Mindset Archives

The #1 secret to going after a goal that scares you

by Sagesse | Sep 16, 2021 | Goal Setting, Mindset, Overcoming Fear

If you’re anything like me, then I’m willing to bet you have a head full of dreams, a heart full of ambition, and a journal full of goals.

And if you’re anything like me, I’m also willing to bet you have a goal or two on that list that is SO big that it actually scares you.

Why is it that our biggest goals are the ones that scare us the most? And more importantly, how can we overcome this fear?

The #1 secret to going after a goal that scares you - feature image

Do you remember when you were a child and people used to ask you, “what do you want to be when you grow up”? And do you remember always telling them with confidence EXACTLY what you wanted to be – no matter how big and ambitious that “something” may have been?

The beautiful thing about being a child is that the world was a blank canvas through our eyes – ready for us to finger-paint anything and everything our imaginations could dream up. We never for a second doubted that we could accomplish what we wanted.

As we get older, however, this childlike optimism slowly begins fading away. Instead of looking upon our dreams with confidence, we begin looking at them with hesitation, apprehension, and fear.

This is because as we get older, we start focusing our attention on all the things we have to do to actually reach our dreams.

This, of course, does nothing but overwhelm us.

So instead of going after our biggest dreams and grandest goals, we put them off. We make excuses. We never actually act upon them.

If this sounds familiar to you, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many of us struggle to go after our biggest, scariest goals in life.

However, there is a way to get past this fear, and there is a way to start going after your big, scary goals NOW (in a way that would make your childhood self proud!).

And in this blog post, I’m going to show you exactly how.

First, let’s look at where we tend to go wrong:

Overthinking and under-doing

The more you think about what you need to do to reach your goal, the more complicated it seems to get.

This is because overthinking leads to a vicious cycle of doubt, fear, and uncertainty. We stand at the cliff’s edge looking out into a big, wide ocean and we think, “how on earth am I going to swim that whole thing? Where do I even begin?!”

We then start creating problems in our head that we haven’t even experienced yet, or that may not even be there.

Before I began going after my dream of starting my own business, I was getting caught up in this very cycle. I couldn’t stop stressing about all the ‘obstacles’ that were in front of me (that is, the obstacles I thought were in front of me).

The more I thought, the scarier it seemed.

My adult brain kept sounding the alarm bells – trying to convince me that it’s all too much, it’s all too difficult. Trying to convince me that I just can’t do it.

The thing is, all the problems I was thinking about were just in my head. I hadn’t even expereinced any of them yet!

Because of my fear, there were many times when I was ready to give up before even trying. I would have given up, too, if it wasn’t for discovering this one secret that was about to change my life.

The secret to achieving your biggest goals in life:

Less goals, more habits

If you want to get serious about your biggest goals in life, then you need to stop thinking about them as goals.

What do I mean by this? Well, when we think about ‘goals’, we tend to think of them as final destinations – the end result of something. While this can definitely be useful in some contexts, when it comes to our BIGGEST goals in life, it’s not so helpful.

This is because for our biggest goals, the final destination is something SO big and SO far away, it seems nearly impossible to get to from where we’re standing.

And THIS is what scares us. THIS is what leads to all the overthinking.

So instead of thinking about your biggest ‘goals’ in terms of an end result, you need to think about them as the gradual accumulation of good habits over time. This changes the focus from something elusive and out of reach to something that is completely accessible – right now.

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Goals lie in the future, habits are in the NOW

The great thing about habits is that they encourage doing rather than just thinking. They’re about action and effort instead of planning action and effort.

When we start working on incorporating daily habits into our life, we suddenly don’t have time to worry about how to get to the end result…

We’re too busy just getting there!

The more time we spend practicing these habits, the more they become incorporated into our daily routine. And it’s this steady, every-growing accumulation of good habits that’s what’s going to lead us to accomplishing our grandest goals in life.

Keep in mind that it certainly won’t happen overnight, and it may not even be super obvious when we ‘finally get there’. You’re not going to look at your calendar and say, “Ah! Tomorrow is the day that I finally achieve my biggest goal in life!”.

