My friend Terri Cole shared this quote with me last week:

“Overwhelm is just a mountain of unmade decisions.”

Mike and I are on a plane flying to Europe for 10 days. And yet, moments ago as we awaited our boarding call, instead of deliciously anticipating the romance of touring London and Paris with the man I love, I was obsessing and stressing in rapid, repetitive succession.

Despite Mike picking me up and twirling me around, telling me that everything was going to be okay, and smothering me with kisses, I just felt freaking OVERWHELMED.

You feel me? 

How many times has your stress about everything you have to do, everything you haven’t done — and everything everyone else on your team or in your family is probably not doing but should be doing — taken you away from enjoying the present moment?

I bet it’s a lot of times.

So, the reality is that I’m taking a vacation in the middle of an extremely full time in our business.

We have a BIG event coming up in Portland, Maine, on June 15th with 10+ amazing speakers and 500+ guests.

My book launches in a few months and it’s crunch time for planning and implementing the marketing strategy.

Our team is sprouting faster than I can say “chia,” and that growth requires love, attention, and mentorship from both Mike and myself.

We just moved, are still living out of boxes, and are in the process of hiring someone to help us keep the details of our life and business running smoothly.

About 30 minutes ago whilst awaiting our flight at the beautiful Portland International Jetport, Mike reminded me that our life is probably never going to be not busy.

You know what? He’s right. And his apt statement probably applies to you, too.

Your life is probably never going to be not busy. So just decide to enjoy the fullness. (Tweet it.)

How, pray tell, does one do that?

Well, I’ll tell you what I did just now that helped me plant my tush in the present and feel better pretty much immediately.

Try these 5 ways to stop freaking out and just freaking enjoy the moment:

• Take a few deep breaths way down in your belly with your eyes closed. (I know you’ve been trying to suck in your belly all day. Just during this exercise let it all hang out. Trust me, no one is watching.)

• Write down the most immediate, finite action steps you know you need to take. This step stops your mind from constantly and obsessively reminding you of your to do’s as though you should be doing them every second of every day (for more on this concept, read David Allen’s awesome book Getting Things Done).

• Knock one or two items off the list that take less than 3 minutes each. While I was just sitting in the airport, I made a call I’d been thinking about making all day and sent off an email I’d been meaning to send for a couple days. Total time spent: about 10 minutes. Relief experienced: vast and profound.

• Get excited about how great your life is. I must give credit to Mike for this one. He said that when he feels overwhelmed he focuses on how great his life is. Then he feels better. What can you put your attention on right now that’s awesome about your life? Remember: what we put our attention on grows. Focus on the great stuff instead of the overwhelm.

• Make a decision or two. If, in fact, overwhelm is just a mountain of unmade decisions, making a few will immediately release tension. Start with one that’s not super complicated and notice how you get on a decision-making roll. Try doing this first thing in the morning while you’re still feeling minty fresh.

Instead of feeling frazzled and agitated, I’m now calmly watching the sun set over the friendly skies and listening to Tina Turner sing “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”.

And you know what? I’m getting excited about the trip.

Did I finish everything on my list before getting on the plane? Nope.

Will I ever finish everything on my list? Nope.

Will you? Nope.

Next time your mind is deep in the weeds of the project, the proposal, your marriage, moving, your job, or your life at large, do the 5 steps above and then remember:

You’re never going to get it all done. And that’s more than okay.

Thanks for listening. I feel better. I hope you do too.

Now I’m going to go enjoy Paris and I invite you to go enjoy whatever great thing you’ve got going on. (You know you’ve got something.)

Got any other good ideas for dealing with overwhelm? Write ‘em down in the comments. 

P.S. I’m doing a meet-up in London on Saturday, May 25th in Swiss Cottage at 11am. Email us if you want to join in the fun!

***Photo Credit: AlaskaTeacher on Flickr.***

Believer it or not, several people responded. I was actually quite shocked by the number of people who were up for taking a spontaneous road trip around Thanksgiving. One response struck me the most. Here’s what it said:

I just ‘liked’ you on facebook and saw that you’re looking for someone to get your car from Phoenix to Long Island. Did you find someone yet? I live in Maine and have been thinking of some kind of get away for the end of November. I may be up for it if the need is still there….

