If you’re feeling stressed about how much you need to do, then maybe it’s too much. You heard me. You’re doin’ entirely too much.
Don’t get me wrong though; you can work on all of your passions with less stress. But when we think about getting things done, we often put all the focus on ourselves, narrowing our scope and our impact. We need to think bigger in order to do more.
In this post, I’m going to show you how to do more by stressing less. The trick to this is in making sure that the focus of your work is broad, not narrow. So here’s how:
1. Remind yourself what matters
It’s great to focus on your passions and what’s truly important to you, but not if this narrows your focus so much that you’re no longer aware of the big picture. If you’re stressed about a certain goal, take a moment to remind yourself why you set it in the first place. I guarantee you it wasn’t so that you could spend all your time worrying about it. I’m willing to bet that you set this goal for yourself because it fits into your overall purpose in some way. Don’t lose sight of this.
It’s also easy to get caught up in comparisons. My goal is never to be the best. Now, that statement still makes the perfectionist in me a bit nervous, but over time I’ve learned to strive for action, not perfection. Again, rather than focusing on each detail, you need to focus on the big picture. Analyzing details creates stress, while thoughtful action brings you closer to your best.
Get more done by:
- Reminding yourself of the end goal so that you don’t waste any time focusing on minutiae
- Refusing to over-analyze small steps – make progress
2. Build relationships
If you’re stuck because you’ve truly done all that you can to reach your goal, consider whether or not you’ve asked for help. You could put pressure on yourself to get it all done and “fake it until you make it,” but it would be way less stressful if you stopped pretending and asked someone to show you how.
You have quick and easy access to helpful resources, both online and in person! If you’ve fostered healthy relationships with the people who offer those resources, they’ll be more than happy to help.
This does not mean you have to be friends with big names. In fact, most times, you won’t personally know these people. Maybe they’ve written a great book or created an online course.
In other cases, the people you have become friends with will be your greatest supports. There is so much value in just hanging out with people you connect with: listening to their stories and sharing your own. These are the people who’ll remind you of who you are when you truly need it. They’ll hold you up when life brings you down, and they’ll give you perspective when you’re too invested in one area of success. These friendships are infinite sources of community, help, and joy, and they steer us towards our most productive, healthy selves.
Get more done by:
- Getting a blueprint from someone who’s done it before
- Checking in with community
3. Strategize for the greater good, not for yourself
In other words, how will this impact other people? If achieving something is stressing you out, can you give it greater meaning? How could you make this beneficial not only for you, but for others?
I’m not saying put your goals off to the side; I’m just suggesting where to place your strategic efforts. If your goals are solely you-focused, then only you will benefit from them and they’ll be so much harder to maintain. If your goals honour what works best for you, but also help other people, you’ll find so much more support in achieving them.
You don’t have to be the best; you just have to serve the best. The best meal you can serve, the best hugs you can serve, the best care you can serve, the best product you can serve. When you use your energy to figure out how best to serve other people, you’ll create a larger impact than if your focus is on how to get ahead.
Get more done by:
- Shifting the focus off of you and onto others; your efforts will become more relevant and more supported
Summary
We always do “more” when we have an outward rather than inward focus. Some goals are just for us, and this is not selfish. But others – the ones that become constant points of stress and worry – can be better framed by looking at the big picture. When you focus only on you-centric work, things get stressful real quick. In order to shift from you-centric work and do “more” with less stress:
- Remind yourself why your goals matter
- Focus on supportive relationships, and
- Be strategic about service
I hope this helped, and I hope to chat with you soon in our email community on self-care and productivity. Don’t forget to join by grabbing the freebie on your way out!