Instead, it will slowly and quietly unfold behind the scenes. It will blossom and bloom on the sidelines. It won’t make a loud noise, and it won’t cause a commotion. We may not even fully notice it until we really take a minute to stop and think.

Only then will we realize just how far our habits have carried us.

Only then will we realize that we’ve truly achieved our biggest goal in life.

So to anyone who’s standing at cliff’s edge wondering how to make that first jump and how to get to the finish point, it’s time to stop wondering, and it’s time to start doing.

It’s time to focus on your habits!

7 mindset tricks of extremely successful people that will help you reach your goals

by Sagesse | Apr 2, 2021 | Goal Setting, Mindset, Productivity

A lot of us tend to think that in order to reach a high level of success, we need to be either extremely lucky or incredibly talented.

This, however, is just not true!

While talent and luck may definitely help in making us successful, they are NOT the most important factors.

So what is the most important factor to success? I’ll give you a hint – it’s something that’s available to every single one of us right now. That is:

Our mindset.

Behind every successful person, there is the mindset that got them to where they are. These are people who are just like us, but who made a conscious decision to program their mindset for success.

And with a few simple tricks, you can learn how to do the same.

So if you have a goal in mind that you’ve been wanting to take action on, it’s time to start taking some tips from the experts. It’s time to start reframing your mindset for success.

Mindset trick #1: embrace failure

One of the biggest reasons successful people reach their level of success is because they have learned how to make friends with someone who most of us have sworn enemies with:

Failure.

Now, there’s no denying that failure is frustrating. When we start doing something that we’re passionate about, it SUCKS when it doesn’t turn out well. It sucks when you can’t get the notes right on the guitar, it sucks when you get rejected from an audition, and it sucks when your new business just doesn’t seem to be getting off the ground.

But we can’t let this disappointment get in the way of trying again.

I know you’ve heard a million and one different variations of the phrase “if at first you don’t succeed, try try again”, but honestly, it goes even deeper than this.

It’s more than about just trying again, it’s about truly embracing (and EXPECTING) that you will fail – more than once.

If you want to reach your goals, you need to understand that failure will come hand-in-hand with the process.

The only option is to get on friendly terms with it!

Mindset trick #2: know that you can take the easy route

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: achieving your goals doesn’t always have to be challenging!

This is something that many high-preforming experts have realized. Unfortunately, however, many of us haven’t quite realized this yet.

For some reason, we tend to think that having a big goal automatically means that we will struggle to reach it. We have this notion in our mind that the road to success is always rocky and full of obstacles.

While there may be some truth in this, many experts would be quick to tell you that it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, they’d tell you that the best way to reach your goals is to take the easy route wherever possible!

This doesn’t mean cutting corners, it just means finding creative ways to achieve to your goals faster and with less effort (in other words, more efficiently!).

Some examples of taking the easy route to achieving your goals include:

Focusing on things you’re already good at: use your natural talents as your starting point
Allowing yourself more time to achieve your goal: there’s no need to try to accomplish miracles overnight
Breaking down your goal into smaller, do-able chunks: turn one big goal into multiple smaller goals
Making your goal genuinely attainable: balance your idealism with a good dose of realism

Mindset trick #3: know that you have enough time

Patience is a virtue that most successful people have plenty of. They understand that achieving their goals will take time, and they allow the process to unfold without rushing it or getting bored.

They may have a thousand ideas in their mind of what they want to do, but they have an incredible ability to laser focus on just ONE idea at a time.

This is something that a lot of people (myself included) struggle with.

If you’re anything like me, you probably get super excited thinking about all of your awesome goal ideas. I could do this! And I could do this! But wait…I could also do this!

With a head full of inspiration, it can be hard to press pause and choose just one goal to work on.

But if we want to actually achieve our goals, we NEED to learn how to press pause, and we NEED to learn how to have patience.

