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Getting it ALL Done!
“There’s so much I need to do. I don’t have enough time.” Sound familiar? Here’s another a way to deal with this problem:
How can we get it all done? It seems like time is moving faster and the pressures are increasing.
As we experience a shift in the economy we're also learning, growing, adapting and restructuring our lives. Many of us are coming up with new dreams and intentions that are better aligned with our values, doing what we enjoy and are best at. As we do this we plan our next steps and put together a long to-do list to accomplish our new goals. Consequently, many of us are feeling overwhelmed by the number of activities and work that must be accomplished to achieve this goal. We have a dream and want to be living it RIGHT NOW, or at least by tomorrow.
We may feel pressure when we plan the steps needed to make our dreams materialize. We feel the need to do these tasks immediately. We overwork ourselves, worry, lose sleep - all consequences of trying to "push the river" or make things happen before their time.
Impatience to get it all done NOW causes a great deal of stress for many reasons:
1. We can't do it all right now. We can only be effective if we take one step at a time. One effective step will define the next step and those steps will lead us to our goal. We can only effectively do one thing on our list at a time. If we push ourselves to do more we become scattered, distracted and less effective.
2. When our intention and goal is clear, the information and associations that we need WILL come together for us WHEN the time is right. We can't foresee when this will be. Many pieces of life must come together for our dream to come true ("When we wish upon a star. . ." is singing in my head). This will happen. If we believe it and have faith, we'll rest easier. If we try to look ahead and push too hard, we miss what's happening right now. This causes us to be off target because we miss important information we need right now.
When I look at client's who are pushing too hard I see them on their path but ahead of present time. Life is happening behind their backs and they are missing it. They are disengaged, like a gear off track, and are not moving forward. I tell them to relax, be in the moment and their progress toward their dream reengages.
3. Forging ahead too quickly causes worry. Worrying sends out a signal of doubt and negativity and we often create the circumstance we worry about. We lose sleep, get sloppy, become cranky and fail. Ugh. That is not the way we want to live our lives. Sleep is essential. Worrying is a waste of time at best. Find a better way to spend your time - such as meditating and envisioning your life the way you want it.
4. Our plans evolve. We do not know what lies ahead and how our dreams will come to fruition. Many of those tasks or projects on our to-do list will change over time. They will be reconfigured and right now we can't really see how. If you don't get something done today, and you're actually doing what is right at the time, the task will get done tomorrow or when and if it's right.
5. Planning for unforeseen failures is a waste of time. How will I pay for my kid's school if my plan fails? Who knows? There's no way to know that now. Don't waste your time thinking about it. Plan for success. You'll deal with unforeseen circumstances if and when you need to.
I remember a nuclear bomb shelter that my best friend's family built in their basement in the 60's. Some unfortunate homebuyer had to disassemble that cinder block monstrosity when the house was sold. The war never happened and the shelter would have been useless if it had. How many bomb shelters are you planning in your head? Let them go. You're wasting precious time and energy. Follow your plan and deal with the future day by day.
Plan for the future and follow the plan. Plan on your plan succeeding. Take life one day - one moment - at a time. Do what feels right and move on when it's time to. Your future will evolve and open up in front of you just as you dreamed it would. You have enough time. Believe it!
If you'd like assistance with becoming more effective in your life, contact me at debhill@theAwarenessInitiative.com.
Copyright Deborah Hill 2009. All Rights Reserved.
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