I know you can appreciate synchronicity so I wanted to share this with you. I’m writing a book about a year in my life when I traveled cross country. I’ve been slowly retracing my journey and this drive would give me the opportunity to re-drive a portion of that (I went from CA to NH), which I’ve been hoping to do within the next year.

I got full body chills reading Alissa Pashko’s email. I knew she was my girl. We had a brief phone chat to make sure neither of us was crazy and to iron out details. She booked a one-way ticket to Phoenix for Thanksgiving day, picked Zoe up from my aunt and uncles house, and went on her way.

Alissa didn’t ask me for money and she didn’t know me from Adam. She trusted me. And I trusted her to arrive back in Portland, ME a few days after Thanksgiving with her and the car in one piece. And she did. Her generosity and the generosity of the universe for connecting the two of us at the perfect moment still floors me now, a year later.

I shot an episode of Glimpse TV with Alissa, intending to share the magic of our paths crossing. I wanted to post it as a way of thanking her and also as a reminder to us all that the world is full of inherently good people. I also wanted to share the miracle of asking for someone to drive my car across the country for me and finding someone who was looking for exactly that sort of opportunity.

Sadly, when I went to edit our episode today I found that the file was lost. So instead, I’m posting Alissa and my story here today. I’m saying thank you to her a year after her generous deed.

May this post be a reminder to all of us:

It’s never too late to say thank you. (Click to tweet.)

The other day I sent over twenty thank you notes for gifts I’d received in June. Would it have been better etiquette to send them right away? You bet your bippy. But I didn’t. So, instead, I sent them this week, six months later.

Would it have been ideal to post my Glimpse TV episode with Alissa last November when the file was in tact? Probably. But instead I’m telling the story today. And I guarantee that at least one person reading this needed to hear the story today, not last year.

You can spend your time beating yourself up for not sending that wedding gift, for not writing that note, for not bringing a present to your hostess, or for not emailing your heartfelt appreciation in a timely manner.

Or you can spend your time saying thank you. There’s no such thing as a thank you coming too late. To the degree that all time is happening right now, (which I believe on some level it is) this moment is the perfect time to say thank you.

In honor of Thanksgiving in the US this week (even if you don’t live here) say thank you to someone. Do it on pretty stationary, do it in an email, do it via your blog, or do it silently to yourself. Do it even if it’s long overdue. You never know, your timing might end up being perfect for the recipient of your thank you. Tell me who you’re going to thank and how in the comments below.

And please know that I’m thankful to each and every one of you. Some of you I know, some I don’t, but I appreciate you all nonetheless. You bring a lot of goodness to my life whether you know it or not. Thank you.

The definition of financial freedom that I love is this:

You are financially free to the extent that your passive or residual income (income that you earn over and over again for work done once) is greater than your living expenses.

In order to achieve this goal we have two choices: increase our passive or residual income or decrease our living expenses.

In 2010 I drew a line in the sand for myself that my 28th year was the year I was going to truly and officially be financially free (including zero debt.) I decided to tweak both sides of the above equation to gracefully jeté over that line. I radically simplified my life AND I increased my passive and residual income.

I’ll talk about increasing passive and residual income in a future post (so be sure you’re on my list so you get it directly in your inbox) but today I’m going to talk about simplification.

I am not the first person to bring this up. There are bazillions of other writers sharing the power of cutting back and living with less in order to experience more life.

The difference is that I’m not, nor have I ever been, a minimalist. And becoming a minimalist is not something I strive for.

What I’m talking about is the spaciousness that can be created through simplicity.

Up until about two years ago it had never occurred to me to spend less money than I made. I had this erroneous belief that having abundance meant making more money and then spending it. Seriously. That’s what I thought it was about.

I had read plenty of times that we should live within our means but honestly, that brought to mind images of women wearing orthopedic shoes and ugly corduroy jumpers.

It felt limiting. It felt like deprivation. It felt down right unsexy.

But the thing is I had all this credit card debt (to the tune of about $20,000). And I also knew that I wouldn’t consider myself truly financially free until my debt was paid off, even if I was making enough residual income to cover my living expenses.