The best way to do this is to reassure yourself that you have time. Know that after you achieve this goal, you can work on your next goal, and then your next one, and so on and so forth. You have time to do all of this.

Slow down, take a deep breath, and just enjoy the process – one awesome goal at a time.

Mindset trick #4: understand the importance of balance

Life is full and life is rich – and this is what keeps it so interesting!

There are so many amazing things in life – friends, family, love, food, dancing, singing, coffee, nature, baths, grocery shopping (well, sometimes grocery shopping!).

Enjoying all of these things in life is what keeps our bodies and our minds healthy.

Successful people know this. They know that while their goals are an important part of their lives, they’re not the ONLY part of their lives. No matter how much work they put into achieving their goals, they never forget about the rest of the world. And they never forget to rest.

Sure, it may be true that Elon Musk worked upwards of 20 hours a day to get to where he is, but I can guarentee you that most successful people haven’t sacrificed their life simply in blind pursuit of their goal.

Why? Because it’s the other beautiful things in life that keep us balanced. And it’s this balance that will lead us steadily and healthily towards our goals in the long run.

Mindset trick #5: expect that you won’t always be motivated

It may seem natural to think that since our goals are ultimately our passions, we should always feel inspired to work towards them.

If only it were this simple.

We have to remember that we’re humans. As humans, we get lazy, we get moody, and we have days where we just don’t want to do a thing!

Even if working towards our goal makes us feel incredibly fulfilled, this doesn’t mean that we will always want to do it. There will be times when we feel resistance – sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

The difference between successful people and not-as successful people is that successful people expect this resistance. They expect that sometimes (or a lot of the time) they won’t feel like working towards their goals. But what do they do?

They do it anyway.

They reframe their mindset from thinking about their goals as simply their “passion” or “hobby” to thinking about them as an actual job that they have to do. The more they do this, the more they develop the self-discipline to work on their goals consistently.

And it’s this consistency that, over time, leads to amazing results.

Mindset trick #6: think of your goals strategically, not just emotionally

A lot of the time when we think about goals, we tend to think of them as very emotional things. After all, they are rooted in our dreams, our passions, and our innermost desires, so of course they’re emotional – right?

Well, yes. However, successful people know how to separate the emotional side of their goals with the practical side.

They know that while it’s emotion that keeps their dreams alive, it’s practicality that will turn these dreams into a reality.

When you think about your goals, you need to make sure that you’re thinking about them logically. This could mean, for example:

Writing down the steps you need to take to get there
Defining what your biggest priorities are
Defining what challenges may arise (and how you’ll tackle them)
Setting a timeline for reaching your goal

A great technique for helping you do this is to reverse engineer your goals. This is when you work backwards from your goal in order to come up with a goal plan. Instead of asking yourself “where do I start?”, ask yourself “what steps did I take to get here?”.

It’s certainly not the glamorous stuff, but it’s important all the same.

Mindset trick #7: know that it all comes down to action

At the end of the day, the number one thing that differentiates successful people from people who aren’t as successful is that successful people take action.

It may sound overly simple, but just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Too often, we tend to get caught up in over-thinking about our goals. We watch YouTube videos about goal setting, we write down all of our goals in our journal, and we think about how we’re going to achieve these goals.

While this is absolutely GREAT and absolutely NECESSARY, it’s important to remember that the real magic lies within the actual doing.

So if you ever find yourself getting caught up in a bit too much planning, talking, or daydreaming about your goal, remind yourself to get up and actually go DO what it is you’re planning, talking, and daydreaming about!

Action is the only thing lying between you and success. So what are you waiting for?

“Dream big, start small, but most of all, start” – Simon Sinek

Why do new year’s resolutions always fail? The #1 reason

by Sagesse | Feb 20, 2021 | Goal Setting, Mindset, Personal Development

Setting New Year’s resolutions is something most of us do every single year, but it seems like almost none of us ever seem to follow through with them. So it begs the question, why do our New Year’s resolutions always fail?

Does this situation sound familiar to you?

