I just this moment had a massive feeling of overwhelm. This isn’t abnormal, I lead a busy life, especially at work, its a life dictated by deadlines and the agenda of other companies, frankly I hate it and more often than not, that panic and urgency fizzles out into nothing anyway.
I really shouldn’t let it bother me, but, it does… It’s who I am.
I hate letting people down, I hate not meeting my commitments. So, when there’s a chance I might not fulfil my promise my brain goes nuts and BAM – I’m overwhelmed.
I am familiar with this feeling and have solutions.
If I can, I instantly whip out one of my notebooks and start dumping all my thoughts onto paper. Every single thought goes into my second brain, if it’s on the paper, my brain doesn’t need to hold it any more…
If this doesn’t work I go and talk to someone. I have a great team at work who always help lighten both the mental and physical load. A quick chat with the lads helps me put things into perspective and think more rationally.
And, if it’s really bad, I make a plan! I write a list and put it all into a big calendar and set it all out!
But that’s all boring worky stuff!
Today, I scribbled and spoke to my team.
It helped me figure out what’s actually going on. At first, I thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew… but that wasn’t it.
I hadn’t asked for all this. Not really.
I hadn’t bitten off more than I could chew….
I’d been fed more than I could chew.
I was also feeling completely in the dark about where I was with it all.
So the solution?
Find out.
I’ve been through this before. It’ll probably mean long hours and stressful days, but we’ll come out the other side… we always do.
My main worry is letting it creep into my personal life. But when you’re a business owner, those lines are always blurred… if they even exist at all?
Despite my best efforts, I still struggle to switch off. I still want to do a top-quality job and I still want to deliver when I say I will. That matters to me.
But it also winds me up… because I know the truth. I say it all the time:
“Lack of planning on your part doesn’t make it an emergency on mine.”
I just don’t always live it.
Because after everything the family and I have been through, I should be able to just say:
There’s more to life than work.
Life is for livin’.
And simply…
F**K UM!
Take it easy.
TM
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