So I decided to cut financial ties that were binding me, let go of the “stuff” (physical and energetic) that was no longer serving me, and hit the road on The Freedom Tour.

One of the beautiful side effects of taking off on the road in my Prius with just what I considered to be essential was that it decreased my living expenses significantly.

For the first time in my life I was living on less than I was making and the space in my finances felt life affirming.

Giving us extra wiggle room financially births all sorts of possibilities that wouldn’t have come about while living paycheck to paycheck.

Within a few months I paid off all of my debt and was able to dramatically increase my savings. (Not to mention the fact that creating all that space brought true love to my life and a book deal.)

I was finally experiencing what living below my means was really about.

It felt elegant. It felt exhilarating. It felt ripe with potential. It felt deliciously spacious.

I didn’t use the conventional financial wisdom of looking through my expenses to see what I could cut down on. Instead, I focused on what I truly valued and added more of it while eliminating anything that was no longer lighting my heart’s fire.

I moved toward and expanded freedom, adventure. space, connection, quality time with people I love, travel, and wide open sky.

I eliminated clothes I never wore, an apartment that I no longer needed, business relationships that were keeping my partners and I small, and beliefs about my worth that were preventing me from sharing my value with the world.

Now that I’m settled in my home in Maine and no longer living on the road, I continue to stay vigilant to my version of simplicity. Do I have way more pairs of shoes than I did when I was on the road? Yes. Yet I still remain true to spending time and money on only that which brings me true value and joy.

I’ve tasted the freedom and spaciousness of spending less than I make.  And I will never go back to the cramped feeling of spending more but ultimately having less again.

When we simplify from a place of getting clear on what is critical to our fulfillment and enjoyment of life, it feels incredibly spacious and abundant. When we simplify from a place of cutting back it feels cramped and limited.

You don’t have to sell your home, get rid of all of your stuff, restructure your entire life, leave partnerships, and take off on the road to create simplicity. (Though I highly recommend it if it sounds like fun to you.)

Instead, ask yourself the following questions:

What do I truly love?
What do I crave?
What am I doing when I feel I’m at my best?
How can I bring more of the above into my life?
What is no longer serving me that I can release?

Abundance lies in simplification. (Click to tweet.) Give yourself permission to take a leap towards what you want and release what you don’t want along the way. Then relish the space you create.

to stay at that job that sucks our soul

to stay with that person who doesn’t bring out our best

to stay on the couch instead of taking a walk

to stay exactly where we are.

Part of my creation of and embarkation upon The Freedom Tour was a conscious move toward simplicity. I sold an apartment, got rid of two-thirds of my belongings, and decided to be homeless indefinitely. I bought a Prius, filled it with the stuff I thought I would really need, and then threw in a few extra pairs of shoes, a sunny outlook, and an open heart. Then I said goodbye to life as I knew it.

There’s a feeling of fullness that comes from letting go that can’t be replicated in any other way. (Click to Tweet)

What I got from cultivating simplicity via releasing what no longer served me (books, clothing, a home, a city, business agreements, and some psychic contracts) was a lot of space for what did serve me.

I’ve heard it told that nature abhors a vacuum. First you must be willing to let go of what’s no longer working in your life (physical, spiritual, emotional, whatever, what have you.) Then most of the time you’ve actually got to let go of it. (And no, breaking up with your dead-beat boyfriend and then texting him for late night sleepovers does not count as letting go.)

And then this beautiful thing happens. You sit with the discomfort of the empty space (be it a cupboard, a slot in your schedule, or a place in your heart.) You get your chakras all spinning in the right direction. You get your vibration running on high.

Then the universe, God, Goddess, the Divine, all that there is, the great beyondananda, or whatever you want to call it brings you something better. Often way better than anything you could have imagined in your wildest dreams.

When I did all of my letting go in early 2011, I sat in my empty apartment and sobbed the night I left New York. The vacuum felt pretty painful at first. As each person left my apartment, holding something of mine that I’d let go of, I felt a bit panicked. What if I end up needing that thing that I’ve just given away?

