Reflect on Your Journey to Calm Overwhelm
Taking the time to actively reflect on your journey helps to calm the overwhelm of any situation. It’s a way to organize your thoughts and actions so that you can create a new and better plan moving forward.
The Power of Taking Time to Reflect
When you’re stuck in the middle of all the things and there doesn’t seem to be any time to do anything other than the next thing, MAKE time! Even 5 minutes while you’re waiting for your food at the drive through.
Take a breath, grab a pencil and paper (or use your notes function), and start to rattle off all the things that are going on. (Note: This doesn’t have to be organized right now, just puke it all out. 🤮)
Rattle off all that happened before, is happening now, and needs to happen in the future.
Write out all the emotions, concerns, and frustrations that go along with all of it.
Keep writing (or dictating) until you don’t have anything else to say. Then take another deep breath.
Organizing Your Thoughts for Clarity
This allows all the thoughts to be taken out of your head and into black and white. It’s captured and can be sifted through for the purpose of creating your next plan. It gives you a clear picture of the important items and the things that are just getting in the way…like your thoughts.
The next step is to identify all the facts, the important items, and list them out. Acknowledge all the rest and then push it aside. It is past and is no longer required moving forward.
Now you can move these things around in a new pattern to see which way will work best for you. You can map out different paths forward, different ways of doing things, different timings, and pick the one that feels most in alignment with what you want and your BIG Dream.
This path might be different than you expected when you first started out. That’s ok. You’ve learned and experienced a lot since then. You have new insights and perspectives on how things can be accomplished. Use that experience and insight to create an easier journey. You’ll appreciate it in the end.
I do this process whenever I start to feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to get what needs to be done, completed. I make a list of all the things. I look at the deadlines (if any) that confine certain tasks and start to make decisions and map out my day. Do I need to travel? Must I be somewhere at a certain time? Should I go to the farthest point and come back in, or should I start from home and head outward?
Mapping a Clearer Path Forward
By looking at the big picture you start to see patterns. Things click together that seem on opposite ends of the spectrum. When you zoom out you can see where things might get a bit dodgy and can plan a workaround.
Taking even a few minutes to reflect on your journey can shift your perspective, ease the overwhelm, and help you find a clearer way forward. Whether it’s jotting down thoughts, identifying key priorities, or mapping out the best next step, this simple habit can transform chaos into clarity. Remember, progress happens one small step at a time—so take a breath, reflect, and realign your path toward your BIG Dream.