Overwhelmed or Just Unfocused?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Like there’s just too much to do. You have too many things calling for your attention, but too little time to take care of it all. I’ve been feeling like that for a week.

Seriously. This past week I’ve been so overwhelmed that I’m actually stuck in place. Unsure where to go, what to do next, and what needs to be the priority. And it’s a tad bit exhausting because as much as I have that needs to get done I have actually completed very little.

Am I overwhelmed, or just unfocused?

My list of things to do probably includes many of the same items as yours. I have grades to complete. A house to take care of. Activities and commitments for church. And of course my business. Listed out in this manner it doesn’t seem like much, but each of these items has various sub-items. I won’t bore you with all of the details of each and every item.

So all week long I have gotten up in the morning and said, “today I’m going to do XYZ (item or partial item listed above).” And I said it with the best of intentions and in all sincerity. I truly enjoy being productive, and too much free time makes me anxious. I would start my day with these goals, these plans all wrapped up in my head… but then something else would come along and take priority. A new thing that needed to be dealt with. So I would work on that item, that small, easy task. And even though I completed it, it didn’t really matter. I was just forgetting (or avoiding) all about my original goals for the day until it became too late to tackle them. I would head to bed feeling frazzled and guilty for another day wasted on silliness. All the while the to-do list in my head wasn’t getting any smaller.

Then I got an email. And while it didn’t really say anything new, it didn’t give me the latest and greatest idea, it did point something out. I wasn’t so much overwhelmed with my to-do list as I was unfocused about getting it done.

I was missing organization and a true plan.

I can have all the greatest plans and the greatest about of ambition I can muster, but without an actual plan, it does me no good. I had spent a whole week thinking about getting organized, but not actually doing it. My plans were all in my head, and even though I thought about them I didn’t execute.

Execution is what I was missing, and a crucial step needed to move from a planned item to a completed one.

See without knowing what to do, how to do it, and when to work on it, it’s all just a plan. A dream of what I would like to do. But it did not get me anywhere other than frustrated and unmotivated. What science says is true – and object at rest stays at rest, but an object in motion stays in motion.

Without taking that first step of planning out what needed to be done, prioritizing which items should be dealt with first, and looking at the other obligations for the day I was stuck. Totally and completely immovable. And as physics points out, I was staying unmoved. Formulating a written plan, for me at least, is what leads to motion, the actual doing of my plans. And once I am started I have the motivation and momentum needed to move onto the next task. I am able to keep going.

Eat The Frog

Have you ever heard the phrase “eat the frog?” It’s rather new to me, but one I have seen a lot as I research building my own business. It’s this idea that whatever tasks you have to do for the day you tackle the worst first. And if the worst thing you have to do all day is eating a frog the rest of your day will seem easy in comparison.

I already know what my frog is. And maybe that’s what is keeping me in this state of productive limbo, always looking for things to do to avoid that frog. But avoiding the frog, and working on meaningless tasks is doing me no go. In fact, it’s left me feeling unsuccessful and slightly guilty that I did not use my time wisely. Avoiding my biggest task is leaving me feeling overwhelmed when really I am just unfocused.

I have decided though that enough is enough. I have spent the majority of this week wandering aimlessly, and it’s time to be done. That email I received was enough to remind me that I need to focus, I need to write things down and hold myself accountable. Granted it was a newsletter email from a site I subscribe to, part motivational and part sales, but it was enough. I just need to start using my planner. And jot down my daily to-do list. Oh, and leave nice big boxes at the beginning of each item to satisfy my need to check things off. Maybe I’ll even dig out some markers and really get creative with it.

It doesn’t really matter how I list it out. I am going to do it. I am going to write down what needs to be done, breaking down the larger projects into smaller and more manageable pieces, and prioritize. List my top three for each day and hold myself accountable for completion. Make a list of both small and big goals. Break the smaller goals down to more manageable tasks.

Getting Out Of My Own Head

And I really need to get out of my own head. I need to realize that not every day is going to go as planned. I need to give myself permission to plan less, go off track once in a while, and just be human. Holding myself accountable is all well and good, but my goals have to be realistic. My plans need to be achievable. The first step in making them achievable though is writing them down.

How do you get yourself refocused when you veer off track? Comment below!