When You've Bitten Off More Than You Can Chew
Occasionally, all of us find
ourselves overloaded. Sometimes, it’s the result of circumstances beyond our
control. Mostly, however, it’s because of poor energy/time management on our
part. As Momma used to day, “You’ve bitten off more than you can
chew!”
This is particularly true for “can
do” people with a bias for “yes.” They get a lot accomplished, and occasionally
find themselves swamped in the process.
As one of those “can do – bias for
yes” people, I’ve found myself in that condition numerous times along the way.
I’ve gleaned a few insights from those experiences, and offer a few suggestions
to consider when you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.
1)
Ask yourself – “Why am I doing
this?”
We assume unnecessary
responsibilities because we don’t want to disappoint someone, or because we
haven’t mastered the art of gracious refusal. If you don’t have a good reason
why you’re carrying the load, that’s a good clue that you shouldn’t have picked
it up in the first place. Of course, if you made a commitment to do something,
you should go ahead and get it done – but learn the valuable lesson in it, so
you won’t repeat the same mistake in the future.
2)
Say “Maybe” first instead of
“Yes.”
Often, the reason why we’re swamped
is because we said “yes” without thinking it through. Some people start with
“no” and work to “yes.” Others start with “yes” and work to “no.” The better
approach is to start with “maybe” – and then process it honestly and
thoroughly.
3)
Break Big Projects Down into
Smaller Chunks.
Our riding lawnmower broke down this
summer, and we really don’t want to spend the cash to replace it this year –
which means a ton of push-mowing for my boys and me. At first, the task seemed
overwhelming – but we broke the lawn down into five smaller sections, divided
the duties out amongst us, and it made the task manageable. Big projects and
responsibilities are like that. At first, they can loom like an enormous
mountain - -but if you break them down into little molehills, they’re much less
daunting.
“I’m so hungry I could eat an
elephant!” a man said.
“How on earth could you eat an
elephant?” his friend replied.
“One bite at a
time!”
4)
Stop Avoiding and Get
Started!
Avoiding a task takes more energy
than just facing it, rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. It’s amazing
what you can do if you just put your mind to it, and get into gear. Valuable
energy is wasted when we fret and stew over all we need to accomplish. Stop
stewing and start working on it! You’ll be further ahead at the end of the
day.
5)
Delegate, Delegate,
Delegate.
Is there someone else who can help?
Could another person do this job 80% as well as you? Then give it to them!
When speaking to pastors on the art of delegation, I often have them write down
all the duties and responsibilities that need to be fulfilled in the
congregation. Then I ask, “Who is responsible to do that job?” Many pastors
discover that they carry responsibility for far too many tasks, which actually
wars against their overall effectiveness. I encourage them to find others to
fulfill most of these duties – and then become their coach and cheerleader.
The volunteers receive the satisfaction of purposeful and meaningful service,
and the pastor avoids burnout.
6)
Build Breathing Space into your
Schedule.
Especially if you are stressed out
and overloaded by enormous burdens, you need to build in breathing space.
Actually write it into your calendar – just like you would a doctor’s
appointment – “breathing space.” Time spent re-charging is really an investment
rather than an expenditure. If you don’t have time to take an afternoon or
evening – then take an hour. If you don’t have time to take an hour, then take
15 minutes. We’re not too bright when we burn the candle at both
ends!
7)
Make it a Temporary
Tunnel.
Sometimes, regardless of how we
arrange things, we still find ourselves in an ultra-demanding situation. In
times like this it’s important to do two things:
a.
Assess the situation by asking, “how
can I make this temporary?”
b.
Once you’ve figured that you, remind
yourself, “this is only temporary!”
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