Tips to Keep You Sane When You Have Too Much to Do
By: Katie Cavenagh
Tags: Success, Self Improvement, Motivation, Inspiration, Confidence

Tips to Keep You Sane When You Have Too Much to Do

Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash

One of the main reasons we shy away from doing things is because we get overwhelmed.

How many times have you walked into the laundry room only to see multiple full baskets, say to yourself “F this”, turn around, and walk away hoping some magical laundry elf will come and help you out?

Or that big dream you have, you know, the one you never started because the finish line looked so far away?

That oppressing sense of dread, that knowing it’s going to be sooooo much work, and of course, the time it’s going to take to get it all done sends us over the edge. We lose sight of the big picture as we get caught up in all the little nuances of how we will accomplish something and when it will be done.

Who’s been here with me wanting something better, but forgoing it because it’s going to take A LOT of work to get there? More work than we’re willing to give (or think we can give) at this moment.

At one point or another, many of us succumb to the feeling of overwhelm. And that’s ok. We’re human.

Overwhelm is actually fear wearing a costume. It’s sneaky since it doesn’t quite feel like fear, but fear is there, lurking beneath the surface.

When it comes to doing something big, we often fear that it’s too much to handle, we won’t know how to do it, we’ll run out of time, or there’s not enough time in the first place. There’s fear around making mistakes, what other people would think, or how we are actually going to accomplish the task. We even fear that we’ll give up (often before we ever start!!).

All of this underlying fear causes us to push our dreams aside while we do something more “manageable” or practical.

Fear of not having enough time is a favorite for us, especially in today’s fast-paced society.

This is one of the main causes of overwhelm. We constantly think there’s not enough time to get it all done! (And for the record, you’ll never get it all done, so you can stop worrying about it).

When we embody this fear we aren’t able to see the bigger picture because we get stuck in trying to figure out how we’re going to accomplish it all, inevitably becoming frustrated or stressed out and telling ourselves that we can’t actually do the thing.

So, how do you get past the feelings of overwhelm and other underlying fears so that you can actually move forward and take some damn action to have what you want in life?

Check yourself before you wreck yourself, and break it down.

You can’t run a marathon if you don’t take the first step. Then the second, third, and so on.

Any seemingly massive task can be broken down into doable-sized chucks that can easily be accomplished.

When you set yourself realistic, measurable, tangible goals, you are more apt to achieve them. Get super specific about what you need to do, by when, and then do it.

Anything can be accomplished if you create an action plan to make it happen. Dreams are just dreams until there’s action behind them. Then they become goals.

Creating a list is the perfect way to lay out all the known steps, prioritize, and get moving. When putting together a course of action, ask yourself these questions if you’re stuck on what to do.

What are you able to do to get the ball rolling? Is there prep work to be done before you can really begin? What are the first 5 steps you need to take? Is there something small that you can do right now, this moment?

Also, for every excuse you come up with as to why you haven’t done anything in the past, find a solution.

Can’t do it by yourself? Enlist some help. Aren’t motivated to do it? Get an accountability partner to keep you on track. Feeling low in confidence? Look back over your wins and get amped up at what you’ve accomplished in the past. There’s always a way to make it work.

When you are realistic about what needs to be done, even if it scares you (cold calling, public speaking, having people see you in workout gear at the gym), whatever it is most likely won’t kill you.

You may feel like you’ll die of embarrassment, but remember, since we all see life differently, people won’t remember an event the same way you do. You may remember one thing, but they might remember something totally different.

When we break down the big tasks they don’t seem as scary. They become organized, purposeful steps to accomplish one at a time.

And that’s really the key here: you can only go one step at a time. You can’t get to the top of the staircase without climbing the first step.

Life here on Earth doesn’t come with instructions, so we have to make our own goals and action plans. Nothing is out of the realm of accomplishment for us if we put our minds to it. We are the only ones that hold ourselves back because of the fears and limitations we put on ourselves.

By stepping back, looking at the big picture end result then reverse-engineering the process, the path becomes clear.

When we are able to take fear off the table, we have the ability to see each step we need to take, starting at the beginning. Many times we are so desperate to get to the end we don’t even want to look at what we have to do to start! We fear being beginners.

But we all have to start somewhere. All experts were once beginners. And it doesn’t matter if you start today or five years from now, that time is going to pass anyway.

By going one step at a time, no matter how small those steps may seem, each step allows us an opportunity to do something new and unknown, building our ability to walk straight past any fear we have of moving forward.

You’ve got to be your own cheerleader and learn to be self-motivated as well. The process of doing the work should be enjoyable to you, causing inspiration and motivation to develop on its own. Just connecting to the reasons why something is important to you can keep you on track.

Celebrating all the wins along the way is another great motivator, as you cheer for yourself for doing new things, stepping outside your comfort zone, or tapping into some new awareness.

Remember that nothing can happen without a catalyst. You taking action, any action will start the energy in motion.

You, and only you, are responsible for your dreams coming to fruition. Big dreams are overwhelming when you zoom out and look at the larger picture, but the steps are here for you right now. All you have to do is be willing to take the first one.