Haha. I didn’t plan to write about gratitude just after Thanksgiving. I swear, it’s a coincidence! This is the second in a series on how to not feel so rushed all the time, that just happened to start last month.
Last month I talked about keeping a journal to help with planning. My second strategy is to notice what is already good. Gratitude goes a long way towards making life feel full – in the good way, not the overwhelming way - and getting rid of the need for striving.
This may not feel like a time management tool but it really is. When I focus only on all-the-things-that-aren’t-done-yet that is all I can see. It adds an amazing amount of stress into an already busy life, drains energy, and actually makes it harder to accomplish stuff. When I’m in that frame of mind, I get easily overwhelmed and the pressure I put on myself to get something, anything! done is actually counterproductive.
I have a daily practice of texting a gratitude list to a friend. It doesn’t have to be long or all encompassing. I just list a few things that have gone right in my day – like a good snuggle with my dogs, and a good meal with the hubby – and I stop feeling like a total failure because of all-the-things-that-aren’t-done-yet.
A big part of “rushing around like crazy” is mental. I find, and my clients have found, that without even changing anything on the calendar, focusing on what’s going well leads to a shift in attitude and a feeling of calm and lightness that is wayyy better than feeling crazy busy.
Last month I talked about keeping a journal to help with planning. My second strategy is to notice what is already good. Gratitude goes a long way towards making life feel full – in the good way, not the overwhelming way - and getting rid of the need for striving.
This may not feel like a time management tool but it really is. When I focus only on all-the-things-that-aren’t-done-yet that is all I can see. It adds an amazing amount of stress into an already busy life, drains energy, and actually makes it harder to accomplish stuff. When I’m in that frame of mind, I get easily overwhelmed and the pressure I put on myself to get something, anything! done is actually counterproductive.
I have a daily practice of texting a gratitude list to a friend. It doesn’t have to be long or all encompassing. I just list a few things that have gone right in my day – like a good snuggle with my dogs, and a good meal with the hubby – and I stop feeling like a total failure because of all-the-things-that-aren’t-done-yet.
A big part of “rushing around like crazy” is mental. I find, and my clients have found, that without even changing anything on the calendar, focusing on what’s going well leads to a shift in attitude and a feeling of calm and lightness that is wayyy better than feeling crazy busy.
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