How to Avoid the Overwhelm
The past year or so I have jumped around from website to blog to article to eBook to course to video to webinar and beyond… Signing up and subscribing to everything in my path that was somewhat related to my website, topics and interests to learn as much as possible.
And (although it may not show) I have learned a ton! I’ve learned about amazing people in the worlds of lifestyle entrepreneurship, fitness, blogging, world travelers, positive psychologists, business coaches, marketing experts and more.
It has been exciting and stimulating, both mentally and physically.
However, between working full-time, freelancing, working out, writing, being a part-time comedian, and doing my best to evade ebola, it’s been quite hectic at times…
All of this frantic searching for information and more, more, more has burned me out on multiple occasions.
The brain is the single most complex, fascinating and powerful thing in the world. However, our brain is not wired to take on the sensory and informational overloads that we as a multi-tasking, multi-tweeting and multi-texting culture subject it to on a daily basis.
At some point, our systems begin to decline and eventually fall apart at this consistently high level of demand. We’re only human.
I knew I had to simplify and cut back on the informational and mental overload I was subjecting myself to.
I sought advice from others who had been in my shoes and began reading up on how to accomplish more by simplifying and eliminating the non-essential.
Probably the single-best piece of advice I received was from Leah Hynes, an awesome business coach and kick-ass blogger behind Rock Your Purpose Live.
I explained to her my dilemma — that there was so to learn from so many equally awesome sources but I just didn’t have the time to digest it all nor did I know which to focus on. Leah told me the following…
My #1 tip would be to seek out those people who have the same lifestyle philosophy as you and avoid the overwhelm that can come from surveying too many opinions.
Her advice rocked my world. It was mindblowing. It was so simple, but it had never even crossed my mind.
Why was I constantly searching for more, more, more when what I needed was right in front of me?
This question surely transcends my own personal situation. I believe we can ask ourselves this question in nearly all aspects of our life. We live in a culture that glorifies more. More money, more friends, more likes, more Chipotle, more mojitos, etc. etc.
We are constantly in the pursuit of more, when in reality we should seek less and focus more.
It’s not only how our brains were wired to operate but it’s also incredibly liberating.
After recently taking a new job and moving to the world’s most hectic city, I am constantly reminding myself of this. I am constantly doing my best to identify my passions, my priorities and my aspirations, in order to act accordingly and narrow my focus with these in mind.
It is still a constant work in progress, but I am certainly much better off than I was. I will leave you with another, equally awesome quote that perfectly ties together all that we have just discussed.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
— Theodore Roosevelt
Do you agree that we are in constant search of more when really we just need to focus more and seek less?
