Being Overwhelmed is Not Terminal

"You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence, and success. The problem is, you just don't see them." - Jay Abraham

Does this sound like your mantra? "I'm drowning in overwhelm and I can't seem to get everything done! I don't understand why this keeps happening to me." Okay, this is one of those 'Wake up, Alice this ain't Wonderland' moments I'm always referring to. Trying to please everyone runs deep. It runs so far into your inner core that you most likely don't even realize when it is happening much less see a solution to the problem.

For a lot of us, we are taught at an early age to be kind, be nice, always try to help others, and never upset the 'status quo.' As a matter of fact, our worth was measured by it. We did what was asked and we never asked questions. For many of us, myself included, we didn't even realize there were any options or another choice. The sad thing about this phenomenon is that we keep beating ourselves up thinking that there is something wrong with us because we can't seem to keep it altogether and get everything done. Stop right now! There is nothing wrong with you. Being in the state of overwhelm is not terminal. You do have choices and you can change and get out of the state of overwhelm.

It took me a lot of years (50 to be exact), to realize that the majority of my overwhelm and frustration was created by me. Imagine that. I was so busy nurturing and serving others that I didn't take me or my needs seriously. Consequently, I kept shooting myself in the foot and my 'To Do' list kept growing.

If you are in OVERWHELM, it means three things:

1. You are NOT managing your commitments wisely. Notice I said commitments instead of time. You can never manage time, you can only manage your commitments. We all get the same amount of hours in the day: no more, no less, no matter how you squeeze it. Ask yourself, are your actions in keeping with your goals/intentions? Are your actions also honoring your core values?

2. You are NOT setting boundaries. How many of your activities are choices and how many are should's? Should's are those things you are doing because you are too afraid to say NO. Heaven forbid that you would hurt someone else's feelings by uttering that 2 letter word. For example, just because you have an open door policy in your office doesn't mean that you have to be the doormat. You are allowed to close the door and set some guidelines around interruptions. You will get a whole lot more accomplished in your day. And you will be role modeling professionalism and leadership. Start eliminating some of the should's in your day and see how much space you open up.

3. You are NOT making requests and asking for the support you need. How many times have you said to yourself, "I really don't want to ask someone because that will take up their time. I'll just do it myself. It will be faster anyway." Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be a martyr. You can ask for support. And usually people are quite willing to help. Remember, if you are going to be up to big things in your life, you will have to learn the art of making requests and delegating some of the responsibilities. Oh, and wishful thinking and complaining out loud does not constitute a request.

Learning how to manage your commitments, set boundaries, and make effective requests is the key to getting rid of being overwhelmed, overcommitted, and overpowered, and onto more productivity, more profit, and more peace in your life NOW. You do have a choice and you can change. If you don't like the way your life is going right now, it's up to you to make the decision to embrace change and take the necessary steps to living the life YOU chose.