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Do you ever get that sinking feeling that creeps up on you in the middle of the day? That feeling of overwhelm, or maybe it's anxiety, that you have so much on your plate and you just don't know what to do next.

A couple of weeks ago one of my clients mentioned that he had a desk full of papers but he couldn't slow down to clean them up.

I realised that it was kind of like the feeling I was having about technology. I had recently invested in a new computer which in theory is awesome. But now I had spent more than 15 hours between transferring

files, loading new programs and trying to get all of my fancy "systems" to work. To top it all off, I've got this fancy Pocket PC phone that I can never seem to get working properly and a full-time affair with their technical support team is blossoming.

Clutter comes in lots of forms. On a call today, one of my clients mentioned the clutter from her friends - friends who always need her advice and ask for crazy favours. This clutter was literally causing her to feel overwhelmed and stressed, simply because of the emotional boundaries that are being pushed.

When we feel distracted by this type of clutter, we are 30 – 50 percent less effective on what matters most - completing our goals and making money. I've personally noticed that clutter in more than one area can take me down faster than a nasty strain of bird flu!

That's where Clean Sweep Day comes to the rescue. Clean Sweep Day is based on a coaching tool I received when I was in my coach training programme. It's a great little assessment that points out the areas in which you may be causing clutter in your life with incomplete tasks, energy drains, and the overwhelming "shoulds".

Block out some hours
A Clean Sweep Day is when you block out a day (or even four hours will do) where you have absolutely no commitments or distractions and you power through all the projects, incomplete tasks and nagging to-do's that are preventing you from performing at 100 percent.

Back to my technology breakdown. Of course, being a coach, I recognise the early warning signs of an overwhelm melt-down and decided to face this challenge head on. So I scheduled an entire WEEK to being a Clean Sweep Week. Yes, I had clients and meetings. But I scheduled three big blocks of time in my calendar, got out my trusty to-do list, prioritized everything that had to get done, and I powered through it.

The most exciting part of all wasn't even that I got so much done; it was how much better I felt at the end of the week. I felt like a super-star!!!

My mind was clear, I had so much energy and my mood was 10 times better. By simply getting some things wrapped up, I created more energy to get the bigger tasks done.

Now it's your turn. I invite you to join in a Clean Sweep Challenge Day. Here is what you need to do. First, take a quick inventory of what needs to be done. Look for things like this: