just keep going, but it takes bravery to change. But I promise it’s worth it. My podcast with Raelan Agle talks about this too. You don’t have to turn it all off tomorrow, but it’s about changing your identity from Achiever to Becomer… Super counter-cultural, but I believe it’s the key to actually enjoying your life. Sending lots of love!!!

Then she said:

Wow. I just listened to your podcast about 7 rules. THANK YOU for recording that. Your last few messages and that episode felt SO relatable.

So I guess my question is how do I move forward from here? You said something about having margins in the day for unexpected needs and people. YES. I want this.

I’ve done a few months of therapy that has helped and was good. And journaling is a HUGE therapeutic exercise for me. Is there something in particular you do to journal and get good info out of yourself or just a place you let it all out?

You talk about having hard convos and setting new boundaries… but I feel lost of what I even need to talk about or what sort of boundaries are even important that I’m not setting yet…

And maybe this is work I need to sort out and dig deep to find for myself rather than ask you for all the answers! But you do have some wisdom to share!

I will listen to the second podcast with Raelen too.

Any advice on where to go from there? I feel paralyzed and unsure how to get to this place. Where to even start.

Thank you again for your encouragement and time with me. It’s been such a gift

My final advice was this:

I’m so glad it was helpful for you! I don’t know what exactly is on your plate or how far you are in STEP, but I would suggest going through the whole STEP program and completing each module. This needs to be a priority so everything will be out of your head and you can prioritize your projects. But here’s the caveat: when you are making your lists—like your Routines List, Current Projects List, and Next Actions List, especially–when you look at them, they can’t make your stomach hurt. They need to feel open and doable. Same with your calendar. If they are stuffed, then THAT is your job. Unstuff them. Maybe even sit down with your husband or a friend (or if you are in STEP Coaching, a coach can support you), or post them here in the group. But you want to logically explain to your brain that your current expectations are too much, and you need to simplify. You might be able to push some things off into Someday or Next in Line, but keeping a list that no healthy human can accomplish is not success. This is life-saving work because the stress can and will build up. You get to be the architect of your life. Some of this will be leadership—putting children in charge. Some of this will be humbling (you won’t show up as fancy). Some of this may dig up anger deep inside you because you are likely carrying resentment towards the people who put a lot on you—even though you never told them how you were feeling. (I am taking a lot of liberties here, so please forgive me if I am overstepping. But I am also writing this for others who may read this…) You’ll have to mourn the old you, but the new you will be SOOOO happy. I journal lots of “old me” and “new me” parallels. I know I am properly aligned with God when my days are full of good things, but I have plenty of energy, flexibility, and choices. I work hard and I manage a lot, but I get plenty of rest, too. It’s that balance of branches and roots, right? You might start with basic home routines as your projects or a big home decluttering. I always felt better when the house was managed and the counters were clear, and then I would sit at my desk and process everything into my Command Central. Then I would look at my life and identify the next biggest project that would alleviate pain. It was just that—consistent weekly reviews, consistent system-building. Every time you build a new system (for disciplining children, for strengthening your marriage, for getting more rest), the next month is easier. And the next month. They build on each other. Once you get your system built, I think you would love ARISE because that’s where we talk about how to actually architect your life. It’s not just about productivity and moving faster. It’s doing the right things. If you aren’t waking up excited and going to bed content, doing more of the same things won’t get you there. It’s about shifting to being in the driver’s seat. You are going to change the culture of your family so EVERYONE thrives, including you. I did a podcast about 2-way journaling that might be helpful, as well. And we did a podcast with Mike Christensen where he worked with Natalie on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that was awesome, too. It doesn’t happen all at once, but I would say the STEP Command Central and then ARISE will get you there!

Even as I’ve been preparing this episode, I’ve been thinking about how important these ideas are in supporting our peace of mind. The fact is that life consistently changes. New challenges and opportunities arise, our bodies and minds get older, our needs and those of our loved ones change, and the world around us shifts.

And sometimes, even though I’m “organized,” I take on more than I have the bandwidth to do, or I make things harder than they need to be, and I also feel like I’m falling behind. In cases like that, the reminders to simplify, to whittle down my lists, to communicate my needs, and to clarify expectations with those I’m trying to support actually make a big impact.

In the midst of it all, though, I encourage us to remember the reasons we’re doing all of this–especially why we’re doing the family work.

A friend of mine has been in the hospital with her son for the past three weeks (at the time I’m writing this). He was in a tragic accident, which led to a medically-induced coma – and now to intense therapy as he heals. Through all of this, she’s been by his bed each day, supporting him and encouraging him and walking through each and every step with him. In a text I sent to her the other day, I shared an experience I had with my mom when I was in the hospital after a difficult surgery in 2009. Eric was home with our children, and I called her early one morning from my hospital bed after a painful, fitful night and said, “Mom, I need you.” She drove to the hospital right away and just sat at the end of my bed the entire day. Every time I opened my eyes, I would see her there, and I would feel this amazing sense of calm. She helped me walk to the restroom, she made sure the nurses were giving me enough pain medication, and she told me over and over again, “If I could take this pain for you, I would.” I knew she meant it.

That is the kind of love and purpose I want to create with my life. I want to build relationships and be there for my people. I want to do those things that only I can do. I want to feel connected and create moments that will actually mean something.

There are lots of things to manage, and there’s an infinite number of things that can fill our time. The whole reason I want you to build a STEP System is so you can clear the clutter and excess from your life, easily get the necessary things done, and ultimately be available to do the things that matter most.

