Funny motivational speaker Amy Dee’s blog,
I recently met my daughter for dinner at a local Indian restaurant. We exchanged pleasantries until our her guilt-free chickpea marsala, and my death plate of lamb curry was served. Suddenly she burst out,” I have so much to do, and I worry that none of it will work out anyway.”
She’s a college senior taking fifteen credit hours, doing her internship, and working over thirty hours a week at a local restaurant. With this hectic schedule, it is no surprise she sometimes feels overwhelmed. Besides papers, exams, and projects due, she worries about her future:
“And what if I don’t get a job once I graduate? And what if I hate the job I get? And what if the job is in a horrible location and I don’t make enough money to pay rent and repay my student loans?” She exclaimed, adding more weight to her overflowing to-do list.
“Wow, you are carrying around a lot of stuff. How would it feel if you just put that big bag of worries down?” I asked.
“It would feel great, but I can’t. I have stuff I need to get done,” she answered, rolling her eyes at my suggestion.
“Sure, but for now, let’s separate what you can control over what you cannot.” I answered, explaining the Dichotomy of Control.
Sofi made a plan for the things she could immediately control, i.e., studying for exams, writing papers, and finishing projects and dropped the things she couldn’t control, i.e., future job, where she’d live or the money she’d make.
Feelings of stress can fuel our imagination. Fired up, we worry about things outside our locus of control. These amped-up concerns can lead to feelings of overwhelm.
When feeling overwhelmed, sort through your bag of worries. Pick up only the concerns you control and leave the rest behind for another day. You’ll lighten your load, making your next step forward a lot easier.