I of course followed my fear of needing that thing that was walking out the door all the way to its inevitable end-point:

What if I’m making a huge mistake and my life is over? What have I done?

And thinking that thought felt extremely painful. So I reminded myself that not only was my stuff in very good friends with all of my loved ones, but I could come back to New York City any time and pick up right where I left off.

Surrendering to the great unknown of emptiness freaked me out. And it made me feel free. And in that freedom and open space I manifested great love with a man I adore, a much deeper connection to my worth, a trust in my voice I’d never found before, more money, a book deal, and a life I’m in love with.

Remember, nature abhors a vacuum. The emptiness will be filled with great if you’re willing to give up crappy, ho-hum, or even good. The sheer act of releasing something that no longer serves you is a giant message that you know you’re worth more. It’s like a smoke signal of your divine value.

A year and a half after starting The Freedom Tour on February 2, 2011 I’m probably due for a new vacuum. I’ll begin with my t-shirt drawer and shoes and see where it goes from there. The great thing about letting go is that you can start anywhere.

Vacuums are transferable. If you want to attract more clients, try cleaning out your sock drawer. If you’re looking to increase your income, see if you can create some extra space in your garage.

Let something go. Even if it’s little. Create a vacuum. Send that smoke signal declaring your divine worth out to the ether. Sit with the emptiness and feel what that feels like. And then relish the beauty that manifests as nature fills that vacuum with goodies.

And please report back.

Danielle LaPorte speaking at the World Domination Summit.

I just returned from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. (Despite my home town often being referred to as the “other” Portland, the Oregonians named their fair city after us.) I very enthusiastically attended the World Domination Summit (WDS), author and traveler Chris Guillebeau’s annual conference for bloggers, travelers, change-makers, and others who dub themselves non-conformists. It was a festival of the unconventional.

Here’s what I love about this gathering: its a community where being uncool (aka 100% yourself) is applauded. There were some freak flags flying this weekend and it was breathtaking and life-enhancing.

I sat this morning attempting to write a post digesting the weekend’s events and take-aways, but I find myself at a loss. So much inspiration, so little time.

So instead, I’m sharing the profound words with you via poignant quotes from WDS. And guess what – they’re all Tweet-ready! Just click the quote to Tweet:

The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you say to someone when you’re being uncool. ~Almost Famous via Brené Brown

“The number one barrier to belonging is fitting in.” ~ Brené Brown

“Who you are will always trump who you think people want you to be.” Brené Brown

“Unused creativity is not benign.” ~Brené Brown

“Cool is mostly about self-protection.” ~Brené Brown

“I’m going deeper, not wider.” ~Danielle Vieth in reference to spending most of her WDS time with people she already knew instead of branching out. I did the same and felt guilty about it until she beautifully articulated what we were doing.

“The opposite of fear is not courage or bravery. It’s surrender.” ~Chris Brogan

“The more willing you are to look dumb, the better you look.” ~Chris Brogan

“You will succeed the weirder you get.” ~Chris Brogan

“Whenever your friends and family tell you what you’re doing is crazy, you know it’s good.” ~Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott of UncorneredMarket.com

“Personal accomplishment = great. Shared accomplishment = sublime.” ~ Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott of UncorneredMarket.com

“Love scales.” ~Danielle LaPorte

“There’s a time and purpose for being lost. If you don’t judge the being lost you get through it sooner.” ~Danielle LaPorte

“Your desires will very often be contradictory and so will your strengths. All of our contradictions make us whole.” ~Danielle LaPorte

“You don’t need to be burned out to go on hiatus.” ~Danielle LaPorte

“I don’t have it all. I have what I want. I have my version of it all.” ~Danielle LaPorte

“I would rather get out of the game than stay in the game to change the game.” ~Danielle LaPorte

“Nobody can tell your story the way you can tell your story.” ~Danielle LaPorte

“Keep your eyes on your own paper.” ~Nicole Antoinette, a new and enthusiastic long-distance runner

“Big sexy dreams are accomplished one very unsexy step at a time.” ~Nicole Antoinette

“There’s no cap on the amount of success that’s possible in the world.” ~Nicole Antoinette

So there you have it. WDS in one-liners. Have an unconventional day.