#multipleroles

How many times have you found yourself groaning, “I’m so stressed out. I have so much stuff to do”? Sometimes it seems that no matter how much I do around the house, the piles of unanswered mail grow, my e-mail in-box fills to overflowing, the messes around the house get larger, and the weeds threaten to take over the whole yard. Everywhere I turn, I see something that requires my attention. Add to that the demands of a life with three kids who need to be driven to play rehearsal or soccer or school, and who still require some help with their homework and an open ear to hear about their day. Then add to that the need to get some work done for my practice, prepare for presentations, be a friend, a daughter, a wife -- you get the idea. Since you’re reading this newsletter, I’m probably describing your life.

Most people spend more time focusing on feeling overwhelmed than actually doing something about it. “There’s so much to do,” you think, “I can’t possibly get it all done.” So you feel demoralized and hopeless and end up doing almost nothing -- except worrying about how much there is to do. You end up with less motivation and less energy to do anything at all.

I have written before about the importance of creating the time and space to get things done. A lot of books and magazines will tell you that in 15 minutes a day you can clear the clutter from your life, if you do it every day. It’s a great idea. But how do you get started, and not feel defeated before you have even begun?

Not that long ago, I wrote about exercising with a group of women who call themselves the Bleacher Club. You should understand that running bleachers is not exactly my idea of a good time, but I joined the group nonetheless because I knew it would be good for me. So how is it that I do those bleachers? Yesterday, as we lined up to run the steps, I realized that what actually got me going -- rather than take a break, or walk the steps, or get some water -- was someone saying, “Ready, set, go!” In an almost automatic response to that prompt, I was off and running, despite the fact that I didn’t want to, and wasn’t feeling all that motivated to do it.

Sometimes we just need a catalyst. What will your catalyst be? What will be your “ready, set, go” that will get you to do something on your list? It doesn’t matter where you begin, what matters is that you do begin. Just get started and do something -- anything – and you’ll feel less overwhelmed. So, what can you get done today? READY, SET, GO!!