It’s January 1st. You’re motivated, you’re inspired, and you’re ready to totally SLAY your New Year’s Resolutions! “THIS year”, you think, “is going to be the year I make BIG changes in my life!”.

But after a few weeks into January, you start to notice something…

You start to notice that all those “big changes” you were planning are just…not happening.

What’s the deal?! Why is it that year after year, we so often FAIL to keep our New Year’s Resolutions?

I saw a funny quote the other day that said “every night I go to bed believing that tomorrow I’ll wake up with the motivation and work ethic that I have never displayed in my entire life.”

Honestly, I think this may just be the most relatable thing I’ve ever read.

It took me YEARS to learn how to develop the motivation to truly stick with my goals. It wasn’t easy, and it took practice – and there were definitely times when I strayed off track and had to find my way back again.

But throughout all this practice, I learned a LOT about how our minds work with regards to setting goals for ourselves. So I’ll get right into it, with:

Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail

The number one reason why most people fail to keep their New Year’s Resolutions is undoubtedly because they are setting goals that are FAR TOO HIGH.

Although it may seem like it’s a good thing to set high goals, in reality, it just sets you up for disappointment down the road.

Ultimately, when you set goals that are too high, you’re expecting yourself to somehow magically adopt new habits overnight. AS IF adopting new habits was that easy!

The truth is, changing our habits is a lot more difficult than we think.

Over the years, I’ve learned that our ability to pursue our goals and stick with new habits is a combination of two things:

Our underlying motivation behind our goals, and
The habits we already have

In order to make goals and form new habits that we actually stick to, we need to get to the root cause of WHY we want this habit in the first place. How will it make us feel? Happier, more confident, more at ease? How is it going to change our life for the better?

On top of that, we also need to take into consideration the habits we already have. If you naturally wake up at 10am every morning, then setting your New Year’s Resolution to waking up at 6am may not be the most realistic thing to do. Think about your lifestyle as it already is – what are your current habits?

New Year’s Resolutions typically fail when your goals look something like this:

I want to wake up at x time to work out every day and lose x amount of weight by x date

If this is your goal, I can almost guarantee you that you won’t stick with this in the long run. Why? Because this goal does NOT sound fun. It sounds like you’re forcing yourself to do a whole lot of work for a number on the scale!

When you make goals simply in the hopes of reaching a final end point (like losing x amount of weight), you’re not forming sustainable goals. Instead, you’re trying to force habits onto yourself that don’t actually feel good to you and that WON’T work with your lifestyle – which is why you’ll never feel like doing them!

BUT, your New Year’s Resolutions will be less likely to fail if they look something like this:

I want to build a lifestyle that makes me feel energized in the morning – I want to move my body before work, and I want to feel good throughout the day

This is a MUCH healthier and more achievable goal because it doesn’t confine you to strict boundaries and tight guidelines. Instead of coming from a place of enforcement and restriction, it comes from a place of encouragement and inspiration. This way, you’ll feel much more motivated to actually work towards your goal.

They key is creating goals that are sustainable – ones that you want to pursue, ones that don’t feel like work

One very important thing to remember when it comes to sustainable goals is that you can’t expect them to happen overnight. There’s no way you’re going to be able to go from never exercising on January 1st to all of a sudden being Kayla Itsines on the 5th!

These habits take TIME.

It’s always uncomfortable implementing new habits at first – but if you make sure that your habits are things you actually enjoy doing and make you feel good, then reaching your goals is going to be SO much easier!

Some final tips to help you keep your New Year’s Resolutions:

Focus on how you want to feel, rather than what you want to achieve. This will help reframe your mind into thinking about your goals as something you truly want, rather than something you need.
Don’t make too many resolutions at once! Start out by choosing just one or two good goals – it may not seem like much, but trust me, it’ll be enough!
Don’t expect miracles overnight. Remember that changing habits takes time.
Write down your action plan – this will help you make solid steps towards actually reaching your goals. The more detail, the more likely you are to succeed.
Keep a journal to track your progress. Write down everything – the good and the bad. This will help you learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.

