Dealing with Overwhelm Through Imperfect Action
Creative Baydreams
Worst Buffet Ever
I got a lot of stuff on my plate. There are approximately 4 entrees, 10 sides, 7 salads, 3 appetizers, some biscuits, several deserts, and a small mountain of miscellaneous garnish. I’m hungry, but I can’t decide what to eat first. So I’m just going to have coffee and stare at the plate nervously. And not eat any of it.
No, I’m not a member of Overeaters anonymous, or a frightened contestant in some sort of Competitive Eating Contest.
This is what my life feels like on a lot of days. Overwhelmed with choices and must-do actions, occasionally to the point of doing nothing. Overwhelm leads to procrastination. You can’t decide what to do next, so you don’t do anything. Unfortunately, when that happens, it’s as if the waiter comes by and adds a stack of pancakes and 5 slices of pizza to your plate. How do you get out from under this mess?
Anything Is Better Than Nothing
One of my favorite relevant quotes is from author/speaker/filmmaker Philip McKernan: In the absence of clarity, take action. In other words, if you are not sure what to do next, do something anyway. Even if it’s wrong, or imperfect. Forward motion, even at half or one-quarter speed, is still forward motion. You can sort out the rest later. By taking small, regular, actions towards your goal, it will set you up for eventually accomplishing it. While we want everything to happen in full right now, the really is that daily, patient, and imperfect action is the true way forward.
The Perfect Trap
A lot of us are perfectionists. While this is an admirable quality, here I must defer to the wisdom of Admiral Ackbar of Star Wars, It’s a trap! If you are constantly waiting for the perfect day, the perfect opening chapter, heck — even the perfect person to ask on a date, you will be waiting a long long time. Life is not perfect. It’s crucial for progressing forward in your life to go full Michael Jordan and “Just Do It” in the best imperfect way you can, learn from it, and move on to the next thing.
Clearing The Plate
Let’s look back at our giant plate of food. There’s nothing stopping you from throwing the garnish pile in the rubbish while you drink your coffee. If that’s all you can handle that day, fine, but at least you did something. Tomorrow, maybe sort through the sides and get rid of everything that contains cilantro. The next day, eat the pancakes. Maybe have a friend come over and help you eat the pizza. The point is making a habit of taking regular action, no matter how small, towards completing the task or achieving the goal.
My Overwhelm
I’m juggling a lot of projects right now. Really too many projects. On one hand, I’ve never felt so energized, creative, and alive. On the other hand, some days I want to dine and dash on the restaurant of life, and leave that big messy plate for the busboy.
My solution has been to prioritize the projects, and break them down into action steps. If I’m feeling overwhelmed that day, I can always turn to my lists, and start working through the to-do’s.
One of my biggest project enchiladas on has been the decluttering project. I had a lot of stuff accumulated in boxes. Way too much stuff. After a promising start selling off and donating many items, this process has stalled. I get a little stressed out when I look at the remaining boxes that need to be sorted. It seems like so much work, and not the best use of my time. However, there are many items in those boxes that I can turn into cash — cash that will be extremely useful in financing my next adventures.
In the spirit of this post, today I will begin attacking the pile a little bit each day, and also try to schedule at least 1 longer period of time per week to deep dive into the project. If I can list 1 item (or more) a day on for sale, or take 1 load of stuff to the charitable thrift store, or the dumpster, eventually this pile will disappear from my sight and be replaced with cold hard cash to use on financing my freedom plan.
Now, who want to come over and help me eat this enchilada?
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This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 7
#10DBC #freedomplan
Michael Burns is a location-independent Creative Writer, Creative Growth Consultant, and Entrepreneur. He’s also a fantastic house and pet sitter; and spends way too much time at the beach (ok, there’s really never too much time at the beach).
If you’re interested in hiring him to: create digital content or marketing communications; or consult your small business website or personal life for creative growth; then he’d be happy to help you out.
Contact:
twitter @baydreamcre8tive
