Summary: A year ago, I went through a period of time where I felt completely overwhelmed. My schedule was out of whack, I had said “yes” to far too many things, and as a result, I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this combination, but if you have, you know how dangerous it can be. I thought I could handle it, all the way up until the point where I found that I couldn’t. This unbalance was keeping me from growing deeper relationships, producing my very best work, and properly taking care of myself. I was trying to keep up with every demand, and I had to finally say “enough” and walk away from the fast pace of life that I was running.<br> At any point in life where you go through a transformation, it becomes a pivotal point in time that one can look back on, gain understanding from, and be grateful for. Here are the four major takeaways I took from this point in life where I changed my entire view on things:<br> <br> First, start focusing on your fears. <br> I thought my issue was my schedule, but that wasn’t the root of the problem. The root of the problem was that I should have been focusing on my fear of letting people down. I was what you would call a “people pleaser.” If someone would ask me to do something, I would more than likely say “yes.” I forgot about the importance of barriers, and I paid dearly.<br> Second, you need to take a look at your schedule often. <br> I was treating my schedule like I had unlimited time, without giving a second thought of all the things I had already committed to. I forgot about the importance of going back through my schedule and eliminating what was unnecessary. I have now made this a monthly practice.<br> People will pull you in a million different directions if you allow them to, and pruning your schedule is the best way to keep that from happening. When you stop focusing on the gift you are supposed to be to the world, other people will volunteer you for a journey you’re not even supposed to be on.<br> Third, health is your top priority. <br> When your health is deteriorating, you can’t keep up with demands anyway. It doesn’t matter how many appointments you have in your schedule, if you aren’t healthy, showing up doesn’t even matter. Without health, you aren’t helping anyone. You can’t be effective, you can’t give life your all, and you can’t be a gift to those around you. If you feel your health is slipping because of meeting demands, it’s time to step back and reevaluate the importance of the things you do.<br> Fourth, it’s time to focus. <br> Before this awakening, I used to do what I needed to do and then some. Since this time, I’ve learned that ultimate focus means doing what only I can do. Now, if someone else can do what I have in my schedule, I give it to someone else to do. I can only be in one place at a time, and the same goes for you. You are only one person.<br> This step is extremely important if you get to a point where everything you have committed to is important, and you can’t remove anything from your schedule, but you find that you don’t have the bandwidth to meet obligations. When you’ve reached your limit, it’s time to delegate and expand your reach by creating a team. This allows you to only focus on what you do best.<br> In the end, not being overwhelmed with the demands of this world requires focus. If you keep committing to more, more, more, you will eventually reach a breaking point. The secret is to do something about your schedule now, before things get out of hand. And you can do just that by applying these four steps to your life, right now.<br> Now, go and stop feeling overwhelmed, today. <br>