And finally – remember to go easy on yourself. Make sure your resolutions are coming from a place of self-love and self-respect rather than just self-improvement for the sake of self-improvement. Enjoy the process and embrace the detours. This is what it’s all about!

How to change your habits quickly: the secret that will get you started in 5 minutes!

by Sagesse | Feb 1, 2021 | Goal Setting, Mindset, Personal Development

We all want to learn how to change our habits for the better. Let me be more accurate – we all want to learn how to change our habits for the better as quickly as possible!

I mean, let’s be honest – how many times have we written our New Year’s Resolutions determined that come January 1st, we will be this totally new and improved version of ourselves? Ta-da!

Well, I’ve been studying habits for quite some time now, and sadly, there isn’t really a “quick-fix” way to change your habits – which is why most people FAIL.

Think about it – when you try to change your habits too quickly, your lifestyle won’t be able to keep up. You get overwhelmed, you get disheartened, and then you go straight back to ground zero.

But don’t worry just yet, because I’ve got some great news…

You CAN change your habits and the course of your life IMMEDIATELY with this one little-known secret…

So what’s the big secret?

Well, it all comes down to you making a decision. You must make the simple decision that you want to change, but you must ACCEPT that this change will be SLOW!

Okay, I know I said that this article was about changing habits quickly, but I need to access the people that think this is possible – and then give them a big REALITY CHECK!

That’s why this article should really be called…

How to Change Your Habits Quickly by Going Slowly

Paradoxical, I know. But honestly: the fastest way to change your habits quickly is to GO SLOWLY – making tiny changes that will give BIG rewards.

And I’m going to show you exactly how to do this in just 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Start by changing your mindset

It all starts with your mindset. If you decide to change your life, you can and you will.

Your mindset is so unbelievably powerful. So powerful that people have used pure willpower to overcome extreme life circumstances – reaching crazy levels of success and achieving near unfathomable things (let’s not forget the mothers who have literally lifted cars to save their children).

If you have a strong will, you can do just about anything!

Of course it does take time to overcome your mental blocks, but that initial decision to change your habits for the better is what can change it all!

Here are the 3 most important mindset shifts you need:

1. Learn to be patient: your habits won’t change overnight. You need to realize it will take a bit of time. Be patient with yourself and don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen as quickly as you’d like it to.

2. Shift from thinking that you need this new habit to actually wanting this new habit: you need to remind yourself that this habit will bring you to a place that you want to be in life. Don’t think of it as a chore, or something to tick of your New Year’s Resolutions list, think of it as something that will make you genuinely happier in your day-to-day life.

3. Understand that new habits will be TOUGH at first: you have to push through the discomfort – that’s the only way you’ll be able to reach a point where your habits will stick.

Step 2: Don’t expect your entire life to all of a sudden change – start with just ONE habit

Start with ONE habit that you want to change that will give you the most reward. By starting with one small change and sticking with it each day, you’ll get into the habit of self-improvement and continuous growth. Over time, this will snowball into big changes in your life!

In my course on personal development and habit-building (which is coming soon, btw!), I talk about the idea of habit stacking. This is the BEST and easiest way to make lasting change, because it allows you to build upon your habits over time.

It also works great because it makes you develop a “cue” that will remind you to do your new habit every day.

Here’s a quick and easy way to habit stack using cues:

Start by choosing the habit that you think will change your daily routine the most (and for the best). For example, waking up earlier.
Once you have gotten used to this habit, add another habit that builds off of the first one. For example, adding 5 minutes of exercise to your morning routine.
Once both of those habits are in place (after about a month or so), add yet another habit onto them. For example, making a healthy breakfast that will fuel your day.

This technique works well because it allows each of your habits to become cues for the next habit, allowing you to add habit after habit to create a routine that works for you!

Related Article: How to Design Your Perfect Nighttime Routine

Step 3: Make a goal plan to help you change your habits

Making a plan can change your life. It can lead to real results and lasting change.

