Millions of Americans admit to experiencing at least a daily dose of emotional clutter. ARE YOU ONE OF THEM? Spell SUCCESS in Your Life, a breakthrough book by national speaker Peter Colwell, will show you how to better manage your time and emotions for a more stimulating and satisfying life.

Answer TRUE or FALSE to the following scenarios:

* I have too much to do and too little time to do it.
* I often feel there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done.
* I feel guilty about not spending enough time with my loved ones.
* I often get moody or irritable, mostly for trivial reasons.
* I feel like I am constantly being pulled in a million directions.
* I never have time to just "be"; I am always "doing."
* I am easily overwhelmed by simple tasks.

If you answered TRUE to at least three of these scenarios, then you need to do some emotional "de-cluttering." Here are some ways to do just that:

1) Say "No" more than you say "Yes."

Often, it seems like we're programmed to please other people and to place their priorities ahead of our own. Does this sound like something you typically find yourself doing? When we consistently put other people's needs ahead of our own, our lives get out of sync. We become overwhelmed with the little details, fatigued at the end of the day, and prone to a multitude of potentially harmful health problems. You can solve this problem by learning to say "no" more than you say "yes" to obligations and commitments.

Declining people's requests may be uncomfortable at first, but after a while, you'll appreciate the extra time and energy you can devote to your own needs.

2) Clear Your Calendar.

Every once in a while, it's a good idea to erase everything on your calendar for a few days (unless you have a critical doctor's appointment or your kid's soccer game!). Instead, pencil in time for you to meditate, go for an afternoon jog, or take in a move at your local cinema. Then add the other items to your calendar -- but without filing it up completely. Do this as often as necessary, especially when you are feeling overwhelmed with your day-to-day schedule.

3) Reflect on What's Missing in Your Life.

The fast pace of everyday life can swallow your passion for living and drain you of the very energy you need to pursue your goals. In Take Time for Your Life (Broadway Books, 1999), professional speaker Cheryl Richardson encourages us to make self-care our No. 1 priority. She advises us to slow down from the frenetic pace of daily life and determine what essential ingredients are missing in our lives. Maybe you need to focus more on your spirituality. Maybe your physical well-being needs to become a top priority. Take the time to assess your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, whatever, they may be.

4) Get a TPO -- a Third-Party Opinion.

Sometimes we're too close to our own work and daily patterns to realize that things have gotten out of control. It's only when your best friend reaches you at the office at 9pm that you awaken to the fact that maybe you're putting in too many hours at the office. Or maybe you haven't had a decent night's sleep in months, and you find yourself nodding off at the wheel on the interstate highway. These are just a couple of the many instances in which you should ask for a TPO - a Third-Party Opinion - from someone who cares enough about you to tell it like it is. You'll thank the person for it!

5) Get off the "Ladder."

Dr. Stephen Covey, best-selling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Simon & Schuster, 1990), uses a powerful metaphor to illustrate the uncertainty and surprise many people face when they realize they've spent months, if not years, climbing up the corporate or professional "ladder," only to realize one day that their "ladder" has been leaning against the wrong wall! What they assumed would be a "pot of gold at the end of the rainbow" -- such as a corner office or a cushy executive job -- ends up instead being a life of emptiness and frustration.

Many businesspeople refer to this phenomenon as the "golden handcuffs syndrome." At any point in your climb toward success, you may want to follow in the footsteps of thousands of wise people who simply got off the ladder and followed their true passions.

**Using these five strategies, work to strike a balance among your goals -- so that you don't shortchange yourself in the pursuit of what you consider to be "success."**

Peter Colwell is the "Master of Motivation" and will help your audience manage the clutter generated by today's hectic lifestyles and achieve greater success and fulfillment at work and at home.

Ed. Note: This article was excerpted from Chapter 1 of Spell SUCCESS in Your Life by Peter Colwell (Dreams Unlimited Press, 2002). Permission is granted to reprint this material, which is copyrighted, provided that attribution is given to the author, title, and publisher.

Peter Colwell