Instead of falling into procrastination or running around like your hair’s on fire, here’s a powerful little secret for breaking through overwhelm.

One of the things I hear over and over from changemakers… “I’m so OVERWHELMED!”

Of course we’re overwhelmed! The world and her inhabitants are ACHING, and there are so few of us truly trying to do something about it. It’s like trying to juggle a hundred flaming torches WHILE climbing Mount Everest. :p

However, if we don’t find a way to dismantle the overwhelm, it’ll have us doing silly things like procrastinating, chasing squeaky wheels, and burning out.

There are many ongoing mindset shifts and habits we always need to be working on so we’re not keeping ourselves in a state of constant overwhelm. These include healing one’s “I’m not good enough” or “I’m powerless” wounds, deciding clear priorities, having the right supports in place, growing our confidence, and keeping healthy boundaries, but the instructions on those could fill a book.

Let’s simply start with a little secret you should know if you’re feeling overwhelmed by a project or a “to do”…

OVERWHELM is just code for: you need to break it down more.

That’s right, if you feel overwhelmed, it means you need to take the thing you’re attempting to do (even if that thing is life in general) and break it down into smaller and smaller steps until those steps aren’t overwhelming.

I know it sounds simple, but how often do you actually do this when you’re feeling overwhelmed? How often, instead, do you end up running around putting out little fires that sometimes aren’t even yours to put out?

So, the next time you feel you feel paralyzed, scattered, or anxious, try using that as your cue to work with overwhelm in a different way…

Take the task or situation that’s causing you this overwhelm, start breaking it down into bite-sized pieces, and decide on ONE very simple step you could take immediately.

What happens if I feel blocked even around that step?

This means you still haven’t broken it down enough. Break it down into baby steps that actually feel doable.

For example, if writing that proposal seems too overwhelming, start with writing an outline. If that’s too hard, just jot some main themes down. Or if that even feels like too much, just commit to opening a document and writing down the title.

Once you start, chances are momentum will start to kick in to sail you into the next step. You just need to find a way to START.

As Zig Ziglar said: “Do it, and then you will feel motivated to do it.”

So, let’s start with a baby step…

What are you feeling overwhelm around right now? Stop RIGHT NOW and break it down until you have one bite-sized piece you can take action on TODAY.

We’ll see you on the other side of the wall of overwhelm, Sweet One! 

Hugs, Kimberly

P.S. Have you been taking part in The Changemaker Sessions? 

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