How
Today I feel like I am pulled in 50 different directions.
Immediately you understand this feeling, don’t you? I feel anxious inside and out. I feel the urgent need to do more than one thing at this time. I feel slightly depressed because I know I cannot begin to do all that needs to be done. I have all of these ideas and thoughts going through my mind. Where do I start? How do I start? How did I get into this situation? How do I get out? I am paralyzed. I want to do nothing but sit and maybe contemplate or sleep or wish it away. I do none of those things.
Help!
Well… the first thing I did was take a few deep breaths and say to me as I breathe in “calm” and as I breathe out “relax.”
As I did this I went to my special place in my mind that has a calming effect on me and stayed there for a few minutes. When I came out of my relaxation I felt somewhat better or should I say better able to figure out how to tackle the monumental number of tasks I had to do.
After my relaxation I could see a bit clearer and I grabbed a tablet and began to write all of my thoughts on paper thinking just get those thoughts out of my head now. As I do this I do feel even better. My thoughts are sorted into tasks and I narrowed those tasks down even further into bite size manageable projects and gave those projects time limits and placed contacts and phone number I would need for assistance and collaboration.
If I needed a system to help me I would design something simple. An example would be this: When I get on the internet time flies by for me. We know time goes like it always does therefore, my system is to use a timer and when my timer goes off I am off the internet and I move on to another project and task. This is an easy and simple system to keep me on time for my projects. You can design your own. Keep it simple.
I began to place the items in order of importance. I organized and planned for 3 months and plan to do the next three months very soon. It is quite a list. I realized I could defer some items to the future and this was quite a relief for me.
As I worked on this list I began to feel so much better. I feel empowered. I thought this was strange because I had not performed any of the tasks that was consuming my mind and driving me insane.
After the list was made I began to chip away at it. I paid my immediate bills first; I had put this off for a few days not knowing why I did until now. I know this seems like a no brainer but you must understand I was paralyzed with so much on my plate to chaw away at as my grandpa John would say.
The second thing I did was hire a coach to assist me with my e-books. I knew not to overload myself and only wrote as daily tasks what I knew for sure I could manage only pushing myself a little and doing more if possible.
When I got through this episode of desperation I wondered what other things I could have done to help get me moving. This is what I came up with.
-
I could have taken a short walk. The temperature was in the 50’s, ideal for walking and thinking. Walking also helps to divert or distract my thinking. There are times when I get excellent solutions to challenges I am facing as well.
-
Talk to a friend, I did this and it was helpful.
-
I could read a chapter in a book as a diversion.
-
I could go to a movie.
-
I could write about my experience and this is what I did. Journaling works as well.