Have you ever been overwhelmed?
Have you ever been in a place where you looked up at your ceiling and just thought, “I don’t know what to do?”
If so, then today I have some power-packed, real strategies for you.
This topic is coming directly from my life at this time and in this season. I’m sharing practical tips that can help you. I know this because they have helped me.
These seven steps have helped me go through transitions, change, the death of loved ones, divorce, business struggles, financial ruin, and countless other life issues. I’ve done them over and over in my life and they work.
Because they work, they empower me to believe that we, together, can beat this thing. If you will only get real, accept that there’s only so much you can do in a day, and begin being intentional in this area, you can overcome the overwhelm.
Step 1: Stop for a Minute and Breathe
When you begin to feel overwhelmed, the first step is to simply close your eyes and breathe. Specifically, breathe in faith and breathe out overwhelm. I call this stop, breathe, and purge.
The enemy of your soul seeks to destroy you every day with all the junk that’s on your plate. Because of this, you need to take some time to purge out that junk that has infiltrated your soul, mind, breath, and body. Just take five minutes a day to do this and you will be surprised at how different you feel.
Step 2: Write Out Everything On Your Mind
After you breathe it out, you need to write it out.
You can do this shorthand. Just start scribbling away about everything that you’re overwhelmed about. Think about every area of life: your relationships, health, finances, etc. Write out all those things that constantly sit in the back of your mind.
Sometimes just the act of writing it out clears out your mind and cleans out the clutter.
Step 3: Identify the Most Important Things on Your List
What are those things on your list that involve your family, faith, and other things you must do?
Yes, all the stuff you’re thinking about is important. But what sings to your soul? What must be done that only you can do?
This isn’t necessarily the stuff that you want to do. It’s the stuff you must do.
On the flip side, think about what you must let go of and set down. You can’t carry everything on your current journey so you have to get rid of some things.
Whatever’s left afterward are the things you need to create a plan for. Break them down into small actions that will lead to great change over time.
Step 4: Seek the Counsel of Wise Mentors
You need help to create this plan. This is where mentors come in. They help you break things down so they’re less overwhelming. So go find yourself a mentor that can help you with step three.
Step 5: Do It, Dump It, Delegate It
This process is the secret to my success.
It involves firstly staying laser-focused on what you were created for. What are your natural talents? Those are the things you should do.
Then, you have to dump the unimportant stuff. These are the things that you can drop entirely because they don’t fit within your priorities.
Finally, delegate all other tasks. Figure out who’s best at each particular task. Who can do them better, smarter, and more efficiently than you?
You may be a solopreneur but you still have a team and you still know people who will catch your vision. Just ask yourself who you know that can help you achieve your goals. Figure out who has the time, money, and skills to help you. Think about who you know who’s already done these things.
In sum, stop putting your energy into things you stink at and start focusing on the things you’re awesome at.
Step 6: Have An Attitude Check
What have you been listening to lately? Are you doing what you need to do every morning? Are you surrounding yourself with positive words? Are you guarding your heart and mind?
Asking those questions is the way to have an attitude check. If your answers don’t match up with the attitude you want to have, it’s time to make a change.
Stop speaking death over your day. Instead, speak life over it. Fill up your heart and mind with good stuff first thing in the morning.
The reality is that to live life rich is to live life during the good, bad, and ugly. This means you must make a decision about your attitude within every moment.
Step 7: Set Your Environment Up for Success
The world around us can be one with an environment of “awesome” or stress. That is up to you.
So set your environment up for success. If you’re rushing every morning, lay out your clothes, car keys, and work items every night. If you’re trying to get physically healthy, spend some time meal prepping.
Doing these things will set up your environment (and life) for success.
If you want to learn more about what to do when you’re overwhelmed, check out Episode 073: Seven Steps to Overcome Overwhelm.
