One Step at a Time
Hello Dear Friends,
Like many of you, we have a lot on our plates each day. Whether it is related to our work or something going on in our personal lives, many days we don’t seem to have a spare moment. Some folks are great about being able to stay focused on one thing at a time, but for some, just thinking about all they have to do can be completely overwhelming – even to the point where it is difficult for them to get started.
If you struggle with feeling overwhelmed and anxious with all of your many obligations, this blog is for you. We want you know that you are not alone in that experience. In fact, in our experience as coaches and in our own experience of life, feeling overwhelmed is actually quite common.
Let’s begin with some facts:
Life can be overwhelming
When we are actively engaged in life, there will always be a to-do list
In all probability, our to-do lists will never be completed
What’s essential is that we do not deny, minimize, hide, or avoid how we feel and what we experience. If we are overwhelmed, we are overwhelmed. Trying not to be overwhelmed or trying to power through the overwhelm only works for so long, and eventually, we become burned out.
So, what do we do about all we must do? How do we allow ourselves to acknowledge feeling overwhelmed without letting the overwhelm stop us completely?
In our experience, it is extremely helpful to break down our to-do list into bite-sized pieces in the order of importance. That way, life seems manageable. Here are some simple steps:
Acknowledge our feelings and experience – reach out for support if needed
Define specifically what is overwhelming you (you think there’s not enough time, you don’t know where to begin, you can’t do what needs to be done alone)
Make a list of everything you need to do, dividing it up into the day, the week, and the month
Set aside everything that does not need to be done today and give today’s tasks your full attention
Check in – do you really need to do all of these TODAY? What can be adjusted, rescheduled, or canceled?
Order your list with the easiest, quicker tasks at the top and the more time-consuming, harder tasks at the bottom
Start with what you can accomplish the easiest and the quickest
Check in again – is your plan of action the only, best, or quickest way? Is there a better way? If no, then proceed as planned but make room for adjusting your plan. If there a better way, what is it?
Implement your plan of action until you are finished
Go on to the next task working your way down your list from the easiest and quickest to the most complicated, making sure to check in occasionally to make sure you are working in the most efficient manner
And the most important step of all . . . stop occasionally, take a deep breath, and bring gratitude into all your hard work!
Lots of love,
Annette and Ada