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4 Questions to Ask When Feeling Overwhelmed

You have been thinking about that goal for a long time. 

But what follows may feel like a laundry list of reasons as to why it’s not possible.

Feel overwhelmed just thinking about it?

Delay can birth, and persist, from feeling overwhelmed.  And that can lead to a sense of not knowing where to start.  This is where so many of us throw our hands up and file our goals away under “day dreams.” 

One solution?  Get realistic about your action plan.

That business you would love to start does not need to be, nor will it be, perfectly ready for prime time in a week.  The 50 pounds your physician suggests you lose will not melt away and be sustained after one month.  Your suffering marriage is not likely to be fully repaired from one successful date night.  So begin to chunk down the big goal into smaller, more manageable or realistic steps. 

Dump that proverbial 1,000-piece puzzle out on the table and start, piece by piece.  You will eventually see progress which is rewarding, motivating and far less overwhelming than never opening the box!

Take a deep breath. 

Once you have your goal in mind and are ready to begin action planning, ask yourself a few simple questions:

  1. What is the importance of this goal for me? (This is your foundational “why” which is key.)
  2. What are the bare basics to get started? (Don’t overthink this one, keep it simple. Simple is realistic.)
  3. How will I prioritize and commit to what needs to be done?
  4. Where can I hold space in my schedule to begin making forward progress?

Answering these 4 questions will help decrease your sense of feeling overwhelmed and begin to shift perspective towards what is realistic and achievable.  Falling off track along the way is natural and to be expected.  Using these questions can give you a quick reset to keep going!