It is so interesting that there seem to be cycles or themes in life that many people face at the same time. I have recently noticed with friends, family, clients and mastermind group members that a sense of overwhelm and frustration has bubbled to the surface and become a part of their daily living. This creates a block to inspired living. Let’s look at ways to navigate gracefully through these feelings with ease and feel more empowered than ever!
I know that I too have recently experienced waves of overwhelm. With the kids home from school during the summer the house seems to constantly need tidying, they need to be driven to various activities or are asking for friends galore to come through our door. As much as I love the bustle of energy, it doesn’t leave much time for designing houses, videos that need to be created, recording interviews or writing blog post and newsletters! Let me explain how I moved through the overwhelm so that I could ride the waves of life instead of being crushed under the force.
There are ways to meet the challenge of overwhelm that either create more chaos or infinite calm. Let’s look at two keys that will help you move through this wave of inundation and set you up to surf any future tumultuous seas with ease and grace. Prioritize and delegate. Although they sound simple, they can be tricky to implement, especially when the forceful currents of overwhelm have you submerged.
Prioritizing is a fundamental tool that will help you move through this phase, one step at a time. Realize that this is a phase and you can get through it. Training yourself to move through these simple but effective steps will set you up for success and move you out of ‘stuck’ with effortless momentum:
- Categorize what needs to be accomplished: You will feel relief just by putting pen to paper and creating a plan.
- Prioritize the items so that you have a go-forward plan: This relieves the stress of “What should I do next?”
- Begin to take steps to check items off your list: Every time you check something off your list it will feel like an accomplishment or reward that will motivate you to keep going.
- Stick to the task and don’t allow yourself to get distracted: It is so easy to get distracted by people, the Internet or other items. Stay focused!
Another fundamental element that can help alleviate stress and strain in your life is to delegate. It is amazing how simple this sounds and how difficult it can be to do! As a parent I know how it is soooo much easier to do everything myself and as a CEO my perfectionistic side believed that only I could do it “right”. I also was keenly aware that in either arena no one could do it like me. Often I had a hard time asking for help because I thought that it somehow showed weakness. Have you ever felt that way? Well, I am here to tell you that it actually demonstrates strength to delegate. “Help” is not a four-letter word of weakness. It takes skill to communicate what you would like done and how to do it. Begin to practice this skill and the overwhelm will begin to dissipate.
In my business I have been practicing asking for help in areas of online management, marketing, bookkeeping, implementing design ideas (to name a few). And for those type A people out there, it is a practice! Well, this practice has allowed my company to grow. I finally realized I didn’t have the bandwidth to do it all, or do it all well. When I finally got help in areas that I wasn’t excited about it gave me the opportunity to do more of the things I am passionate about, which creates inspired momentum.
This is true on the home front as well. At home I realized to maintain a Home in Harmony this summer, everyone needs to contribute in some way. This alleviates a few of the household burdens that can be all consuming. My youngest decided that she wanted to be in charge of all the potted plants inside and outside our home. She has been diligent with her daily watering and the plants have literally never looked better! This seemingly small task alleviated my need to worry about when I would water the plants or the weighing on my mind that I had once again forgotten to do it! Learning to delegate can be a challenge, especially for those of us who know we do it best… that is, until you find out that someone else can do it better when you make room for them to do it.
When you start to submerge from the tug of life’ currents take a moment to assess what to prioritize and where you can delegate. This opens up the opportunity for you to find your ease, grace and equilibrium in the gentle and tumultuous waves of daily living.
If you would like guidance to begin living your Inspired Life feel free to connect with me for a FREE 20 Minute Home in Harmony Lifestyle Private Call by clicking here!
Happy Soaring!
XOXO
