Overwhelmed? Just Do Your #1!
When life strikes you out, your ‘normal’ isn’t sitting on that bench with you. Routine? What routine?
When that bench time is over, and it’s your turn to step back up to the plate, overwhelm sets in and everything that wasn’t sitting on that bench with you is staring you in the face, or so it seems.
Just do your #1.
What excellent advice! I was making some phone calls one day not so long ago as I was trying to step back up to the plate after having been struck out. The beautiful soul on the other end of the phone asked: “What about you? You have had a lot going on, how are you doing?”
To which my response was, “I am doing alright, just taking it one day at a time and trying not to let myself feel overwhelmed. That to-do list only grew, I need to start checking things off of it.”
She shared with me about her to-do list and how hers hasn’t seemed to have shrunk any. And then she told me about her post-it note on her computer that reads: Just do your #1.
Now this advice wasn’t anything I didn’t know already, but rather something I forgot I knew and when she spoke those words to me it was like a magic wand that had banished the illusion I was caught up in!I call these moments, “Duh!” moments [Yes, I am a child of the 80″s-I own it!].
Have you experienced these moments?
You know, those moments when you are in to-do mode, and not quite ready to be yet, or caught in an emotional loop, and someone uses your words, or reminds you of what you already know and know how to move through it.
How do you know what your #1 is amongst the seemingly endless list of to-do’s?
- Take a moment to pause and breathe. I know, I say this often, but truly, taking in a conscious breath will help you re-center quickly.
- Now, check-in with yourself: have you eaten? Are you hydrated? Do you need to get up and take a short 5 minute walk to move your energy?
- Grab your favorite writing utensil, a CLEAN sheet of paper and make a list of your to-do’s. I know, I get the irony of my suggesting that you create a to-do list, but bare with me.
- Once you have your list made, sit back and take a breath.
- Now it’s time to prioritize. Grab another clean sheet of paper and rewrite your list with the most important to-do’s at the top.
- It is time to get up and walk away-if you are home go switch the laundry, empty the dishwasher or prep dinner. If you are at work, it’s time for a cup of coffee or take a walk to the restroom. Just get up and physically move your energy.
- Bring yourself back to your list with a set of fresh eyes. Does anything need to be re-prioritized? Now is the time to do it.
- Start by Just Doing Your #1
It is a continuing journey, beautiful ones and we are always on one. It is much easier to continue if we keep our eyes, ears & most of all, our hearts open.
At the end of the day, and in each moment along the way, when you step up to the plate it is only between you and that pitcher.
Just do your #1.
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Vatsala Shukla
I’m a fan of the Covey Quadrants, Crystal, because it certainly puts things in perspective when there is too much to be done. Of late I’ve started adding a few of what used to be Busy Time activities into my Important Not Urgent list because I’m capable of not taking time out for myself when I’m engrossed in work.
Thanks for sharing the #1 technique, it gives us a chance to stop and reassess priorities.
Crystal Cockerham
It is wise of you to schedule Busy Time activities when you know you could and do so easily get caught up in work, work, work! Thank you for sharing that Vatsala!
CK Kochis
It is so easy to get caught up in the mental overload of, “I gotta do this and this and this and…” Overwhelm takes over and WAM nothing gets done due to the hopeless feeling of “I’ll never get it ALL done.”
Just Do Your #1 is a brilliant reminder to tackle one thing at a time versus the merry-go-round of multitasking. Thanks for the reminder to take a clean sheet of paper and write the list, Crystal.
Crystal Cockerham
Ya, the Overwhelm and then you start shouldering yourself-I should do this first or this and then there’s this…. but ya, just do #1! 🙂 I am glad it resonates with you!