One thing I’ve been working towards lately is stressing a little less. I’ve always been the girl juggling just a little bit too much on my plate. In the past, I’ve loved having tons to juggle and I’ve done well with it. That was before adding a new home, two dogs, and a baby into the mix. With added responsibilities comes less time to “do it all,” which initially led to some stress. Today, I’m going to be sharing a few simple tips to use when things pile up to avoid that stressed feeling that can knock us down so easily.
I’m amazed when people ask me how I “do it all” because I certainly don’t feel like I ever accomplish everything that I set out to achieve. If you were to see my to do list, you would understand what I mean. For every task that I accomplish, I feel like I add two back in its place. Most days, it seems like a never ending cycle. My list is never complete and only seems to grow with each new day.
Earlier this year, I was letting the long list and forgotten commitments really stress me out. I was trying to juggle it all – house, baby, dogs, blogs, business, etc – and it just wasn’t working out. I would spend most of my days doing nothing because I couldn’t figure out where to start when I had the time. Of course, this led to more overwhelm and an even bigger list.
I’m not exactly sure when I made the mindset shift that has led me to not feeling overwhelmed and actually getting things done. I’m glad that I did though because I feel like I’ve found a system that works for me. The biggest thing I changed was how I choose to look at things that are on my list. The three tips below are what helped me the most with making this mindset shift.
Stop trying to be perfect.
There were a lot of things on my list (including blog posts) that were never getting shared or marked off because I didn’t feel like they were quite right. I was focused on making things perfect before putting them out into the world. This was making me feel like nothing was ever getting done. One week, I decided to focus on “done is better than perfect” and I repeated this phrase over and over again all week. I was able to get a lot more done because I let go of perfection. The stuff I share on my blogs isn’t perfect and this is more than okay. After all, isn’t life just one big imperfect mess?
Stop being “too busy.”
I’ve always loved having a full calendar. I love doing things and staying busy. In fact, you could say I thrive on it at times. Baby Fox has taught me that having an open schedule is just as important as having a full schedule. I highly recommend leaving your schedule a bit open so that you can enjoy the moments of your life. After all, it’s sometimes the unexpected moments that end up making the best memories.
Stop always worrying about this or that.
This is probably the hardest piece of advice I can give. And I say that because it’s a hard one for me to follow. I’ve found that I waste a lot of time worrying about one thing or another. While there are some things that you should worry about, there are so many others that you shouldn’t. If something is out of your control, then it’s sometimes best to acknowledge the worry and move forward rather than dwelling on it. I’m not perfect with it, but I found once I stopped worrying about every little thing, I was able to enjoy things and even get more done.
Focus on one thing at a time.
My mind used to be three tasks ahead of the one I was working on. This was creating a sense of overwhelm and poor quality in whatever task I was tackling. This month, I decided to slow down and focus on one task a day. If that one task gets completed, I consider the day a win. I originally thought this would result in getting less done each day. Instead, I’ve found that I get more done each day. Once I accomplish that one task, the rest seem less daunting because I’ve already accomplished what I have to do and I’m moving on to getting ahead. It’s been amazing for my productivity.
I’m so in love with this new system that I want to share it with you in a free 7 day challenge! Join me as we tackle “that one task” each day that will make you feel accomplished and help you get ahead of the game. I’ll be sharing tips each and every day to help you master your time through organization, flexible scheduling, and prioritizing. It all starts August 20th and is free for those participating live! After that, I’ll be releasing it with a fee. So, join me now while it’s still free to join! Just click on the button below.
I always love learning from you! What’s your tip for stressing less throughout your day? Share it with everyone in the comments below!
