Let’s face it, there are times when every leader has no clue. Many don’t like to admit it, but absolutely no one is exempt.
That moment when you’re sitting at your desk just staring at your computer screen, knowing you have so much to do, but feeling paralyzed on where to begin. You’ve got bills to be paid, programming to be done, coaches to follow up with, bathrooms to clean, and supplies to be ordered.
Let alone the bigger things… like dealing with declining member retention; interacting with a partner you aren’t seeing eye to eye with; realizing the fact that it’s almost March and you’ve barely skimmed the surface of the goals you had the best of intentions to accomplish; creating a marketing strategy so your efforts to generate leads aren’t haphazard throughout the year; and dealing with whether or not you should move to a bigger space since your lease is set to renew in 6 months.
The panic that sets in is real, and deep. And not unique.
Here are 5 things that just might make the weights on your back a little lighter:
1. Make a list.
Things are always much more overwhelming when they are in your head. So, get it out of your head. Write down all the things that are swimming around in the pool of your mind. And then, here’s the key… prioritize them according to: Must Be Done Today, Can Wait Til Tomorrow, Do In the Near Future.
2. Structure your day.
Break your day up into time blocks, and only give yourself an allotted amount of time for each thing on your to-do list. Do the hardest things when you’re at your best – whether it be morning, after lunch, or evening.
3. Only say yes to the “hell yeah” things.
People will always want more of your time. If you’re good at what you do, the type of person people want to be around, and in a respected position of authority, there just won’t be enough of you to go around. So, you have to get good at filtering what’s most important and only saying yes to those things.
4. Invest in you.
We’ve spoken with so many individuals who say they are the last ones they make time for. Everyone else takes priority – family, friends, staff, members, coaches, pets, etc. Make time to get away from the gym at least once a week, and do something that makes you connect with what you love. Get outside your four walls. Nature is an aphrodisiac for the soul.
5. Eliminate the energy sucks.
If you really stop for a minute to look at the 20,000 ft. view of your days and your life, you will quickly see that each day is full of energy-draining activities and people. But we often just allow these things in our lives because it’s easier than eliminating them. So, two things: 1) start paying attention to what these energy sucks are in your day, and 2) say “no” to one thing a day that doesn’t deserve your valuable time.
If you’re overwhelmed, you’re overwhelmed. Period. We’ve all been there. And no amount of someone telling you “do this” or “don’t do that” is going to fix everything.
But, if YOU decide not to live in the overwhelmed state, you can begin to start digging out today, one To-Do list item at a time.