Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your “to do” list? If you haven’t I beg you to share your secret, if you have, read on. I’m in that boat right now...lots to do…way too much to do. Time is ticking away, and as you know from the Art of Procrastination blog (July 25, 2009), procrastination is no longer an option for me. As a matter of fact, it’s the very thing that got me in this predicament to begin with!
I spent hours on end working on just a couple of the many projects that needed to get done, and although I felt some relief that I was actively engaged in working toward my goals instead of on a new way to procrastinate, I still felt discontented. It seemed that every time I made some progress I remembered something else that needed to get done that wasn’t on my list. At the end of the day, I decided I’d feel better if I organized my thoughts by writing out yet another Mac Daddy to do list to include the old and new stuff to be done. The embarrassing truth is if I spent even half the time actually doing what’s on my lists as I do writing them I’d probably have a whole lot more checked off at the end of the day!
As I reached the bottom of the page of my “I’ll feel better once I write it all down AGAIN” list I could feel my anxiety heighten. That’s when it occurred to me...there has to be an up side to feeling overwhelmed! I mean, it has to serve some purpose, right? Truth be told, it definitely offers some sort of pay off otherwise feeling overwhelmed wouldn’t be such a common destination for so many of us. So, in an attempt to check off “write Saturday’s blog” from my list, I decided to ponder the up side of being overwhelmed. Here’s what I came up with:
--In a weird way it makes me feel alive
--It makes me feel like a busy and important person doing her part in the world
--It helps me to notice the things that I need to work on to minimize feeling overwhelmed
--I become focused, motivated, and productive
--I get the opportunity to practice my prioritization skills
--And most importantly, I get to practice my stress management skills
Who knew being overwhelmed could offer so many opportunities for growth?! What positive spin can you make of being overwhelmed?
Here’s to a week of embracing the up side of overwhelmed!
Best wishes,
Terri
Terri,
ReplyDeleteMaybe you are trying to get too much accomplished? Are you focusing on 2 or 3 things, rather than 90? "Slow Down" and remember, what's most important to you right now?
Hugs,
WhaleMaiden
Great advice! I will do that today. Instead of looking at my entire list, which makes me want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head, I will focus on just three things that need to get done, AND I will do the one I least want to do of the three FIRST. :)
ReplyDeleteTerri