Engage Your Subconscious Crew

This is part of Stewie's Guide to Ruthlessly Declutter Your Clothes Today.

Have you ever thought learning something new would be easy—only to discover, once you started, that it was anything but?

I’ve been there more times than I can count.

Like the time I decided to learn Russian, convinced I’d be conversational in no time. (Spoiler: I wasn’t.) Or the many times I’ve tackled a new programming language, only to feel like I was staring at a foreign codebase written in an alien dialect.

And then there’s writing—something I thought would come naturally, only to realize that good writing isn’t just about getting words onto a page. It’s about rewriting, revising, and reworking—over and over until the message is clear.

But in all my struggles to learn new things, I’ve found one little hack that makes the process easier. I call it: engaging the subconscious crew.

Here’s how it works.

At the end of a writing session, instead of trying to force my way to a perfect sentence or a brilliant idea, I do something different. I hand the problem off. I write down a question on my notepad—something simple, like How should I end this chapter?—and then I walk away. I leave my writing. And I let it go.

And while I go about my day—working, washing dishes, watching the sunset—my subconscious crew keeps working. Quietly. Invisibly. It pieces things together in the background, making connections I wasn’t even aware of. By the time I sit down at my desk again, the answers often appear. A sentence. A turn of phrase. Sometimes, an entire paragraph, ready to go.

It feels like magic. But it’s not. It’s just how the brain works.

And do you know where else this strategy comes in handy?

Decluttering.

Because if you’ve ever tried to clean out your closet and felt stuck—staring at a pile of clothes, unsure of what to keep and what to let go of—you’re not alone. Decision fatigue is real. Sometimes, forcing an answer in the moment doesn’t work. But you know what does work?

Handing the problem off to your subconscious crew.

Instead of wrestling with every item, step away and ask yourself a question—one simple, open-ended question for your brain to mull over while you go about your day.

Try these:

  1. What’s one item I could easily let go of?
  2. Which item do I secretly wish would just disappear?
  3. What’s the next baby step to declutter my clothes?

Then forget about it. Let your mind do its thing while you go for a walk, cook dinner, or even sleep. The answers will come. Maybe not immediately. Maybe not all at once. But they will come.

And when they do, you’ll know exactly what to do next.

Because decluttering, like writing—or like learning anything new—isn’t about forcing the perfect answer in a single moment. It’s about giving yourself the space to see the answer when it’s ready.

So ask the question. Step away. Trust the process.

Your subconscious crew is already on it.

Next steps…