Overwhelmed and Distracted?

Are you frustrated that the things you want or need to get done aren’t getting done? Do you find that your to do list keeps growing, but rarely shrinking? Are you overwhelmed with that ever growing list to the point that you hide from it, doing little things that probably could wait?

Especially during this time of year, I find that people (myself included) tend to be more overwhelmed and more prone to give in to distractions. With the holidays, so many extras get piled on top of our normal schedules, it’s easy to get lost in the hoopla. I definitely prefer pinning awesome Christmas crafts to Pinterest over doing dishes (I mean, who wouldn’t?), but when those kind of distractions take away from living abundantly, something needs to change.

Have you ever found yourself in any of the following situations?

• The final test is in two days and you really need to study, but you find yourself spending hours on Facebook and pinning awesome ideas to Pinterest instead.
• Your boss has given you a deadline for having that presentation ready, and that date is rapidly approaching. The presentation subject is quite overwhelming, so you busy yourself with checking e-mail and working on other tasks that aren’t time sensitive.
• You really need to vacuum your carpet. Since the last time you vacuumed, your pets have deposited enough fur for a sweater. But since vacuuming is one of your absolute least favorite things to do, your bathrooms are sparkling clean by the end of the day.

If any of those seemed to push your buttons, check out my three Get Things Done tips that I put into practice when I start getting overwhelmed with the to do list that I’ve allowed to build up.

Get Things Done – Tips to Creating a Productive Abundant Life

Just do it – Pick the task that is most time sensitive and tackle it head first. Sometimes I find that it’s best to tackle the harder/most undesirable projects first, so you can get them over and done and not let them bog you down anymore

Say no to distractions – This one is the hardest for me. Once you’ve set your mind to the task you’re determined to accomplish little things will undoubtedly creep up and try to knock you off track. When you find yourself getting sucked into Pinterest, Facebook or have been reading every piece of paper you find when you’re trying to clean a room, recognize that you’re veering off track and correct yourself. It’s not easy to get away from the distractions, especially if the thing that is stealing your attention is more interesting than the task at hand. At the end of the day, however, productivity vs. giving in to the distractions it’s totally worth it.

Break larger tasks down into manageable smaller pieces. – If the task is to clean the living room but it’s overwhelming because that’s too broad, break it down into manageable pieces and focus on one at a time. For example:
1. Pick up the trash
2. Take items that don’t belong in the living room and put them where they do belong (but don’t get sucked into cleaning that other room while you’re there! Stay focused on the living room)
3. Put the pillows back on the couch
4. Vacuum
5. Dust

BONUS: Don’t beat yourself up! – If you do find yourself in a situation where you have allowed yourself to be overcome by distractions for a long period of time don’t let yourself sabotage the potential in the rest of the day. Take a deep breath and just do it. Also, we aren’t meant to do this life alone. If you need support, find an accountability partner or a coach to give you that care and loving push when you need it.

Gratitude With a Side of Turkey and Stuffing

Where does the time go these days? It feels like just yesterday was the start of summer, and here we are at Thanksgiving week! Over the years I’ve noticed how this holiday can mean very different things to different people. To some people, Thanksgiving is all about the food, for others it’s the gathering of family, and then there are those that don’t really get all the hype and tradition and just see this time of year as a (possible) day off of work.

Growing up my outlook on Thanksgiving was all about tradition. Sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, crisp butter rolls, turkey, stuffing and apple pie were all “Thanksgiving foods” because we didn’t have them throughout the rest of the year (or at least not all together), Dad was off work and we all watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as food was being prepared. When I was in 9th grade, I started wondering if Thanksgiving would still be a special day without all the traditions I had come to know as Thanksgiving. This thought process prompted me to write this poem for my 9th grade composition class:

Thanksgiving is not about turkey and stuffing
For there are those who have close to nothing
But still they thank God for all of their days
For everything He has sent their way.
We tend to get stressed among all the clatter
But we need to know, all that doesn’t matter!
What matters is that
We thank God up above
For His great kindness, mercy and love
So during the hustle and bustle each year
Take time to thank God
With a shout and a cheer!
He’ll be with us always
Right here to stay
So, how ’bout we come to Him and say
“Thank you LORD for all you have done
Thank you God, thank you tons!”
© 2003

So, now that I am married and have a home of my own, what has Thanksgiving grown into for me? I look at the holiday of Thanksgiving as reminder to be grateful all year ’round. It’s easy to get so caught up in what is going on in life and forget to be thankful for that life. Thanksgiving helps to take me out of this crazy life for just a little while to focus on gratitude and to reflect on why I am thankful. I still really enjoy getting together with my family, especially now that we aren’t all living in the same place anymore, and I can’t deny my obsession with “Thanksgiving foods” (especially that apple pie!), but Thanksgiving has taken on such a deeper meaning. I am so grateful that I have been given the time to pause and reflect, and grateful that I can share these thoughts with you.

My prayer for this Thanksgiving is that we will remember to be thankful in our daily lives, pause from the frantic running around for just a little while and take note of why we are thankful, and make sure to let those who we are thankful for know our gratitude.

Gratitude Monday is Back!

Happy Monday! I realized yesterday just how much I look forward to Mondays now. Monday is now my time to regroup, clean up from the weekend and get back on track after a couple days of going off track from the typical week routine (note to self, need to make a weekend eating plan!).

I started Gratitude Monday when I was in the corporate mentality, working for “the man”, as a way to readjust my attitude after the weekends. It was a way to focus on the awesome people and things in my life so I could crowd out the negativity that threatened to invade my day with “not good enoughs”. It is amazing how just taking 5 minutes out of the day to be thankful for a couple things outside yourself can change your mindset. What you focus on is what you create.

What are you thankful for today? If you need some inspiration, read my list below and then go make your own!

I am grateful for:

• The opportunity and availability to sit in the sun while studying and coming up with awesome ideas for Abundawonderful.
• My part-time “adorable office assistants” part-time “sharp clawed terrors” 😉
  
  
• The funny little sparrows, boldly fluttering around the outside tables at one of my favorite coffee shops.
• Wonderful, supportive colleagues and friends.
• Spending time with my sister playing Nancy Drew computer games, solving puzzles and getting so wrapped up in the story and each other that time just flies.
• A fun new haircut!
  

As always, this is not an exhaustive list, as I am so totally blessed with so many people and so many wonderful things in my life that I couldn’t possibly list them all!

If things in your life are looking bleak right now and you’re reading this thinking “you have no idea about the real world, my life sucks, what could I ever be grateful for”, please know that I’ve been there. I actually go through phases like that often enough that I completely understand your mentality (even if I don’t know exactly what’s going on in your particular life). If you would, please give this a try: think of one thing that has made you smile, either today or at any point in your life, and write it down. Try doing this every day for one week, at the end of that week look over your paper and see what happens. Remember, what you focus on is what you create.