You have a lot on your plate. It feels like too much. And you have no idea where to start or how you will get it all done.
Take a breath…now take another one. Notice that you’re breathing. You will be fine.
You can’t do everything at once. Or in an hour. Or in a day. Planning is the key for getting your goals achieved and getting the results that you want for yourself.
So what do you do? How do you start? Heck, what do you do first (besides freaking out…)?
The next time that you feel overwhelmed by a goal in front of you, try these three tips, which I call “The Breaks”:
- Break it down: Break the big goal into smaller steps. And if you still feel overwhelmed, it may be a sign that you need to break the steps down even more. Is there something else that you need to get the job done? Do you need more information? Do you need to develop (or just remember) a skill that you need? Do you need to adjust your thinking about the task (the task and goal are doable, and you have to believe that). Is there something that you need to do first (a smaller step)?
I had a plan to do some home improvement over the weekend and I needed a power compressor from our storage room. The job ahead of me seemed pretty daunting, and I put it off. And put it off. I knew that I needed a smaller step to get my momentum going. So I just made a task of getting the compressor. That started the steps of beginning the project. Completing one small step will start the chain of dominoes falling.
- Break it up: Don’t try to do everything at once. It may be too much. Do one thing. Just one.
My step of getting the compressor into the house was the one thing that I knew that I could do that day. I may not have started the actual home improvement project, but I got the power tool that was crucial for the project to start and be completed. I told myself that I could start now that I had my tools in place.
- Give yourself a break: Show yourself some compassion. I like to say to give yourself the grace you give other people. Don’t beat yourself up because things didn’t get completely done. Pat yourself on the back for what you did accomplish. And if you didn’t accomplish anything related to your goal, here’s a phrase that I use all of the time: Tomorrow will be better.
It’s important to recognize how you are thinking and feeling when you are overwhelmed. Recognize those thoughts. Acknowledge those feelings. They aren’t here to stay. Allow them to have their moment, then move on. You are capable of accomplishing what you want. But there may be underlying thoughts, beliefs or feelings that are contributing to the overwhelm and lack of progress. You can deal with them. You have before.
Use my 3 Breaks anytime you feel like things are “too much”, your plate is super full, you have too many plates spinning, or whatever you say when you are overwhelmed. You can do it. I know that you can.