Overwhelm kicks in when the “everything” is considered in the context of getting it all done.

The penchant for expressing our worth  by how busy we are has woven itself into the fabric of our culture. Our worth as a human begins by virtue  of our breathing.  It works outward from there. There are some days when our sense of worth has to be defined as enough just by being alive.  Those are tough days.  Then – there are the days where we are energized and have a list of things to do that stretches the length of…well, more than one human could possibly get done in a day.

It’s likely true that “you cannot get everything done today.”

However! you can get  one or two things done toward many of the things on your list. Working TOWARD a goal is not as emotionally satisfying as the feeling of completing something. So, here is the trick. Consider that one thing or those two things as independent tasks.  And take joy and personal reward when you complete them.  In that you will know you have propelled yourself one or two steps closer to finishing the current list of Everything.  Daily doing that one thing is one of the keys to true effectiveness.