Paralyzed by the Long List

Have you ever had so much to do...so much on your plate that you get totally stuck?

That is a lot of noodles peeps!

I mean, like, you feel almost paralyzed by the sheer monstrosity of it all.

It is like feeling frozen.

It is like your to-do list is so crazy that all the words turn into jumbled letters on the page and you can't even comprehend any of it. You stare and you don't know where to begin.

Come on! Bring balance to the force and assemble the avengers in one day?
Talk about overwhelming!!!

And so for a while, you do nothing.

But instead of relaxing, you worry.

You worry about all the things you know need attending to but you can't move.

Your eyes can't focus.

This is actually how I see without my contacts or glasses on.
Actually it is even worse than this.
True story.
But I digress...

The sounds in the background all mesh together like a tangled net threatening to wrap itself around your brain...tighter and tighter...until you can't even think at all.

This is not exactly what I meant...but it is probably not exactly what he meant to do either.
Ball in the net dude...not your noggin!
(GO TORONTO RAPTORS!!!)

Perhaps it is because nothing on that jumbled list of things you have to do involves doing something solely for yourself.

Maybe it is because at least a third of the items that you think you are supposed to do don't even have to be done. You just think they do.

Maybe some of them can wait.

That frickin' list is waaaaaaaaay to long to process peeps!

This is me looking at a to-do list that is way to long.
Not a pretty picture.

I know...because I have one. And instead of dealing with it, here I am procrastiwriting.

We need to learn how to cross things off, say no, give ourselves some slack, delegate and ask for help.

Ya gotta love yourself.
And ya gotta show yourself some love too.

We need to understand that these manifesto-type lists need to be broken down into mini, realistic, manageable lists.

Kinda like this one.
Notice the one about enjoying a dinner out?
Bingo!

So figure out what needs to be done today...or this weekend. Maybe it is 3 things...maybe it is 5...maybe it is only 1. What seems realistic an manageable to you? When does the list go from "I can do that!" to "Oh help me  Lord!!!!"?

Rome was not built in a day peeps.

This took at least four days...for sure!!!

And make sure to include something for you and only you on your list.

Maybe it is a half-hour to read. Perhaps it is a yoga class. If it is watching "Project Runway"...that is fine. Whatever turns your crank and/or makes you smile.

I, personally, went to Mexico for a week and look how happy I was?
OK...that is a rare occurrence. But hey...I dig Project Runway too yo!

If you enjoy it...and if falls under the category "me time", then nothing is wrong with it as long as no body gets hurt.

I am easily overwhelmed and so I have learnt the hard way that "grandmaster lists" are fine...but it must be broken down, otherwise you will be flash-frozen.

How could I not...after saying "grandmaster" and "flash" in the same sentence?
Word.

I have to take things day by day and then I can focus at the immediate tasks at hand instead of worrying about everything else and getting nothing done.

Instead of getting paralyzed.

She has a loooooong list.
Or maybe just too much botox.
I'm guessing the former.

And now...I need to make some hard boiled eggs. Because I need them for my new "better eating"plan. And that is one of the items on my list of things I want to get done TODAY.

In case you didn't know what hard boiled eggs look like.
You're welcome.

As for what I need to get done tomorrow?

Well...that is for another list.

Smiles,

Lora