Is your Head Trash holding you back????

[Michelle Pajak-Reynolds]

Every month I attend several networking events and last week's Women in Networking (WIN) Cleveland event was one of the best local events I've attended in a while.  The monthly WIN Cleveland events are always worth the time and effort and I walk away with great new connections and tools for building all aspects of my career.

 

Entrepreneur, Lee Nielsen, Founder of The Nielsen Group, spoke about how she build her career and the challenges she had to overcome along the way.  Her talk was incredibly inspiring.  One of my biggest take-aways of her presentation was on how to overcome Head Trash.

 

Head Trash is the stinky mental garbage that clutters our minds.  It's the junky excuses we use as explanations for why we're not doing what we truly want.  You're probably already familiar with some of the most common Head Trash lines out there, such as;

 

I don't have enough time; not enough hours in the day

I don't have enough money

I'm not good enough yet

I don't know anyone who can help me

 

blah, blah, blah, whine, whine, whine....

 

Well, guess what, there's always something that will be just out of reach and one can never have too much time, too much money, too many skills, or too many connections.  

 

Lee's success in overcoming Head Trash comes from identifying and debunking it. She recommends partnering with someone you trust and who is good at holding you accountable and vice versa.  Then, both of you write down the 3 top reasons you are telling yourselves about why you're not doing what you truly want.

 

After you have your lists, spend the rest of time explaining why the Head Trash items you wrote down aren't really true and how you can go about dumping them. Is there a way you could re-prioritize or delegate some of your responsibilities?  Perhaps you have to learn how to say no and stop over committing yourself.  Maybe you need to let go of a need to control or oversee everything....etc.

 

I would go a step further and add that if it is absolutely not possible to dump some of your Head Trash, then find ways where you can use those limitations to your advantage.

 

I know from personal experience that overcoming limitations and dumping Head Trash can require certain things falling into place that are beyond our control.  However, by applying all of my creative energies into flipping those limitations into opportunities, I've been able to significantly increase my skills and accomplish equally satisfying things.

 

Good luck and thanks for reading,

Michelle

[Maureen Brusa Zappellini]

I'm constantly battling my percieved limitations. I love the term "head trash" because it's just that. AKA "stinkin thinkin" ;-) it certainly feels like a victory when I identify an obstacle that I've set against myself- and it's a thing to celebrate when those barriers become paths.

Thanks for sharing this!- ciao- M

[Michelle Pajak-Reynolds]

You're welcome. Feel free to share the link to this post with anyone you know who "needs to take out the trash" ;)

 

barriers become paths

This has been the story of my life for the past 22 months

[Maureen Brusa Zappellini]

excellent! isn't it fun? :-)

I'm going to post it on Metalsmiths Unite (Facebook)

[Michelle Pajak-Reynolds]

Go for it, btw eMERGE has a FB page too

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emerge-A-Business-Blog-for-Creative-P...

[Catherine Davies Paetz]

Excellent reminder of this challenge, Michelle. Head Trash is a problem for all of us at some point (and I could use a good "trash dumping" right about now...). Will have to look into the WIN group - sounds excellent.

[Michelle Pajak-Reynolds]

I think there's a WIN group in most major cities, so even if you're not in Cleveland you should still be able to connect with them.

[Helga van Leipsig]

Michelle,

Spot on!

It is so important to identify your real "enemy"

I am in the middle of this process and your post is a heads up in continuing on this path.

For me it is about recognizing "the power of the day". Every day again making time for my true goal.

Thanks for writing this down.

Helga

[Michelle Pajak-Reynolds]

You're welcome.  Keep us posted on your progress towards your goal.

[Sophia Georgiopoulou]

How true Michelle!

It was the unblocking of such a path by years and years of "head trash" that led me in 2004 to drop being a university professor and start doing what I really wanted to do all along and had relegated to the status of a hobby: designing and making jewelry. Was not easy but the satisfaction is immense. Now I have a few more persistent trash bags to get rid of..but these have to do with my work and I am slowly coming round to doing it.

Thank you for highlighting this issue because sometimes we are not even aware it exists!

[Michelle Pajak-Reynolds]

You're welcome.  Way to go on living your dream!!!!

[Genevieve E. Flynn]

Michelle, what timing you have!  Or maybe just the universe is putting it in my face CONSTANTLY!  I love the Maureen called it "stinkin thinkin" as that is what I call it!  And it seems alot of stinkin thinkin is going on all around!!!  I would like some input on something you suggested.  I am now in a studio without much interaction with people, and I realize that will be an adjustment that I can deal with BUT my question is if I don't have someone to collaborate with about my trash then how do I go about getting it out,on the table and deal with it?  This has always been a problem in KC as the art world is around but there isn't a group that I can go to to commiserate with.  Any thoughts?  Thanks for this discussion it came a good time for me!

[Michelle Pajak-Reynolds]

Hi Genevieve,

 

So glad you found this helpful.  I figured this topic would be great as it is spring cleaning season.  

 

As far as your question goes, I would be happy to Skype with you and help you dump your head trash.  I just "friended" you so we can email each other "offline" and set up a time to chat.