Turn Overwhelm into Order

Love the Snow!

Is the snow beautiful, or what? Even though I know it can cause hassles, I still LOVE it! As I am writing this the sun is streaming through the window, the snow is glistening on the roof tops and the Olympic Mountains are spectacular. Ahhh…so nice!  

I hope you enjoyed Christmas and all the festivities. I don’t know about you, but in the days leading up to all the family gatherings, I had my share of overwhelming moments.  

When I am faced with overwhelm I need ORDER! Here’s how I have learned to go about getting it.  

Snap out of paralysis! When you are faced with a task or situation that seems insurmountable, don’t let it freeze you in your tracks. Make yourself move…the tiniest of baby steps are just fine….as long as they move you forward.  

Stop thinking about what you “can’t do”, and start thinking about what you “can do”. My high school health teacher, Mr. Moody, used to say…”garbage in – garbage out”. In other words, negative self talk leads to negative outcomes. And on the flip side, positive self talk will produce positive outcomes in your life.  

“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” Unknown  

Maybe you can’t get all of your holiday decorations put away in a day like you want to, but you can start taking the decorations off the tree. You can’t magically lose five pounds in a week, but you can go for a short walk right now.  

Don’t limit yourself. You are capable of great things. We all have gifts and talents that make us unique, but most of us are afraid to use them to their full potential. Go for it….try some of those things you’ve always wanted to do. Pray for some wisdom and courage and let God do the rest, He can do anything but fail. You just need to be willing to try.  

Deal with the things you can control. I am a school counselor and I hear things that break my heart sometimes. I do all that is within my power to help, and then I have to let go. The same goes for my family; the choices they make, and the unfortunate circumstances of others all impact my heart, but there are only so many tangible things you can do to help. And by the way, worrying is not a tangible way to help. It only makes you sick and wastes time.  

Count Your Blessings

Invest your time in the most important things in your life. It is easy to get lost in the daily grind and forget what is really important to you. Thinking back to my favorite memories of Christmas, I am reminded of the most important things in my life; enjoying conversation with my family at the dinner table, and reading a Charlie Brown Christmas to my son. Watching movies with my daughters; crying with one at the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and dancing around the room like a crazy person with another after “Foot Loose”. Christmas shopping and dinner out with my husband, and spending time at my parent’s. Laying on my couch and listening to Silent Night on the radio.  

If you really want to turn your overwhelm into order, ask yourself…”What are the blessings in my life?” Write them down and go experience one right now.  

If you have a great tip for creating order in your life, I would love to hear about it. Please feel free to comment on my blog.  

Happy New Year!