Clearing the Clutter: Creating Space for Action and Accountability
If you have been following along, (if not check out the previous blogs) you will have explored your values and clarified your goals, not as abstract ideas, but as solid intentions, and you will have already started to implement them.
If you’ve noticed that taking action feels harder than expected, or that certain habits still slip despite the good intentions, you’re not alone. This phase is normal and it's not usually not the goal that’s the problem, but the space we try to pursue it in.
This month’s focus is on clearing the clutter, mentally and physically, so you can better create the conditions that allow your goals to happen consistently.
Change doesn’t rely solely on motivation. It needs structure, supportive routines, and accountability because even well-chosen goals struggle to thrive in the wrong environment.
What Do We Mean by “Clutter”?
In this context, clutter refers to anything — mental or physical — that takes time, energy, or attention without moving you towards where you want to be.
It isn’t about avoiding rest or downtime. In fact, rest is essential when intentional. Clutter is the default, unintentional busyness that draws focus away from purposeful action.
Examples of clutter:
Checking one “quick email” that turns into 45 minutes of distraction.
Scrolling through your phone out of habit rather than taking a short moment of real rest.
Holding multiple tasks in your head without writing them down.
Letting important tools or equipment be difficult to access (e.g. workout gear buried at the back of a cupboard).
Reacting to every small task or message instead of acting with direction.
We can’t eliminate clutter entirely, but we can minimise it to create space for what matters.
Identifying Barriers — Mental and Physical
Now that you’ve started putting your goals into practice, it's worth identifying what is actively getting in the way.
Common mental barriers:
Mental load (constant low-level thinking about tasks).
Overwhelm or decision fatigue.
Disorganisation or unclear priorities.
Tendency to fill time reacting rather than directing.
Common physical barriers:
No clear time allocated to work on the goal.
Environment not set up to encourage change.
Equipment or tools not immediately accessible.
Depending on willpower alone.
Helpful reflection questions:
“If I know what I want to do, what keeps getting in the way?”
“What do I repeatedly put off until I ‘have more time’?”
“What interrupts my plans most frequently?”
Awareness is the first step. Only then can we prevent barriers from becoming patterns.
Refine and Prioritise
Some goals may need to be refined slightly to align with the reality of your available time, energy, and current commitments. That’s not lowering standards — it’s increasing consistency.
Examples:
If energy is low and recovery is poor, adjusting your training progression (rather than trying to push through) can help long-term consistency.
If your schedule changes frequently, intentionally planning for flexibility may be more beneficial than setting rigid times that repeatedly fall through.
If you tend to commit to too many steps at once, choose one core action to progress first.
Progress doesn’t have to come from doing everything at once. It can come from focusing on what helps move you forward now, and building from there.
Clearing Mental Space — Organise, Dump, and Automate
This is a topic that could fill an entire blog itself, but here are the foundations that support change.
Brain dump technique
Holding tasks and thoughts in your head increases mental clutter. Try writing everything down — tasks, reminders, concerns — then categorise:
Action now
Schedule for later
Delegate or let go of
Not relevant
This simple practice helps move from mental tension to practical clarity.
Reduce decision fatigue
Consider automating simple daily decisions:
Wearing a default work outfit.
Having two or three “go-to” breakfast options.
Pre-planned exercise sessions or recovery routines.
Automatic reminders for key tasks.
Use systems that drive action
Find a structure that supports execution rather than just holding information.
For example:
“I input tasks directly into my digital calendar, and if something doesn’t get completed at the planned time, I drag it to a new slot rather than leaving it pending on a static list.”
The system you use needs to work for you, what works for me might not work for you, but it should help you do the task — not just be written down and forgotten about!
Reset Routines and Shape Your Environment
Your environment and schedule should work for you, not against you.
Routine resets
Look at how and when you currently work, recover, move, or plan.
Adjust timings or structure to better align with what helps you follow through, for example some people have certain times of day where they are much more likely to stick to exercise, training or studying.
Can you have a specific time to check emails, rather than constantly being interrupted by notifications?
Time blocking can be a useful way to make sure things actually happen. Rather that hoping something fits into the day, assign a specific time slot to it — like an appointment with yourself. When the time arrives, there’s no decision-making involved, the action is already scheduled. This reduces the likelihood of goals becoming “squeezed in” and helps protect progress from being overshadowed by reactive tasks.
For example, if a walk is part of your goal, rather than a vague “I must get outside at some point today,” time-block whenever is going to work best, and protect that time as much as possible.
Other practical examples of shaping your environment could be:
Making sure you have enough exercise kit and it is ready when needed.
Prepping ingredients or packing up meals ahead of time if eating well is a goal.
Placing a water bottle in sight if hydration is a challenge.
Not keeping your phone in the bedroom if night time scrolling is a problem
Small strategic changes reduce friction and increase the likelihood of taking action.
No one is saying this is easy! Competing demands from work, kids, family and so on can mean routines or day to day demands are less than ideal, but do what you can do. This is why picking realistic goals for the “right now” rather than ones we can’t meet is important. We create momentum and positivity with achieving them and moving forwards rather than guilt and negativity. That said don’t under sell what you can do either! Or give yourself easy get out excuses!
Habit Stacking — Designing Consistency
Habit stacking helps make action reliable by linking a desired behaviour to something you already do consistently.
Structure:
“After I {existing routine}, I will {new action}.”
Examples:
“After I switch the kettle on, I’ll do 30 seconds of thoracic mobility.”
“After brushing my teeth at night, I’ll do a 2-minute reflection or stretch.”
“After I have made my work morning coffee I will revisit the top priorities for the day.”
This isn’t about making habits small to be gentle — it’s about designing action so it doesn’t depend so heavily on motivation.
Accountability and Flexible Planning
Accountability helps with consistency, but must remain adaptable.
Ways to stay accountable
Set a weekly time to review progress.
Work with a professional, mentor or friend or share goals with someone supportive to help keep you showing up.
Track habits visibly (digital or on paper).
Flexible planning
Flexibility isn’t failure — it’s strategy when done with intent.
Examples:
After a hard workout, you might find you unexpectedly need two recovery days instead of one. Accepting this is not weak but sensible, and can support long-term consistency.
During phases of the menstrual cycle where energy dips you may not be as productive as you might have hoped, but knowledge of this will help you plan around accordingly.
If life unexpectedly shifts (childcare changes, work demands), reassign the time/task where possible rather than erasing the action. This might affect how many times you get something done in a week but it is important to be adaptable and not have an all or nothing approach, you are still moving forward.
You might use the 80/20 rule where you accept that you won’t be 100% perfect all of the time. This allows for spontaneity and rest when needed.
Final Thoughts — Creating Space for What Matters
You already know what you’re working toward — your values and goals are clear.
Now it’s about creating the environment that enables you to follow through.
Removing clutter, organising your space and schedule, and building in accountability does not make change restrictive — it frees up energy, attention, and time for the things that genuinely matter.
Progress isn’t always about having more determination. It’s also about having fewer distractions and clearer pathways.
Create the space. Shape the routine. Commit to the action.
