Overwhelmed? Here's How to Move That Elephant

- Have you ever procrastinated long enough for an elephant-sized pile of to-do post-it notes to congregate on your desk?

- Have you ever taken on a project that is just to big to tackle?

- Are you backed into a corner overwhelmed at the giant-sized task before you?

Uh-oh. You have an ...- Have you ever procrastinated long enough for an elephant-sized pile of to-do post-it notes to congregate on your desk?

- Have you ever taken on a project that is just to big to tackle?

- Are you backed into a corner overwhelmed at the giant-sized task before you?

Uh-oh. You have an elephant in your room.

The elephant is the big dark cloud called overwhelm. When you're overwhelmed you feel like there's an elephant-sized obstacle standing in the way of where you are and where you want to be. Overwhelmed is an unproductive reaction to having too much to do, seeing to many possibilities to choose from and thinking that you don't have enough time and resources to get everything done. One of the universal breakdowns that confront people today who is working to manage the competing priorities of business and home life. Overwhelm is not simply having lots of things to do. Overwhelm has definite emotional overtones which may include stress, confusion, fear, and anxiety. When you're overwhelmed you feel stuck and lack motivation to do much of anything. There's so much to do you don't even know where to begin.

Congratulations! You're a master at creating an elephant. Yes, knowing that you created the elephant in the first place is empowering. Since you created it you can un-create it. You created your overwhelmed state so you can, with certainty, move that elephant out of the room. Here's how:

1. Take a look at that elephant. It doesn't like being in the room any more than you like it being there.
2. See it as a huge pile of small tasks instead of one big massive energy sucking obstruction.
3. Put aside any tasks that are 'for the future' and require no immediate action. Now the pile is smaller.
4. Put aside any tasks that you've taken some action on and are awaiting a response from others. What's left in the pile are 'must do's'.
5. Spread the remaining must-do tasks out in a line, flattening the pile, and pick one small task to do. Do that task.
6. Pick the next task in the line and do that.
7. And the next.

Before you know it, you've easily moved that elephant out of your room, and your life!