How to stop feeling overwhelmed
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I hope you’re taking the time each day to make a to-do list. If you’re not, your to-do list will arbitrarily assemble itself from incoming emails, meetings others schedule for you, and random thoughts. Instead, make your own to-do list. That way, you’re in charge of what’s a priority. Feeling overwhelmed is one of the great challenges of our time. There’s so much to do and so much to take care of. But overwhelm is a funny thing… It’s possible to accomplish exactly the same amount of work, but feel completely differently about it. Contrary to what you might think, overwhelm is not about how much (or how little) you’re getting done. We feel overwhelmed when we don’t have confidence in our prioritization. Let me say that again: We feel overwhelmed when we don’t have confidence in our prioritization. Deep down, we all know that we can’t do everything. We are human and that means we have limits. We have limited time, limited energy, and limited attention. So when we feel overwhelmed, it’s not really because we think we should be able to do everything—or even that we should be able to do much more. Dig deep enough and you’ll find that when you’re overwhelmed, it’s because there are things that matter to you that you are not spending enough time on. So, for example, you might feel overwhelmed when you’re spending too much time in work meetings, and not enough time doing creative work. Or you might feel overwhelmed when you yet again skip the gym to meet a friend for coffee. Deep down, there’s a misalignment between your values and how you’re spending your time. The solution? Make a better to-do list. And not just that. Make a better schedule. Set better goals. In other words, prioritize better! This might be a sizable project, depending on how big the misalignment is. But it’s one of the most valuable things you could possibly do. If you feel overwhelmed, dig deep. Examine what you really would like to get around to, but aren’t. And start thinking about what you might be able to give up to make room for what really matters… Let me know your insights. |
Peter Akkies
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