Hi, I’m Peter from Amsterdam. I’ll help you get organized and be more productive. Every Sunday, I send a productivity-themed newsletter to 10,000 people. Join us!
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
Hi, I’m Peter from Amsterdam. I’ll help you get organized and be more productive. Every Sunday, I send a productivity-themed newsletter to 10,000 people. Join us!
This might be uncomfortable. But let’s take a minute to ask: What are you not getting around to? It might be the most common productivity struggle: not having time for things you consider to be really important. When I work with people 1:1 or in a group setting, they often tell me some version of this story. They got a new job and it’s a very busy one—and now they haven’t worked out in half a year. Somehow their weekly schedule just filled up over time—and now they haven’t played their...
We all fall off the wagon sometimes. Sometimes life happens and you’re so busy that you stop taking the time to write down your to-dos, to prioritize them, and to plan your days and weeks. It’s okay. What matters is how you respond. If I had to build a personal productivity system from scratch, here’s what I’d do: Step 1: I’d install a quality task manager on each of my devices and I’d start capturing any to-dos that come my way, making sure to track any hard deadlines. Step 2: I’d make a...
These two guys are on a road trip. But their car isn’t in great shape. It’s moving, but it’s a bumpy, rattling ride. That’s because—for some reason—their car has square wheels. At one point, they pull over to stretch their legs. A third guy comes along in a car that’s steady and smooth. Because it has round wheels, of course. This guy notices the pair, stops his car, and rolls down the window. “Hey guys. I happen to have a spare set of round wheels with me. Want me to help you swap yours...