I had been feeling especially overwhelmed since the beginning of the year.
On the surface, all looked well with me.
But under the hood … I’ve been in a constant state of confusion, struggle and overwhelm.
I had lots of things I know I needed to do, but I couldn’t focus on any one thing for more than a few minutes.
This has happened to me before.
Several times.
And the solution to getting back on track is the same every time.
And it only takes two hours.
The problem wasn’t finding the two hour block this time.
The problem was simply DECIDING to actually take the 2 hours I knew it would require.
Let me repeat that …
The problem was simply DECIDING to actually take the 2 hours I knew it would require.
Sometimes, making the decision to get started is the hardest challenge we face, isn’t it?
That’s what I did.
I woke up this morning (January 15, 2014), and simply decided that “today is the day I start getting back on track.”
I had a light schedule for the day, so I knew I could carve out the 2 hours I needed.
I packed a bag with the essentials … pens, pencils and a legal-size pad of paper.
Decided I needed a change of scenery to make it work, so I got in the car and drove to my local Starbucks.
Bought a Grande Blonde coffee for $1.95 and found a table next to a window.
And for the next two hours … I unloaded.
I wrote down everything I felt I needed to do in my life.
For me. For my volunteer groups. For my wife. Around the house. For income. For my radio show and the station where I volunteer.
Basically I wrote a giant five-page to-do list.
Doesn’t sound all that impressive, I know.
But there’s more to it than just writing the list of close to 150 things.
It bubbled out of me in a very stream of conciousness way. Whatever bubbled up to my attention … I wrote it down.
That was the solution that I knew would work.
Because it works every time I do it.
Sometimes … you just need to unload your brain.
On paper.
with that tactile feel of a pen scratching out each entry.
Then I went through all the items and categorized them according to the compartments of my life.
This set for items I need to do at the radio station (my volunteer work).
This set for my online businesses.
This set for my Toastmasters involvement as a member.
This other set for my Toastmasters involvement as the District webmaster.
This set for items I need to do around the house.
This set for items I need to do with my wife.
This set for items I need to do just for me personally.
And so on.
Two hours later … I ended up with eight sheets of organized to-do lists
The feelings of overwhelm are gone.
The feelings of spinning my wheels is gone.
My focus is back.
I even got clarity on my three major priorities for this year.
Lesson?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed … stuck … frozen … trapped … confused … in your life.
Make the decision to sit down and get everything out of your head … and on paper … where you can look at it … organize it … accept it … reject it … and get unstuck.
It might take 2 hours. Or less. Or more. No guarantees.
Just decide to do it, and take action, today!
Works for me every time..
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