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I recently had a client ask me… where do I begin? He paused, I listened as he went on to remark, that although “I now know what I want to do with my life, why I want to do it, who to serve, I cannot seem to figure out where to start, there’s just too much to do.” What is one to do?
Feeling overwhelmed is a state of mind that most of us if not all have had to deal with. I know what it’s like to be overwhelmed, and although I have figured out a few techniques that get me into the flow state quickly. I will admit, I still get bogged down once in awhile especially when I fail to take care of myself or adhere to my daily ritual.
So, I chuckled with him because he reminded me of my younger self, and then proceeded to express to him that I can relate. I have found that the most effective way to inspire or share knowledge with others is first of all to be willing to come clean with one’s failures, and then of course share the successes reached upon victory. Why? Perhaps it’s because if you’ve not walked the walk, your insights are just mere theory and theory is always half-baked.
What’s one to do then? Here are 3 techniques that work for me, and get me into a state of flow and on to action.
- Reconnect with your essence
In many cases, the overwhelmed feeling stems from our ‘jammed thoughts’. The thought that there is so much to do with little time to accomplish the tasks on hand often leaves the brain in a fog. However, by disconnecting with your thoughts on what needs to be done, and reconnecting with yourself in the moment; you’re able to alter your state of mind within minutes if not seconds. I often will play my favorite music, or get a quick run where I can alter my heart rate quickly. And voila! I am suddenly energized and pumped up to act on what I need to do. The key here is to sift your mental state from stupor and on to being in the moment so you can focus your energy and attention onto doing the valuable tasks.
- Ask yourself questions
I learned this from my coach. Ask yourself, what is the best use of your time right now? Or, what task can I do right now that will lead me to my life goals? I find that these type of questions always focus me on what is important to me. The miracle here is that these questions helps one put things into perspective in light of what is major and/or what is minor. Clarity emerges as a result. And now you know what is your single most important task to focus on. Once you undertake that task you feel accomplished, and suddenly you are energized, and seem to tap into some motivation within that funs your flames to pursue the next task.
- Just Do It!
Act, and stop thinking! If you’ve ever worked with a coach you know that the benefits they offer are simple, yet profound. Their proverbial ‘super power’ is that they get you to commit to doing those things that you know very well needs to be done, but somehow you cannot seem to get yourself to do them. Still, this amazes me, because I am often on both sides of the coin. As coach, I get to see my clients transform as they grow and reach their desired results. Likewise, when I commit myself to my accountability partners; the gusto to do what I know must be done springs forth instantly. Leading to victory and overcoming what Steven Pressfield calls ‘Resistance’ in his book, The War of Art; a monster that taunts anyone who dare muster the audacity to move from inaction to action on anything worthwhile.
In summation, the key to fighting overwhelm lurks in knowing thyself. When you understand what gets you into your flow, you begin to do those things that are unique to your essence, and that activate your core—giving you the energy to move you towards your purpose and fulfillment. After all, you are a unique individual with a unique essence. So, beware and take note of those unique ‘triggers’ that activate your core because therein lies your power to overcome feeling overwhelmed.
Join the discussion below… let us know how you cope with being overwhelmed if ever experienced it.
This stood out for me
Ask yourself, what is the best use of your time right now? Or, what task can I do right now that will lead me to my life goals? I find that these questions always focus me on what is important to me. The miracle here is that these questions helps you put things into perspective in light of what is major and/or what is minor.
Adelaja puts this way. What tangible products and services are you producing? So I made up my mind that instead of using What Goals should I be pursuing right now? I switch to using “What Products and Services am I producing at the moment”? This really keeps me in tune to eat the frog. Hahaha.
Thank you Stanley for sharing your thoughts. I would add that it’s totally up to the individual to engage themselves from their truest best self. Being that we are unique individuals with unique callings, pursuits and more than note are at different phases in life at any given time. At best, the questions you ask yourself should serve you and reflect where (stage in life) you are. For instance, if you are a student your goals are likely to be very different with say a professional athlete.
Essentially, these questions ought to lead you to your path where your soul knows best. I agree, being open to learning from others is helpful, and even adopting their techniques as our own is ok if it leads us to our desired outcomes. However, I would caution against the trap of ‘copying another’.
I really appreciate that you went on with this subject Carolyne!
I am faced with overwhelm time to time and what really stood out to me was how you mentioned knowing one’s trigger points! I learned that mine is finishing a project or assignment with as much effort and creative energy that I desired and that is always by “just doing it”! That accomplishment really drives me. I feel like most of the time I am a planner and not a doer, but once I get doing there is no stopping me from doing more! Thank you Carolyne!
Great to learn you found helpful insights in this piece. I have fought the overwhelm battle for many years and like you, I found relieve in understanding myself better, particularly by being in tune with my values and then prioritizing accordingly.