My Brain Has Too Many Tabs Open

I have reached the age where I can walk into a room with full confidence and absolutely no idea why I went in there. I can remember a random conversation from 1997, but I may still have to ask myself if I moved the laundry from the washer to the dryer. And if I am pulling out of the driveway, there is always that tiny committee meeting happening in my head asking, “Did you turn the oven off?” even when I have not touched the oven since Tuesday.

That is where I have been lately. Not confused exactly, but aware. Aware that my mind is holding a lot. Business ideas, product plans, blog topics, social media posts, caregiving thoughts, family needs, household things, passwords that apparently went into witness protection, and whatever I was supposed to pick up from the store but did not write down because I really believed I would remember. That last part is where the trouble starts. Because my brain is still wonderful, but she is no longer interested in being treated like a storage unit with unlimited space.

So over the last few weeks, I have been building systems. Not because I suddenly became a productivity expert with a color-coded life and a smug little planner. Please. I still misplace things that were just in my hand. I have just realized that I am tired of making my brain do work that a simple system could do for me. If I have to create something more than once, I need a process. If I keep trying to remember the same steps, I need a checklist. If I keep starting from scratch and then wondering why I am tired, I need to stop acting brand new and build myself a little support.

That is how I ended up creating simple behind-the-scenes systems for my creative work and Sunday Coffee Chats. Nothing fancy. Mostly guides, checklists, saved steps, and reminders that help me remember what comes next, what belongs where, and what I already decided so I do not keep rethinking the same things over and over. And let me tell you, those little systems have already started earning their keep. They help me keep moving without making every single task feel like I am inventing electricity from the couch.

The funny thing is, the help was right there. I just had to stop stumbling around in the dark long enough to turn on the flashlight. Sometimes we say we need more time when what we really need is a better way. Sometimes we say we are overwhelmed when part of the problem is that everything is living in our head with no assigned seat. And sometimes we are working harder than we need to because we have confused effort with effectiveness.

Now, I am not saying every part of life needs a binder, a spreadsheet, and a laminated emergency procedure. Some things need room to breathe. Creativity still needs space to wander, play, and surprise us. But I am learning that systems do not kill creativity. For me, they make more room for it. When I do not have to remember every tiny step, I have more energy to actually create. When I do not have to rebuild the same process every week, I can spend more time making the work better. When the path is already marked, I can enjoy the walk a little more.

And honestly, this is not just about business. It is about life. The older I get, the more I appreciate anything that keeps me from having to carry everything in my head. A grocery list is a system. A Sunday reset is a system. A folder with the right files in it is a system. Laying clothes out the night before is a system. Putting your keys in the same place every time is a system. And yes, checking the oven before you leave the house can absolutely become a system, because peace of mind is a ministry.

The practical takeaway I am carrying into this week is simple: pick one thing you keep trying to remember and turn it into a small system. Not a complicated one. Not one that requires a tutorial, three apps, and a password you will immediately forget. Just one simple support. A checklist. A template. A note. A folder. A routine. Something that helps future-you breathe a little easier.

My question for you this week is this: where are you asking your brain to carry something a simple system could hold for you?

Until next Sunday...

From my coffee cup to yours… enjoy the rest of your coffee, carry a little grace into the week, and I'll meet you back here next Sunday.

– Renee 🤍
Sunday Coffee Chats