The Placemat Prioritisation Process

This is an exercise from the book Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, and it’s about how you organise your day. So if you’re someone who easily gets overwhelmed, or finds it hard to complete tasks, or to get started, or can’t sort out your priorities, then give this way a try.

The PlaceMat Process is so-called because it was first devised on the back of placemat in a restaurant. Here’s what you do:

1) Make a long list of what has to be done

2) Take another piece of paper and divide it in two. Head up the left hand side Things I Will Do Today, and the right hand side Things I Would Like the Universe To Do

3) Looking at your long list of all that has to be done, select 6/7 things from that list that you know you are definitely going to do that day.

Only put on this side things you know you really are going to do (this requires a considerable degree of honesty if you are someone who tends to think you can always do masses of things in 5 minutes).

This side of the paper will include appointments and other pre-arranged meetings; and anything else that you really need to do that day. Include at least one thing that is purely self– nurturing.

4) Everything else from your original list goes on the side marked Things I Would Like The Universe To Do.

Bear with me here — try it out, because it is amazing what happens.

What is really going on is that it helps you to focus on what is really important in that moment, and to also let go of some things that may feel like a burden. Those are the ones you are giving to the Universe.

Now here’s the really amazing thing: for some reason it often happens that things on the Universe’s side get done without you doing anything. Maybe someone contacts you, whom you’d been meaning to contact. Maybe you realise that a task that you put on that side is irrelevant in the light of some further information. Maybe someone else does one of those tasks; or they have been resolved in some other way.

Or maybe it’s because when you do this process, you’re coming from a place of inspiration, not being burdened with jobs; you’re feeling lighter in your energy because you only have a few things to be accomplished that day; and you will probably find that you have more energy as a result of this allocation of tasks. (All these have happened to me).

So The PlaceMat Process is not a to-do list, it’s more a not-to-do list! And is a process of letting go and trusting. For me, this takes practice, and it might mean that for you too. It doesn’t mean you don’t have a to-be-done list or a reminder list elsewhere for practical reasons; but rather, as one of my colleagues said:

“This process is about aligning your energy with what you want and letting go of what overwhelms you; then facing into your day from a place of alignment instead of being scattered or overwhelmed”.

The difference in the quality of your day when you are clear about what you want to achieve and when your energy is aligned with that; and when you have let go of being overwhelmed is amazing. Try it and see!