Trying for Too Much – See. Perceive. Act.
This post, former procrastinators, briefly addresses three topics as part of our series on problems that plague us.
Trying for too much at one time. Maybe it’s too many items or one very large one. In this case, we overwhelm ourselves by heaping more on our plate than we can eat. We set our sights on such a lofty goal that it’s unreasonable to reach in the time we have to do it. I’m famous for this because I tend to not account for difficulties in the path and to overrate my abilities. Christmas Calculations that we do here grew out of my need to face facts about how much I can do during the holidays. My need to leave the house with margin relates to this. As my mother said, “Beth, you count on perfection. Life is not like that.” Ten traffic signals, road construction, heavy traffic, and 15 miles between us mean I cannot reach my friends house in 20 minutes. It’s unrealistic to think so – but I tried. What stress. Dealing with reality works better.
Perfectionism might be a factor in taking on too much. We think we have to complete an entire job just right or we’ve failed. We must learn to be grateful for progress and keep moving. If a whole job must be completed in a short time, we likely have to cut some things out and revamp our schedules to accommodate that need.
Trying to Organize too much stuff. Someone often said to me “I have to get organized around here.” I’d think, “No, you need to eliminate around here.” It was years before I applied that recognition to myself. We burden ourselves trying to organize items that should not even be in our homes. Eliminate – then organize. Trying for both at once will tangle you up. When elimination is done (even a small section), then you see the space you have to work with and can maximize it.
There are other ways to trip ourselves up by skipping steps or trying to do too many activities concurrently. If chapter 9 is built on information you haven’t learned from chapter 8, go back to learn 8 first.
Ignorance. “I don’t know what to do.” “I have no idea how to even start.” This humble recognition positions us to benefit from help. Part of dealing with reality is acknowledging we need help and going for it. Maybe there are parts you’re able to do (“What CAN I do?”) As you move through the task, you may find you knew more than you thought. If you hit a snag and need direction, ask for help for the parts outside your wheelhouse. In a cute old movie, two women sought to be selected for a program. One had physical strength and prowess; the other was academically talented. Both areas were required to gain acceptance. Each woman trained the other. Both were selected.
Which of these areas trips you up?
