You know the feeling: that sense of being completely swamped and overwhelmed. The other side of the coin, overload, leaves you feeling used up and burned out, unavailable and oddly apathetic. No matter which side you’re on, you’ve got too much to handle and too few resources, internally or externally.
In overcoming these near-twin monsters, it’s useful to keep these three points in mind:
- Overwhelm and overload are not the same thing. Overwhelm happens when you’re rushed, panicked, and out of control; you’re running, but not in a particular direction or toward a particular goal. Overload stops you in your tracks and leaves you standing still, blocked, or procrastinating. Both are hell on your productivity and your self-esteem. It’s hard to feel good about yourself when you’re trying to drink through a fire hose or burned to a crisp–both because you said yes a few too many times.
- Because overwhelm and overload aren’t the same thing, you can’t fix them in the same way. Overwhelm responds well to mindsweeps, exercise, and taking time out to breathe. Overload requires carefully thought-out action, engaging in routine, and getting perspective on why you took on these tasks in the first place.
- Being discerning about what you take on prevents both overwhelm and overload. If you can’t see how an opportunity fits in your wheelhouse–that sweet-spot intersection of your strengths, non-negotiables, passion, time, energy, and resources–then that’s a huge red flag indicating potential trouble ahead.
Great post! This made is real clear to me. In the GTD framework we deal with overwhelm through working the five phases. Overload is managed by working the 6 horizons of focus. I never thought about it in those terms, but your post helped me understand more clearly how those 2 components work together. Thanks!