As we start off the New Year, feel the full weight of new goals and responsibilities, it can start to get a bit overwhelming.
I’ve felt overwhelmed many times. It’s the slow, creeping feeling of doubt that sets in. The reason why we get overwhelmed is because we start a list in our mind and keep adding to it. By the time we get to 12 to 15 items, our brain it struggling to remember the list, reading it over and over to ourselves until it’s all we can think about.
Instead, as soon as you start feeling the chill of panic in your gut, grab a piece of paper and a pen.
Write down, in whatever order you think of them, everything that you have to do, everything that—for the moment—amounts to way too much. Be specific, and don’t leave anything out.
Next, think about deadlines. What has to happen first? What is the most pressing need? Place a one beside that task. Continue to number off all to-do’s until your list is prioritized.
Now, for the important part: you must recognize that you can only do one thing at a time.
The problem with getting overwhelmed is it either freezes us from doing anything or causes us to rapidly jump from one task to the next, trying to do everything at once. By prioritizing, we can actually complete the list rather than running it through our mind. Remember: multitasking is a myth. Focus on one thing at a time and do it right the first time so that when you cross it off, it’s really complete.
Keep in mind that you can overwhelm your task list with passion—get passionate about what you want to accomplish, and you’ll feel the overwhelming sense vanish.
What’s your strategy for dealing with being overwhelmed? Comment below or hit reply and tell me about it!
*Image courtesy Chris Lott
As a speaker and author, Curtis Zimmerman has impacted over one million people with his life-changing messages and award-winning programs. Curtis is an expert at transforming organizations by inspiring individuals to live their lives at performance level.
Want to be inspired? Check out his podcast The Next 24 Hours.