How to tell when you're overwhelmed
Nearly everyone feels time pressured from time to time. Sometimes you just don't have time to do everything on your list. In that case you need to prioritize and perhaps remove many items on your to-do list.
But some people work themselves into a system of chronic overwhelm. These situations call for taking a close look at your whole approach to time management. You need to go beyond your "To Do" list to go deeper into your own style of working.
Here are some symptoms that your time management system may need an overhaul, not just a modification of your "to do" list and calendar.
(1) You are surrounded by mountains of "To Do" lists. Each day you change the date and maybe you add more items. However, you rarely cross anything off or check a project as "completed."
(2) You are working on six half-finished projects. Each project probably has its own folder, desk drawer or computer file. You might work awhile on one project. As soon as you start to make some headway, you get new ideas for another and jump tracks.
(3) You are working really hard and never seeing rewards for your efforts. You feel frazzled, tired and frustrated most of the time. When you reach this point, you are beyond "work harder" and even beyond the advice to "Work Smarter." You need to go back to basics and ask questions like, "Why am I doing this at all?"
(4) You keep hearing negative critical voices in your mind or in your external environment. These critics label you lazy, slow and/or disorganized. In reality, few people are truly lazy. Most people are slow or disorganized when they are missing critical chunks of information (or, in some cases, working towards a goal that's not right for them).
(5) You stopped taking time off and no longer enjoy real vacations. You are living to work, not working to live. Some people can operate this way for months or years at a time, because their work is also their passion and their play. Otherwise, you run the risk of annoying colds and mysterious pains, disruption of relations or even a more serious meltdown.
If this sounds like you, take a step back and consider whether your current time management system is really helping you work towards your most important goals. Assess your priorities and rebuild a time management process that will serve you better.
