Do you feel like you are juggling a lot of balls?
Is your To-Do list out of control?
Try this little exercise to bring some calm to the chaos, to put you back in the driving seat:
- Pause, take a moment and close your eyes.
- Picture a set of dinner plates. Divide your to-do list across those plates. See everything you’ve got to do neatly organised onto those plates. It can be as precise or loose as feels right.
As you visualise those plates, notice where you see them in the space around you. This will be different for everyone. Are they up close or far way? Are they in front or behind you? Above you or down at the ground?
- How do you feel about the plates showing up in that way?
- How do you want to feel about them?
- Is that different to how you currently feel?
- Are they where you need them to be?
- What do you need to do to feel how you want?
Feeling overwhelmed recently, I practiced what I preach (though I prefer the word suggest rather than preach!).
I saw shiny white dinner plates each with a stack of things to do balanced on top. I saw these plates raining down around and on top of me. Some plates were crashing down and smashing. I felt like I was drowning under the plates.
I wanted to feel calm and in control.
I asked myself, what do I need to do to feel calm and in control right now?
I needed to stack the plates onto a table in my mind; so they were neat and organised. I instantly felt calmer and the air around me was clear of falling plates. I felt I had space to think.
But then the plates started to fall off the neat stack…
So I asked myself, what do I need to do to secure the stack of plates?
I needed to write an actual, comprehensive to do list. I needed to get all the tasks out of my head and onto paper. And so I did.
I was left with a deep sense of calm and ease. I knew what I needed to do. In the days and weeks that have followed, if I have felt a sense of overwhelm creep in, I have paused and thought of my stack of plates on the table which has allowed the calmness to flow again.
Try it out for yourself! And let me know how you get on, I love to hear from you.
If you would love support in managing your to-do list with a shift in mindset, I would love to work with you. Get in touch to find out more.
9th January 2024