Just the simple act of writing something down that you are looking forward to can make you feel so much happier and more motivated!

That’s why it’s important to write down a simple goal plan that outlines all the steps that you need to take in order to reach your goals and change your habits.

This will serve as a daily reminder that outlines specific steps that will make the whole process of changing your habits much easier.

Some tips for helping you make an effective goal plan include:

– Choosing habits that will serve your wider goals

– Choosing habits that compliment each other (for example, habits that are easily stackable)

Give yourself two weeks to a month to allow for each new habit to become ingrained in your routine. And remember – some habits will come quicker than others!

The time is NOW to change your habits!

You CAN change your habits and you CAN change your life – and you can do this all right now.

As long as you are willing and able to accept that these changes won’t necessarily be instant – and that they will take real effort and determination – then you’ve already done half the battle!

Some closing words of wisdom to help you going forward:

– It all starts with 3 key mindset shifts – learning to be patient, shifting from thinking that you need to change your habits to actually wanting to change your habits, and understanding that incorporating new habits will be tough at first

– Think baby steps: start small with just one habit change, and work your way up from there

– Take some time to write down a goal plan that outlines the practical steps you need to take to change your habits

– And lastly (but definitely not least!) – don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember that changing your habits is a difficult thing to do – so don’t worry if you run into some bumps in the road (this is normal!). Celebrate the small wins – because it’s the small wins that will over time turn into the big wins.

Best vision board alternatives: find yours to supercharge your goals

by Sagesse | Nov 20, 2020 | Goal Setting, Mindset, Personal Development

I love vision boards, the law of attraction, and manifesting so much! They are amazing ways to attract the goals you want! A lot of people like to make their vision boards and then “let go” and not look at them, which is one way of doing things, but I like to be reminded of my goals and dreams every day! That’s why I’ve come up with some fun vision board alternatives to give you daily inspiration and help skyrocket your goals as we move into 2020!

Here are my Top Vision Board Alternatives for Achieving Your Goals!

Alternative #1: Vision board photo wall

Simply having some cute photos pinned to your wall is another great way to start a vision board (or turn it into something amazing!)

You can cut pictures from magazines, print some off the internet, write quotes – whatever you would do for a vision board, but this can be ever changing. You can add, remove, replace, and make it something really special!

And you can keep it where you can see it, like I do!

Vision board alternative #2: sticky notes where you can see them

Sticky notes can be absolutely great for manifesting! You can write down your intentions, positive affirmations, big goals – and place them around your living space where you can get reminders!

You can also put pictures too if you’d like, but sticky notes are just so easy!

Tip: Write down your intentions as if you already have done them! And sprinkle in some gratitude to that!

Example: I am grateful that I have my 6-figure dream job.

Shows an alternative to having a vision board, using sticky notes.

Related Article: How to create a great goal setting worksheet

Alternative #3: audio “vision board”

I find this one really exciting! I love the power of meditations and listening to audio to increase the power of your record a message of your hopes and dreams and listen to it each morning.

Again, with this you can record positive affirmations, messages of gratitude, setting an intention for the day, list your goals as if you have them, or anything else you would like!

Here’s a voice recording app for apple and this one is for android.

Visional board alternative #4: Using a goal planner (like this one!)

I love using a goal planner! It’s such a great way to break down your goals into easy tasks that you can complete and feel good about!

It’s the best way to reach your goals (in my opinion) because it helps you look at it in small chunks, which makes everything less overwhelming and much more do-able!

#5. Pinterest vision board

This is kind of the point of Pinterest in a way!

It’s a great, virtual way to gather all of your important dreams and goals into one place!

You can also find great tips for reaching your goals on there too!

(bonus tip: have a bookmark in your browser linking to your Pinterest vision board so that you can refer to it when you need some extra inspiration!)

#6. Vision Journal

Use a journal or journal prompts for fulfilling your visions!

You can write your affirmations each morning/evening to set your day up for success!

Keep a journal by your bed so that you remember to do it!

