Apr 3, 2020
Life is always a rollercoaster!
Lately, I’ve been overwhelmed by all the key activities that are in
my life. It doesn’t help that I have a heightened sense of urgency.
I like to get things done. It’s my favorite mode. Come up with a
strategy, a plan to execute and just go!
But, how do we deal with the
overwhelm? First, let’s define what Overwhelm is. I like to define
it as ‘treading water’. You’re doing everything just to keep
afloat. We’ve all experienced this feeling. It's just hard to see
the forest from the trees. It’s just hard to see the plan/ where
you’re going, the ultimate goal.
The truth is the chaos that
you’re feeling, is coming from inside. Yup, we have lots of things
going on in our heads. We need to find a way to take a breath,
prioritize and break them into smaller chunks of activities. It
does sound way too easy. But I’m here to take the complexity out of
it.
Here are a few
strategies:
- ELEPHANT: First, we need to acknowledge the
elephant in the room. Acknowledge that you are overwhelmed. That’s
always the first step.
- UNDERSTAND: Why do you feel overwhelmed? Too
much to do? Too much to focus on immediately? Too many backs to
back appointments/meetings? Not being able to say
No?
- BREATHE: Take a big breathe and recognize that
everything is fixable and solvable. We just need to figure out our
options.
- BRAIN
DUMP: Write down everything on a list. Just get it all down on
paper. Just keep listing things. Whatever is on your mind, just get
it out of your head and onto paper. One centralizes
list.
- NOW:
What are the biggest priorities? What are the immediate items that
you need to right now? Not just now, but NOW NOW. When I was
working in South Africa, they had three (3) definitions for Now.
There was just now, which meant within the immediate future. Then,
there was Now, which meant within the hour or so. Then, there was
NOW NOW, which meant, drop everything and focus on it now. So, what
do you need to do NOW NOW.
- ACTION: Are there items that you could
outsource/automate/not do/eliminate/delegate? I’m a fan of the
not-to-do list. My sister is great at this, she looks at her
calendar for the week/month and highlights the days that she will
need help with the kids. She gets proactive so that she can plan.
The other day, I was struggling for time to do the grocery
shopping/making a deadline and doing pickups. So, I got food
delivered and decided to grocery shop online for delivery. Boom!
#NailedIt! Next….
- POWER
OF NO: There is a way to say no and it really provides you a way to
take control. We often feel guilty for saying NO, but we shouldn’t.
We are not saying NO forever, but saying NO for the immediate
future. I wrote a blog about HOW TO SAY NO
ELEGANTLY. It is often
hard to say No, but people will thank you for being honest and
managing expectations.
We need to recognize that being
‘Superman’ or ‘Superwoman’ is not about taking on so much.
It’s about leveraging the people & resources around you to drive
towards a goal/a vision.
Here are a few
resources:
BLOG: HOW TO SAY NO
ELEGANTLY
PODCAST EPISODE: I did a podcast episode
(E110) with Mr.Productivity himself - E 110: Overcome roadblocks by
becoming more productive every day with Mr. Productivity, Mark
Stuczewski
ARTICLES: Overwhelmed? These 6 strategies may
help
Thank you again for your time
and I really hope these tips help you. It has definitely helped me
more times than I can count! Feel free to share with your friends
or others that are struggling. We all need help and friendly
reminders, that we are not alone in feeling this way.
Best Always,
Sapna