on keeping it simple
... a reminder
I have been a little overwhelmed this week. Overwhelmed with my get-to-do list and overwhelmed with a new beginning as a parent.
One of my boys just left for Australia as part of his gap year and he's so far away already. I *might* have been obsessively tracking his flight progress (at the time of writing he was somewhere over the Pacific Ocean). The early part of the week was a whirlwind of last-minute details for him. Sorting bank logistics, packing, and making sure all his documents were in order.
Teary goodbyes. Whoosh.
At the same time, book launch plans have been gearing up. Finalizing the design of the inside of the book. Reviewing schedules with my publisher. Deciding on keywords and categories. Learning about the behemoth called Amazon in the book world. Creating marketing materials. And so on ...
As I sat down on Sunday to plan out my week the list seemed never-ending.
I could feel myself sliding into that familiar feeling of panic. You know the one where you look at your list, get overwhelmed and then run around like a chicken with your head cut off doing everything and nothing all at once? Yeah. That feeling. Maybe it's just me?
Monday of this week turned out to be a "chicken-head-cut-off-day". By the time dinner rolled around, I was bug-eyed and overwhelmed. If I have led you to believe in previous Letters that I always have my shit together I offer my sincere apologies.
As I tucked myself into bed on Monday I was ready for a good night's sleep and a fresh start the next day. When I woke on Tuesday I looked over my get-to-do list with a fresh set of eyes. I identified 3 Things I was going to do that day.
3 Things that would move me forward. Just 3. Not 5. Not 10. Just 3.
I kept things simple. With a rested mind and renewed focus by 8 am that day I had already knocked one item off my list. By the end of the day, I'd completed the 3 Things I'd promised myself.
In simplifying I actually got more done with focused effort. It was a reminder that if I am intentional in prioritizing my get-to-do list what is important will get done and the rest will happen when it is meant to ... and maybe it won't happen at all.
Simple. Keep it Simple.
If you feel like life is getting away from you, take a small moment to pause, look at your want/need/have/get to-do list and identify 3 Things you will start with. Keep it simple. Once you are through your first 3 then you can add another 3. Momentum will build. I promise.
In my book, I talk about keeping things simple as a way to build and maintain a habit. This is a strategy I continue to revisit when things get chaotic. It has gotten easier to reset but I still need the reminder.
This week, when it felt like I was going to be buried under an avalanche of overwhelm, keeping it simple and committing to just 3 Things meant I was able to move forward even when life was trying to send me sideways.
What can you do to keep things simple in your life?
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