We have something truly inspiring to share with you today–an interview with our LearnDoBecome community member, Keli Gwyn!
Keli is amazing. Optimistic, action-oriented, forward-moving… She was putting all kinds of awesome comments on Facebook, on our ads for our webinar, and inside our Steps to Everyday Productivity (STEP) Mastery community. She was posting photos and sharing her story, and I thought, “I’ve got to talk to this woman!”
When she retired from her career as a writer, she was dealing with so many piles. She’d been feeling overwhelmed. She wanted to get out and unstuck. And she did! She completely transformed her life.
But when her husband’s cancer became more serious, she had to pause it all to become his full-time caregiver. Come listen in to hear how she is making things work and showing up as a hero! (Just click on the player above!)
Highlights from the Podcast
Be creative and make your system your own.
There are as many STEP Command Centrals as there are members of our community! It’s not a cookie-cutter system. Make it as elaborate or simple as you want, digital or paper. Keli made her filing system pretty, using plastic folders and a label maker.
Because the STEP system is principle-based, you can make it fit to your space, your preferences and your life. In fact, if you’re looking for a quick and simple STEP Command Central you can with resources from around your house, you can check out our recent video, Build Your STEP Command Central in an Hour!
Take a look at Keli’s STEP Command Central!
Get going. Where do you start?
Start from the top of your pile and work your way down. Don’t sort through the pile and pick out the things you want to process. (You can, however, group like items–like receipts or “things to scan,” if you’d like. Like the image below.)
Don’t put anything back in the pile. Use the 2-min rule to get quick things done right away.
You don’t need several hours of free time to make this happen! You can do this in quick 10-minute micro-bursts. If you want to lock yourself in your office or bedroom and process like a machine, you absolutely can, but it’s not necessary. Taking ten minutes here and there can a powerful method, because each paper represents a decision to be made. All it takes is a handful of papers at a time, for you to make progress towards “Paper Inbox Zero.” That’s an awesome feeling.
When life is in upheaval, trust your system.
With her husband’s cancer treatments, Keli’s ability to spend time at her Command Central went out the window. In fact, she’s still in the middle of it. Here’s what she told herself to keep from totally losing it:
Kelly, it’s going to be okay. You have a system in place. Life won’t stay this way forever. You are going to be able to get back to it…Have some faith.
She knew that because she had done it once, she could do it again. And here’s the best part. Keli thought it would take a couple of weeks to get her system up and running again. But it didn’t. Within just FOUR hours, she got it up and running! Because she took the time initially to get a foundation in place, it was much easier to get rid of the piles again.
As you take what life hands you, you too can move forward in a positive way. Maybe you feel like your wheels are spinning and you have no energy left. There is hope. You can make changes when you’re ready–in your own way and at your own speed. There is no need for shame. When you’re ready, you can embrace the tools available. It’s all about progress, not perfection.
Related Resources
Does the idea of building a STEP Command Central sound daunting? Come watch this video to learn how you can make yours today, using materials you can find around your house!
If you’ve ever ignored a pile of papers because the idea of processing everything felt overwhelming, this podcast is your lifeline. Come see examples, photos, and a step-by-step process you can replicate today!
Do you want to learn how you can get your own system in place? Come join our free training! We will teach you four simple steps you can apply TODAY to help you get out of the overwhelm. We can’t wait to share it with you!
Thank you for this podcast. I actually tackled one pile in my bedroom while listening. I tried to log in on the new page at my.learndobecome.com; it’s been SO LONG AGO– traversing numerous family crises– I can’t remember my username…
That’s great, Jeana! Thanks for being with us!! One pile at a time is the way to do it! Your username is your email address, and we have just re-sent your login details via email. 🙂 Please let us know if you have any questions as you are getting started. We look forward to hearing your success stories!
Thank you for the podcast. It is an encouragement because right now I am a fulltime self-employed writer and the sole provider for our special needs son and my husband who has stage 4 kidney cancer and beginning kidney failure. This is my reality right now every day- sick husband, a son needing 4 times the care and attention a ‘normal’ child his age does, and a full time working schedule to keep money coming in. I am new to STEP, almost one month into it. Command center is set and I’m tackling piles and clutter but it is all so overwhelming to me still with everything going on. I hope soon to have a system in place as good as yours!
Sarah Jo, I’m so sorry to hear about all you’re dealing with. Mothering two children, one of them with special needs, caring for your husband as his cancer battle wreaks havoc with his health and your family’s schedule, and working full-time as a writer to keep money in the bank is a HUGE load for one person. I feel for you, and I admire you. You’re a Hero with a capital H.
I hope you find the STEP system to be as big a help to you as it has been to me and many others. One of the many nice things about the program is that you can implement it at your own pace on your own schedule. I’m sure you don’t have much time to yourself given all that’s going on in your life, but that’s when those ten-minute microbursts make such a difference. I wish you well as you make changes that will help you take good care of your family while taking care of yourself too.
This was encouraging and helpful. I have a “rough draft” command central. It needs to be refined before I can declare it to be done. April, thank you for getting real people to share their stories.
So glad this was helpful! We LOVE hearing from our community members, and we are thrilled for you to get your STEP Command Central finished. It’s always a work in process as our lives change, but it’s soooo worth it!!