Pick up a flat rock, skip it across Green River (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Photo by Shaueel Persadee on Unsplash

What to do when you're swamped.

This is different to being busy. Everyone is busy, all the time. 

Swamped is when the work has piled up through no fault of your own and it seems a daunting prospect getting it all done. In fact, it's often difficult knowing where to start.

As one of my colleagues said to me recently, "My to do list is really full, and I have no time to do it".

James Clear says this: "The myth is that there isn't enough time. There is plenty of time. There isn't enough focus with the time you have. You win by directing your attention toward better things."

So, what to do?

Here's what I do (we're all different but one of these strategies may work for you too).

Mind set. Ignore the huge, overflowing pile of stuff and pick one thing that can be done quickly. Do it. Pick the next quick win. Do it. Repeat. Pretty soon you'll be like me and have enough space to do a blog post about being swamped! The extra bonus for this method is that the big things no longer look so big.

James Clear says this: "The person who focuses on one task and sees it through to completion—even if they work in a somewhat slow or outdated manner—beats the endless optimizer who jumps from tool to tool and always hopes a new piece of technology will help them finish what they start."

Less is more. A bit of mind set, but after the quick win, pause. Go for a walk outside and clear your head (warning - don't just go to the staff room and grab a quick coffee - there are dangers lurking there - plenty of lovely people wanting to put another monkey on your back - then you are instantly pulled back in, making instant decisions about how to deflect or answer questions). 

Or - just go outside for a walk. It's refreshing, it clears the head, and gives clarity and perspective (there's always more to do - the work is like Newman's mail - it keeps coming and coming. It NEVER STOPS!!!!)

Find a good quiet spot without distractions and hunker down to kill off as much as possible. This one is my last resort really, because on site there is nowhere to completely get away and concentrate. In those moments of interruption it's best to just breathe and remember Brene Brown's maxim - everyone is doing the best they can.

Go to it team!