This week, I started a dissertation extension course for the PhD program that I’m in.
This means 7 weeks to focus solely on writing the proposal for my dissertation.
Sounds amazing right? I don’t have to do coursework plus my dissertation! Yay!
Well my brain totally freaked out. On Monday I felt completely overwhelmed and paralyzed in terms of my productivity. I didn’t think that I even knew where to start, what the pieces were of what I needed to do, or how I was going to get anything done.
Then I reminded myself that overwhelm is one of those indulgent feelings that is totally unnecessary to feel. When we feel overwhelmed, it feels like it’s caused by all of the stuff that we have going on (dissertating, working, mom-ing, running my business, drinking water, oh my!)
But really the overwhelm is caused by the way that we think about all of those things.
Overwhelm tries to keep us safe by allowing us to lean on confusion to not make decisions that will move us forward, and possibly into new, uncomfy territory, in our lives.
The surefire way that I move through overwhelm is to train my brain to make decisions, and then have my own back once those decisions are made.
What this usually looks like for me is doing a brain dump. I write down every single thing that’s on my plate.
Once it’s all out, I look through that list and see what can be done in a matter of minutes. And I do them. No overthinking, just execution.
Now you’ve built up some momentum!
Next I’ll look at the remaining list and see what doesn’t have to get done, or doesn’t have to get done by me. Those things get eliminated.
Lastly, I’ll look at the bigger projects on my list and determine what the next step would be to at least get started, and if it feels good, the next handful of steps.
Then I go and do those items I’ve identified.
I make decisions on things quickly, and I back myself up by not spinning out or doubting or giving in to analysis paralysis.
In most situations, a less than perfect decision is better than no decision.
You can always make a new decision once you see the outcome of the first.
The way through overwhelm is making powerful decisions.
Don’t let your brain tell you that you don’t know how to figure things out.
Try it out and see how it works for you!