I know your life is complicated. And I know you are sincerely doing your best with the resources you have. I hope that, here at LearnDoBecome, we can provide relief from the overwhelm that you are craving. And I hope you know how much your goodness means to the world.

Much love,

Community Highlight:

Lori shared these amazing pictures and wrote, “It’s very vulnerable posting this. Clearly you can see the before and after. Sometimes you don’t realize how bad something looks. I’m really proud of myself, my husband and my son. We worked very hard to improve our home.”

Wins from Our STEP Coaching Members:

Podcast: 7 “Rules” I Need to Replace

Podcast: Permission to Slow Down – with Raelan Agle

Podcast: “I’m Busy, Exhausted, and Stuck with a Long List. How Do I NOT Feel Like a Failure?” — ARISE Member Training with Mike Christensen

Podcast: Beautiful Experiences with the “Two-Way Journal”

Podcast: Creating an Energy Map to Uplevel Your Routines

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

The ARISE Membership– an amazing gathering place for community members that are using their Command Centrals to refine relationships, health, finances, individual purpose, and more. We focus on a new topic each month, and this is an amazing opportunity to receive coaching and support from Team LearnDoBecome. You can sign up for a free, 60-day trial here.

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 333]: “I Can’t Get to It All, and I’m Falling Behind” When Your System Feels Like One More Thing to Manage appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

Here at LearnDoBecome, we constantly talk about systems. In fact, our mission statement shares that “We help people who are overwhelmed by the details of life to create simple systems so they can do what matters most.”

As we’ve gone deeper into systems, however, several people have asked, “What’s the difference between a system and a routine?” The reason this matters is because both systems and routines can reduce the friction in your life, and when you learn how they work together, it’s a game changer.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

BOTH Systems and Routines

Systems UNIQUELY

Routines UNIQUELY

This isn’t the only way to look at systems and routines, and I’m sure there are situations where my definitions won’t exactly fit, but let’s look at some examples, and then I’ll share what I suggest you actually DO with this information, if you want to create more calm in your life.

Examples of Systems

Examples of Routines

We have a lot written about routines all over the website, so I won’t go too deep into these, but routines are single-step or multiple-step things that we personally and regularly do. I organize mine into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.

Some routines are specific to a day and time (like my Friday @ 9:30am meeting with Eric).

Some routines are flexible–like my weekly podcast. I could batch record once a month or record on a random day of the week, or skip recording altogether if I need a break.

And some routines can also be systems. (I do have a system that goes with the podcast, for example.)

But routines aren’t always systems. You’ll notice that “turning off the porch lights” is a single step. Yes, it’s connected to the home’s lighting system, I just think of it as a routine.

So What Do We Do With This Information?

The reason I think systems are so fun is because they can reduce some parts of our workload, thereby freeing up time and energy to truly do what matters most. Of course, some things should always keep their human touch. That’s where our unique ability to discern comes into play. But life, in general, simply doesn’t feel overwhelming when optimal systems are supporting me.

If you’re thinking, “I’d love a few more systems in my life!” then here are a few ways to get started:

Here Are a Few Recent Systems I’m Loving:

Systems Require Some Effort, But They’re Worth It

We asked our ARISE community how they would feel if each pain point had an optimal, supportive system in place that actually worked for their unique situation. Here’s what they said:

I know sometimes life can feel too busy, and “systems” can feel complicated or like they’ll be just one more thing to manage.

But I promise that when you learn how to create simple systems to support you, you will have the bandwidth to do what matters most.

A Few Community Highlights:

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

The ARISE Membership– an amazing gathering place for community members that are using their Command Centrals to refine relationships, health, finances, individual purpose, and more. We focus on a new topic each month, and this is an amazing opportunity to receive coaching and support from Team LearnDoBecome. You can sign up for a free, 60-day trial here.

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 332]: Systems vs. Routines: The Difference and Why It Matters appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.

Have you ever made a decision that kind of backfired? Or are you currently sorting through piles of stuff you wish you’d never accumulated to begin with? (We have, too!)

Eric recently read a great essay by Benjamin Franklin called “The Whistle,” which references a story from Franklin’s boyhood when he purchased a whistle, but at several times its worth. The essay goes on to share a variety of circumstances where people made decisions that ended up costing them too much money, time, energy, etc.

In today’s podcast, we’re sharing how this story and the question, “Am I paying too much for this whistle?” has helped us with decisions around the physical items we keep in our home, how complicated (or not) we allow our professional work to get, and even how we spend our free time.

Here at LearnDoBecome, whether you’re getting organized with our STEP program or ARISE-ing with us in the ARISE community, you’ll find that wise, long-term decision making is a core skill we’re all working to master.

Our hope is that you’ll enjoy this episode and share some of your own experiences and ideas sparked by this conversation.

The full text of “The Whistle” and a community conversation around it is inside our LearnDoBecome Free Facebook group here!

Brand new? Get the LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!

The ARISE Membership– an amazing gathering place for community members that are using their Command Centrals to refine relationships, health, finances, individual purpose, and more. We focus on a new topic each month, and this is an amazing opportunity to receive coaching and support from Team LearnDoBecome. You can sign up for a free, 60-day trial here.

Free Training, How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!

Our STEP Coaching membership is available to everyone at LearnDoBecome! With our STEP Coaching resources,

We’d love to see you there!

The post [PODCAST 331]: Are You Paying Too Much for “the Whistle”? A Ben Franklin Lesson on Clutter and Costly Choices appeared first on Learn | Do | Become.