The other day, I was remarking about how insidious overwhelm can be, sneaking up on you (read, me) and possessing mind and body. What to do? What to do?
I found an archived article by Stever Robbins in the January 2005 issue of the Harvard Business School Working Knowledge for Business Leaders that hits the nail on the proverbial head.
He got it right when he in effect said that overwhelm is an equal-opportunity employer. "Everyone seems to be suffering from daily overwhelm," Robbins says. "At best, we flounder. At worst, we shut down entirely."
Wouldn’t you agree?
But Mr. Robbins doesn’t leave us in the dark. Some might say his solutions to the problem are radical. I wonder what you think. (?)
I invite you to read Stever Robbins’ complete article on the subject, but here are Stever Robbins’ Overwhelm-defeating suggestions in summary:
When you hit a wall:
- Breathe.
- Lean into the overwhelm.
- Take a break.
Change your mindset:
- Adopt "labor savings" only if you’re sure they won’t result in long-term overwork.
- Don’t multitask important tasks.
- Never multitask people.
- Delegate.
- Become emergency driven.
- Settle.
- Schedule vacations.
- Say NO.
Hey Stever,That assessment is eye-opening; everyone should take it. What a wake-up call! It reveals how extremely painful getting caught up in overload really is.Thanks for stopping by, Stever, and sharing that follow-up link. I must say, Tim Ferris’ 4-Hour Workweek is looking better and better all the time!
Comment by Tshombe — October 18, 2007 @ 6:00 am