Journaling as an alternative to a vision board

#7. Guided vision meditations/visual meditations as an alternative

Guided meditations are a great way to help you manifest and create a solid vision.

This is a way that you can practice the law of attraction daily, in an active way!

There are so many great options out there on youtube, you can get a manifestation video for pretty much anything you want!

There’s also a cool website called mindmovies, which I’ve never personally used – but they create powerful manifestation videos for specific goals. Could be worth a shot!

Do you have a favourite vision board alternative?

Let me know in the comments!

How to deal with overwhelm

by Sagesse | Sep 8, 2020 | Mindset, Personal Development

When I was in university, I was enrolled in an engineering program, and this meant two things:

That I had all my classes with the same group of students, and
That we always had a sh*t ton of work to do!

Every once and awhile though, that regular sh*t ton of work to do would turn into an unmanageable, completely impossible sh*t ton of work to do! We would sometimes have so much assigned to us at the same time that it actually seemed physically impossible to get it all done (which it was).

Thankfully though, there was always that one calm and collected classmate who would tell the professors that we had too much work to do, and the professors would then switch some deadlines around.

This experience taught me one very important thing about being overwhelmed: if it seems too unrealistic, it just might be.

So what does this mean for you?

If you feel overwhelmed, take a step back and look at everything you have to do from an outside perspective. Is it too much for one person to do? Would someone else struggle if they were in your situation? Or is it just more than you should be handling right now? (Remember to go easy on yourself. If you’re feeling tired and rundown, you need to listen to your body and lessen your workload).

If after you’ve done this you realize that it is too much work for you, there are a few simple questions you can ask yourself to help the situation:

Are there any non-urgent tasks that I can push to do later?

Are there any tasks that I can postpone the deadline on or ask to get the deadline postponed on?

Are there any tasks I can easily delegate to someone else?

Just these few things alone can lighten your workload immensely.

For your remaining tasks (the ones that are urgent, the ones that you can’t postpone, and the ones that you can’t delegate), you can take the following steps to organize them in a way that will make them easier to handle:

Step 1

Group together all of the easier tasks that will realistically only take you about 5 – 10 minutes to complete. Then, schedule them into specific time slots when you’ll get them done (preferably earlier in the day so you can get them out of the way).

Step 2

After you’ve finished the easier tasks, get the most urgent tasks done. Even if they’re the ones you really don’t want to do – just get them done and out of the way (you’ll feel so much better once you do).

Step 3

Schedule time for your remaining tasks according to how much focus they require. For tasks that require more focus, schedule them during a time that you can be alone and more attentive. For tasks that don’t need as much focus, schedule them during the gaps in your day.

Step 4

Get it in your mind to focus on one thing at a time and to not hesitate. Often, when we have too much to do, we think about everything at once, which just makes us lose focus and become overwhelmed. We also tend to hesitate and overthink about what task we should begin first. This often leads to not doing anything at all! You just need to start doing one thing really well without overthinking it too much (this is why it’s important to schedule your tasks and stick to that schedule!).

Some more things to keep in mind

The world will go on if you don’t get everything done. The outcome is definitely not going to be as bad as you think it will be. But if you’re having a hard time with this or feeling way too overwhelmed, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional that can help you.
There are always people who will be willing to help you if you have too much on your plate – you just need to reach out and tell them what’s going on. If you are sincere and vulnerable, people will understand and be happy to help (as long as you’re respecting their time and personal boundaries).
If you always have way too much to do, it’s time to be firm with yourself and reevaluate your workload to see if you have too many responsibilities. It might be helpful for you to cut something out of your life for a while if it’s taking too much of your time and damaging your wellbeing.
Take a minute to move your body and exercise! This will help you recharge your body and mind. Seriously, it works wonders – don’t underestimate it!
Schedule in small breaks. Your mind can’t run on hyperdrive all day. Even a quick 10-minute break will help reset it.

Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t have to be a normal state of mind for you. There are always things you can do to help relieve some stress and lessen your workload. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you’ll be able to start enjoying your life (no matter how busy you are!).

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