Ever feel like your to-do list is way too long, and you can’t figure out how to get everything done? Or maybe you’re just tired of doing it all yourself and need a little help. Well, that’s where the Placemat Process from Ask and It Is Given comes in! It’s a simple, fun way to let the universe handle some of your tasks – yes, really! This process helps you let go of the overwhelm and make room for things to flow easier.
When to Use the Placemat Process
This process is perfect when life feels a little chaotic and your list of things to do seems endless. Instead of pushing harder or feeling stressed, the Placemat Process helps you shift into a more relaxed, allowing energy. You can use it anytime you’re ready to stop trying to do everything yourself and start trusting the universe a bit more.
It’s especially helpful when you want to focus more on the things that bring you joy but feel like you’re buried under a pile of responsibilities. It’s all about giving yourself a break and letting the universe take care of the rest.
Emotional Setpoint for the Process
The Placemat Process works best when you’re somewhere between feeling hopeful and a bit overwhelmed. If you’re running out of steam or just want to hand off some of your stress, this is the perfect time to give it a try. It’s a great way to shift from feeling like everything is on your shoulders to feeling like you’ve got a team – the universe – helping you out.
How the Placemat Process Works
Here’s how it goes – grab a piece of paper, any piece of paper will do. It could even be a placemat from a restaurant, hence the name! Draw a line down the middle of the paper. On one side, write “Things I will do today.” Keep it short – just a few things that feel manageable. On the other side, write “Things I want the universe to handle.” This is where you list all the things that feel too big, too much, or just out of reach for now.
The beauty of this process is that you’re only focusing on what feels doable, while letting the universe take care of the bigger stuff. It’s a bit like tag-teaming your to-do list.
Shifting the Vibration with the Process
As you move tasks to the universe’s side of the list, you’ll probably feel an immediate sense of relief. That’s the magic of this process – it allows you to stop resisting and start letting things flow. You’re no longer trying to control every little detail or push through things that feel hard. Instead, you’re giving yourself permission to let go and let the universe step in.
Here’s the thing – it’s not about the universe magically doing all the tasks on the list for you. It’s more about trusting that the right tasks will get handled at the right time. Some things might fall away because they weren’t as important as they seemed, while others might flow more easily than expected. The key is to trust that the universe knows the perfect timing, and your job is to allow that support to come in without forcing it.
What If You Have a Lot on Your Plate?
So, what happens when you have a long list and there’s just too much to do? The great thing about the Placemat Process is that you don’t have to handle it all at once. The universe’s side is there to help with the bigger picture, and it might not get everything done immediately, but that’s okay.
Sometimes, the universe helps by delaying tasks that don’t need to be done right away. Other times, things you thought were important might fall away because they weren’t as urgent as they seemed. You might even find that other people show up to help without you even asking! The point is to trust that what’s on the universe’s side will get handled in the perfect timing.
By focusing only on what you can realistically manage and leaving the rest to the universe, you’ll feel lighter and more at ease. Even if some things don’t happen right away, you’ll notice how much easier life flows when you’re not trying to control it all.
Esther’s Experience with the Placemat Process
Esther once felt completely overwhelmed by a long list of things she needed to do. She sat down with her notebook and divided the tasks between herself and the universe. The moment she did, she felt a sense of peace. And guess what? The universe delivered! People she hadn’t reached out to started calling her, things she needed help with suddenly got handled, and she found herself with more time than she’d expected. It was like magic – but really, it’s just how the universe works when you let it.
Using the Placemat for a Big Decision
The placemat isn’t only for a crowded to-do list. It works on the big stuff too – the job, the move, the relationship, the mortgage number that makes your shoulders climb toward your ears. Big decisions get loud because they’re rarely about only the decision. A career change stirs up identity, income, and whatever your family thinks about it. A move pokes at loneliness, cost, and whether you trust yourself to start over.
Same two columns, slightly different job. On your side, write only what you can actually do this week – look at the real numbers, ask the question you’ve been avoiding, book the call. On the universe’s side goes everything you can’t force. Timing. Whether it turns out to be the right fit. How the conversation lands. Who shows up once you’ve decided.
You’re not asking for an answer to appear on the page. You’re turning the volume down enough to hear your own next step.
Career and Business Choices
This one helps when you’re deciding whether to leave a steady job, take the offer, go out on your own, hire someone, or say yes to a partnership. Those choices carry money pressure, status pressure, and a running commentary from everyone who has an opinion about your life.
A placemat helps you separate what you want from what you’ve absorbed from other people. Maybe you don’t want the more impressive job. Maybe you want a job where your chest doesn’t tighten every Sunday afternoon. Write that down. It counts.
If you run a business, try it before a launch, a price change, or an investment that makes you sweat. Numbers on your side, the outcome on the universe’s side, one small next action underneath. The decision stops being a fog and turns into something you can hold.
Moving, Relationships, and Big Purchases
Moves get clearer when you stop asking which city is objectively best. Ask what kind of life you’re building instead. More walkability, lower rent, closer to your mom, sunshine in February. Better weather won’t fix everything. It might still matter.
Relationships are where this gets tender. If you’re weighing whether to stay, pause, or go, use the page to name what’s true right now, what you keep hoping will change, and what you need either way. Honesty looks less dramatic on paper. That’s part of why it helps.
For a house, a car, or buying into something, the placemat keeps your feelings from running the whole show. You can love the kitchen and still look at the monthly payment like an adult. Annoying, yes. Helpful, also yes.
None of this hands you certainty. It gives you a quieter head, and the next step is usually easier to spot from there. If your mind is still going after you put the pen down, a quick tapping round for decision fatigue can take the edge off before you look at the page again.
Why the Placemat Process Works
This process is all about shifting your focus from effort to allowing. By focusing on just the things that feel manageable and letting go of the rest, you reduce resistance. The universe takes care of what’s on its side of the list, and you’ll notice things flowing more easily.
It’s also about appreciating the ease in life. Instead of always focusing on doing, this process helps you find balance by allowing space for appreciation. You might find yourself placing things like “looking at flowers” on your side of the placemat. And that’s just as valuable as any other task because it invites more ease and good energy into your life.
It’s a great reminder that you’re not in this alone. The universe is always working in the background, ready to help – you just need to make space for that help to come in.
Practical Tips for Using the Placemat Process
- Keep it simple: Only list what you genuinely intend to do today. No pressure, just what feels doable.
- Trust the universe: Once it’s on the universe’s side of the list, let it go. The universe will take care of it.
- No need to worry: Writing it down is your signal to stop worrying and let things fall into place.
- Appreciate the ease: Don’t hesitate to include moments of appreciation or joy on your list. They’re just as important as any other task.
The Placemat Process is a fun and easy way to make room for the universe to help out. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you’re trying to do it all, give it a try. You’ll be surprised at how much lighter things feel when you let the universe take on some of the load. Plus, you’ll find that things have a way of working out better than you imagined.
✨✨ Interested in learning more about the teachings of Abraham? Hop on over to the Abraham Hicks website. ✨✨
About Vickie Barnes
Twenty years in, by way of Wayne Dyer, Abraham Hicks, and EFT trained on Gary Craig's original methods.
I write from inside a family where several people I love are managing hard things, so I'm not going to hand you "raise your vibration" as a solution. It does work. Just slower and plainer than the books promise.
A workshop quote about the Placemat Process.