Sital's Blog

1. Give yourself permission to be ‘imperfect’

You haven’t got your ‘to do’ list under control, your mail box is overflowing, you haven’t got all your 2010 goals mapped out,  your resume/CV/business plan isn’t perfect, you’re not networking as much as you ‘should’ be.

Away from work you’re not spending enough times with your kids or partner, you’re not eating your 5 fruit and vegetables portions a day, you’re not going to the gym 3 times a week.

It’s okay…

You don’t have to be perfect. Perfection is boring.

Focus instead on being successful and happy rather than ticking off everything on your to do list and having all your ducks in a row.

2. Choose one area to focus in on

There is lots of stuff we ‘should’ be doing – but rarely do we need to do all of them in order to be successful and happy.  So decide on the ONE immediate priority or major task that’s most critical to do right now and zone in on that first whilst putting your overwhelming ‘to do’ list aside.

Okay so what’s your most important task or priority?

3.  Break down the most important task into 4 to 5 mini steps

When I get stuck or overwhelmed with a task (whether it’s writing an article, clearing up my inbox or catching up on paperwork and finances), I get a blank sheet of A4 paper and scribble down the 4 to 5 baby steps to getting it done. It usually makes it easier for myself to get started. I usually make the first step pretty simple and easy to ensure I get started quickly.

So write down your 4 – 5 steps now.

4. Set a deadline

I then put a deadline against the task and steps so that I’m working against the clock in short bursts.

Personally, I prefer working in bursts (I’m a ‘hunter’ rather than a ‘farmer’) so I tend to work in 25 minute bursts and make lots of progress quickly before taking a 5 – 10 minute break away from the task. I then come back to do another 25 minutes. It keeps me energised and stops me getting overwhelmed (or bored) by the task at hand.

Depending on the task and where I am, I’ll often have some music on in the background so that I’ve a slight distraction (which strangely keeps my creative brain more focused on the task in hand).

But work in whatever way fits your natural style – just ensure you complete the mini steps to a time deadline to ensure you get it done.

5. Celebrate and pat yourself on the back

Throughout the above steps, you need to acknowledge yourself and progress – no matter how small the steps. A chocolate, glass of wine, going for a coffee, watching your favourite TV show, a run, sauna or massage - reward yourself with whatever will keep you going without it being a complete distraction.

The pat on the back to acknowledge your progress is critical in keeping you motivated to keep working through your other priorities.

Once you’ve made progress in one area – pat yourself on the back – then pick another area quickly so that you build momentum and confidence.

Soon enough you’ll find yourself back in control and motivated again.

We probably suffer overwhelm more than any previous generation – simply because we have more technology, more information, have more ideas and are connected to more people that any of our ancestors.

So your ability to master the above steps and deal with overwhelm is a key factor in making progress and helping you becoming successful and happy – professionally and personally.