Hi everyone! I hope that you all had an amazing week.
Every Sunday I send you 3 things; an article about the world of work, an inspiring quote, and a journal prompt that encourages personal reflection. My goal is to help you redefine the relationship you have with your work, making it something that serves you rather than something you tolerate (or worse) dread.
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The Top Skill To Being Productive
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How Conquering Overwhelm Propels Your Success
Modern life can get overwhelming. It’s hard to stay on top of all your commitments to your family, to your job, and to the people you care about; not to mention your longer-term dreams and goals. The to-do list keeps growing, and it’s easy to feel you’re suffocating under the weight of it all.
When the feeling of overwhelm takes over, it’s hard to find the motivation to move yourself forward. One of the key foundational skills to have is the ability to stop yourself from feeling overwhelmed; it’s like a super-power in today’s world.
Tips for Dealing with Overwhelm
You can build up this ability if you put some focus on it. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Pick your “Top 3” things to get done.
We all have an enormous to-do list, and that can easily cause overwhelm. There will always be more than you can do. You can’t do them all at once; you need to prioritize. Pick the top 3, the ones that are the most important to you. Which of these tasks will move the needle forward for you the most? Which of these will make you feel good to have accomplished? Keep it to only 3 items. When doing this, ensure that at least one of those items is something for you, not just for your work.
Focus
After you have decided what you are going to work on, stick to it for a fixed time. It doesn’t have to be hours; it is amazing you how much you can get done with some focus. Start by closing your email and turning off notifications on your devices. Then focus in on what you need to do. Working in sprints for 40 minutes is ideal for me. It allows me enough time to make some meaningful progress, while not being so long that I get worn out or distracted.
Make Time for Self-Care
While it may feel you have too much to do to take care of yourself, you actually can’t afford to not take some time for self-care. Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes for yourself every day to relax and recharge. It can be a warm bath, a walk in the park, a yoga flow, or even just a few minutes of quiet time.
Whatever it looks like for you, making time for self-care is essential for your mental and physical well-being, and paradoxically, to your productive output. If you are burning yourself out, you cannot produce great work.
Try Some Stress Management Tools
Stress management tools can be invaluable for reducing stress and preventing overwhelm. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, and journaling can be helpful for getting clarity and staying grounded.
Exercise is also a great stress management tool because it releases endorphins and boosts our mood. It doesn’t require a gym membership or giant commitment; even a short, brisk walk is enough to bring your energy levels up.
Set Boundaries and Say “No”
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when we take on too much. Be sure to set boundaries and say “no” when necessary. Recognize that you can’t do it all and that delivering great work means that you need to say no to some things. I will be honest; this is a tough skill to develop. Most of us try to please the people we care about. But by taking on too much, we are actually doing more harm than good, as the work will suffer.
Conclusion
Remember: no one can take care of you better than you can. It’s important to make sure you have time for yourself and understand that it’s not selfish to prioritize your own needs.
When we’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s easy to forget that we have options. But if we take the time to implement these tips and strategies, we can reduce our stress levels and stay on top of our commitments.
Managing overwhelm can be challenging, but it is attainable. Learning to manage your feelings of being overwhelmed is one of the most useful skills to develop.
Quotation that I have been pondering
You aren’t being honest with yourself when you say you don’t have time for something. A lack of time is an excuse for not doing what you should be doing. People often use time as a scapegoat when they’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or scared. In reality, they’re not lacking time, they are avoiding fear or lacking clarity on what to do. It is much easier to push it to tomorrow. Doing that lets them keep their dream alive, and let’s face it – no one wants to let their dreams die.
Which brings us to a quote I’ve been thinking about – and trying to bring into my life.
Stop blaming a lack of time when you don’t take action. Instead of making excuses, pause, reset, and plan your next key step forward. Then execute it. When you actively choose how you invest your time and energy, you’ll see yourself making progress. Moving forward will help recharge you and allow you to feel great about yourself.
Don’t continue to live on auto-pilot. Take control of your time – and your life – today.
Journal Prompt
Asking amazing questions is one secret to living a glorious life. Tim Ferriss regularly asks a question that is so simple, yet so profound;
Whatever you are trying to accomplish, sit for a few minutes and imagine what it might look like if it was easy. Take some notes. You may surprise yourself, realizing that we have a tendency to make things a lot more complicated than they need to be.
Complexity is the enemy of doing great things.
Have an amazing week!
Please remember, you need to take action towards your dreams. It is not enough to imagine; you need to make consistent progress if you want to make meaningful change.
Better is always possible.
Tim
