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When You Can’t Keep Up: How to Regain Control
Suggestions from a repeat offender
I set a trap for myself. Again.
I added a second writing project when I could hardly keep up with my main one. One should never add without subtracting, but I did. Again.
Impulsivity and excitement overtook my rational brain, telling me the new project wouldn’t take much of my time. I’d commit to it for a year and then decide whether it would be worthwhile to continue.
This isn’t about writing projects, however. It’s about everything in life.
Why do we sign up for too much, from work to social events to volunteer commitments? How can we stop doing so and regain control of our lives?
I don’t know your “why”—maybe it's parental or societal expectations, the pressure of comparison culture, or your own impossibly high standards. My “why” dates back to feeling not good enough from childhood onward and thus needing to prove myself.
From day one, overworking brought an abundance of external approval. Thus, it became a lifestyle. But the cost has been way too high. The damage came in the form of burnout and chronic illness.
Even so, this pattern has proved challenging to erase. I’ve never fully healed, but I still wanted to do more than is…