Sometimes I feel like a head case.

Last weekend I felt unhinged by the vast amount of weeds popping up in our front yard. So, I organized a Sunday "weeding party" with my kids while my husband trimmed the shrubs. It wasn't easy. Well, that's not entirely true. The weeding part was a piece of cake, but getting our girls to pitch in was much more challenging.

After we finished the job, it felt wonderful to behold the results of our handiwork- tidy mulch beds, distinct flowering shrubs and an unblemished path to our front door. "Welcome to our home, dear friends!" I said a few times in my head as I imagined the summer parties we would host.

That evening, I had a deja vu moment. This drill happens at the beginning of every summer. We mobilize. We conquer the weeds. It feels fantastic. And, I make a silent vow that we will keep it up throughout the season.

And, then... BAM! Within 3 days, the weeds have taken over again and I'm quickly catapulted back to feeling overwhelmed. So, I rationalize that it's not worth it. It's too hard. What's the real harm of weeds, anyway?

So, I give up.

As I pondered the disappointing future of my spacious front yard, I decided to tweak my approach this year as the word ROUTINE entered my brain. I marked our family calendar with a recurring bi-weekly event- "Family Weeding Party."(Guests welcomed!) I know that if we do a little bit of work on an ongoing basis we will avoid reaching the point of no return. Will it be any easier to marshall the kids? Perhaps not right away, but soon enough I believe we will all connect to the power of ongoing, manageable lawn maintenance.

If my front yard, bursting with relentless and stubborn weeds, reminds you of your overwhelmed brain, think about how YOU might be able to incorporate a dose of ROUTINE into your Mind Management practice so your mental weeds do not take over. Pinpoint a specific time of day or week when you will focus on dashboarding your thoughts so you can get rid of what doesn't serve you.

You'll soon start to notice the space you are creating for a gorgeous viburnum instead of more bull thistle. Well done!