My Own Journey: Clear & Keep

I’ve always struggled with setting priorities. Jim, ever the pragmatist, would remind me, “If everything’s important, then nothing is important,” and “Perfection is the enemy of good enough.” And I, ever the overachiever, would nod along while secretly thinking, “Yeah, but what if I just try a little harder?”

Turns out, Jim was right. (Don’t tell him I said that.) What I didn’t realize then—and still have to remind myself of now—is how easy it is to get stuck in a cycle of doing instead of deciding. I used to think prioritization meant figuring out how to do everything as efficiently as possible. Now I understand it’s about choosing what actually deserves my time in the first place.

Retirement made this even trickier. With no set schedule, the days stretched out before me like a blank page—full of possibility, but also full of distractions. It’s shockingly easy to spend an entire day feeling busy without actually accomplishing anything meaningful. That’s where the “Clear & Keep” Method came in—a simple tool that forces me to sort out what’s urgent, what’s important, and what I can (gasp) let go of entirely. You’ll find more on that later in this chapter, along with other strategies for sharpening focus, managing mental energy, and making space for what really matters.

And that’s the thing about mental well-being—it’s not about doing more, it’s about doing what matters. So, what’s one shift you could make today to bring more clarity or purpose into your mental space? The next few pages will help you distill where to focus, how to declutter your thinking, and how to keep your mind engaged and thriving. The good news? You’re in the driver’s seat.