I like to think that I’m a pretty good planner (not that I’m patting myself on the back or anything).  But all the planning in the world can’t keep me from feeling overwhelmed from time to time – like that time that I had to go to a conference in Nashville, and left Eric at home to do a bridal show by himself, and then coming home and launching a brand new focus group the very next day (that was definitely a crazy couple of days!). But I really want you and I to make a new goal (since we’ve still got more than 1/2 of 2015  left!): never get overwhelmed again!

Okay, this might be a slightly unrealistic goal. But you can definitely lessen the amount of stress you are under by making sure you don’t start to feel overwhelmed by that massive to-do list in the first place!

Never Get Overwhelmed Again!

Shorten that To-Do List

Remember that massive, soul-sucking, to-do list we just talked about? Sometimes it’s unavoidable to not have one. However, you can definitely make it into a more manageable monster by writing down your top three things that need to be done for the day/morning/afternoon, etc. When you finish those three things, choose three more things to tackle and you’ll soon be unburied before you know it!

Take Care of Yourself

When you are feeling overwhelmed, there are usually other factors that are affecting you as well (you’re tired/hungry/angry, etc). Do yourself a favor and make time for a mental margarita: get up and walk around for a few minutes, grab a snack or refresh your coffee, or start going to bed earlier. Good health is super important, don’t take it for granted!

One Bite at a Time

We will often put off certain tasks because we just don’t wanna do it! Well guess what buttercup? Whether you want to do it or not, that project still has to get accomplished. So I’d suggest taking this advice: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Stop everything else you’ve got going on, and make sure to complete the task at hand.

Ask Yourself, “What would be the most fun?”

I attended a conference a few years ago and the speaker said that she asked herself that every day, and chose to do that. And then she asked, what would be more fun than that, and what would be more fun than that?! We can’t always do fun, amazing, creative blow your mind work; but we can definitely choose the attitude with which we perform each task!

A New View

Sometimes all it takes to get us out of our funk is to change the scenery around us. In my house, I have a dedicated office space, as well as a client are and studio (I am so thankful for these awesome spaces!). However, it’s nice to be able to get out of the house and go sit in Starbucks and work there for a few hours. Seriously, often I’m more productive when I’m not in my house because there’s nothing to distract me from focusing on the task at hand.

Close Up Shop

It is impossible to be super productive all the time, you’re going to get burned out! Make business hours and stick to them! This one is SUPER hard for me (I’m a work-a-holic), but I’ve learned over the years that it’s important to “close up shop” at the end of the day, and make time for what truly matters in your life: family, friends, pets.