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intention

When Overwhelmed

October 20, 2013 By Michele Woodward 1 Comment

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Think about the advice most of us give others (and ourselves) when overwhelmed:

“Bear down.”

“Knuckle down.”

Even, “double down.”

Truth is, down is the opposite direction we’d really like to go when things are difficult. What we want is to rise above, to overcome, to ease up. To fly free of the tremendous weight of too much to do and too little time to do it in.

When we’re stressed and overwhelmed, we do things like work through lunch, and come in early, and leave late, and get by on as little sleep as possible. (Read this new study on sleep and the link with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, which is fascinating.)

And none of our struggle and effort necessarily makes the end product that much more fantabulous. What it does is makes us more anxious, and exhausted.

After years of exploring this subject, I’ve learned that there’s just one way to overcome overwhelm. Ready for it?

Do the opposite of what you think you should do.

Stuck for a creative idea? Take it from someone who’s tried – sitting at your desk twirling a pencil in your fingers like it’s a flaming baton and pretending you’re a Texas twirler wearing white go-go boots ain’t gonna make any lightbulbs appear.

What does work is a simple sequence of steps:

Set your intention – “I will come up with a great solution to the client problem”

Take a break and do some completely unrelated activity – get in a brisk walk, eat lunch, take a nap, call your BFF and talk about your vacation plans.

During this break, your brain will continue to work in the background on the problem you gave it and nine times out of ten you’ll have a moment of inspiration which leads to the last step:

“Eureka!”

Houston, we have a solution.

I also believe strongly in the power of mono-tasking. Mono-tasking is when you tackle one thing at a time and do it completely before moving on to the next thing. When I was just starting in my career, I was taught to “touch it once” – which, granted, was in the days when we actually touched paper at the office – and that’s the general idea of mono-tasking, too. When I focus 100% of my time and attention on the task at hand, I can complete it thoroughly and quickly. If you think about it in terms of units of energy, I can put 10 units on the task at one time instead of 40 units picking the project up and putting it back down again over the course of several days.

Which means that you will finally have enough time to do what you need to do. Now, the more you use this sequence and mono-task, the better you’ll get at it. You may find that solutions come easier and the time that it takes to get from A to B gets a lot faster. This gives you time to do the other things you need to do to live your life fully.

Which means no more overwhelm.

Now, I am going to say this: Some bean-counters have a real problem with people sitting at their desks less than a ten hour day. Breaks, unless scheduled, are unsettling to these dear souls. They also struggle with not seeing you sweat beads of blood from your brow as you hunker down (yes, that word again) to the pile of tasks at hand.

These people think that the end product of ten hours of work is always better than that of five hours of work, because there are more hours to count.

And, of course, some folks see being overwhelmed as the Red Badge of Courage, and the totem signifying that you have really made it. Anyone who’s anyone has stress! We’re all busy!

It’s the siren song of our age, and it’s easy to fall into step with those who believe it. But you know it’s not true, right? Anyone who’s had a real eureka moment which has led to efficient accomplishment knows what really works.

And it’s not stressful overwhelm.

It can be a lonely road to travel, this being unstressed. This taking strategic breaks. This flow through your tasks. These eureka moments. This joy in your work. This success.

But, let me tell you, it is so worth it when you can honestly say, “No, I’m not stressed – I feel great about my job.” Totally blows people’s minds.

Filed Under: Blog, Career Coaching, Clarity, Getting Unstuck, Happier Living, Uncategorized, WiseWork Tagged With: feeling overwhelmed, intention, intention setting, mono-tasking, multi-tasking, overwhelm, stress

How To Get What You Want

February 25, 2007 By Michele Woodward Leave a Comment


Have you heard about The Secret? It’s a book developed from a movie – and it’s got incredible buzz. It’s sold 1.7 million copies since Thanksgiving. When it was featured on Oprah’s TV show February 8th of this year, viewers almost crashed her website seeking more information.

The idea behind The Secret is not a new one – I’m going to tell you The Secret right now, so stop reading if you don’t want to know it — it’s this: You can get anything you want. If you just ask and believe, you will receive.

This idea has been around since man first sparked flint against stone. Some people call it The Power of Positive Thinking, some people call it Cosmic Ordering, some people call it Intention Setting, some call it the Attractor Factor, and some folks just call it prayer. The gist is that you can draw positive things to you by your intention and attitude.

The people behind The Secret are truly marketing geniuses – they’ve reworked an ancient idea and made it a multi-million dollar fad. But I’m afraid some folks using The Secret are going to be disappointed.

Because it’s not just the asking that’s important. You have to know why you’re asking in the first place.

I have to disclose that I believe strongly in the power of visualization, intention setting and attracting what you want. In fact, I do it regularly. And it works. My method is a little different from The Secret, and I’ll share it with you now. It won’t cost you a nickel.

Michele’s Secret: just Center, Seek, Visualize, Request, continue to Visualize, and you will Receive.

So, first, you have to find your Center. That means you have to get in the place where you do your best, clearest thinking. For some, it may be a quiet meditative spot. Some may find taking a brisk walk or a run conducive to thought. Others might choose the perennial favorite, the shower (as in “I do my best thinking in the shower!”). Some people find Zen in folding laundry. Whatever. Just get yourself clear and focused.

Then, Seek. The Seeking phase is where you ask yourself “What do I want?” For me, this question has two parts: “What do I want more of that I already have?” and, “What do I want that I don’t have?”

Let’s say you Center and Seek and come up with: I want a Mercedes-Benz. If you stop right there and ask the Universe for a Mercedes-Benz, I have to tell you – you’re probably not going to get it. Before you Request, you have to know why you want a Mercedes.

If you answer, “I want a Mercedes because then everyone will know I’m rich and can afford a car like that”, then you are coming from a place of ego and the Universe doesn’t reward ego-based desires. Sorry. An intention that can only be fulfilled by hurting someone else is likewise a no go. So no intentions around your ex getting hit by falling space debris. Bummer.

If you pursue the idea “If I have a Mercedes, everyone will know I’m rich” down to the core, you might find that what you seek is affirmation – and that’s what you truly need to attend to. The car is just a dodge from the real problem.

However, if when you Seek you come up with, “I want a Mercedes because they are well-built vehicles and a ton of fun to drive,” then that is a pure intention. How do you know it’s pure? Simple. If the result you desire is just for you, doesn’t harm anyone and doesn’t involve any other person’s perception of you, then you aren’t coming from ego.

And don’t think you can say one thing and really mean another – the key to this whole deal is aligning your intention at your deepest level of mind and spirit. An ego-based intention, even if it’s unspoken, will never get you what you want.

After you Center and Seek, you Visualize. We know visualization works in sports, we know it works in business. It also works in regular old life. So, Visualize sitting in your Mercedes. What’s the seat feel like? How is the steering wheel under your fingers? What’s the engine sound like?At this point, I also ask myself, “What do I need to attract into my life to get this?” If you want that Mercedes, you may have to attract reasonable financing, or a windfall, or a pay boost. If you want deep meaningful intimate relationships, you may need to attract thoughtful, open and loving people into your life.

Then, you Request. When I Request, I usually write it down. I express gratitude for what I have, and ask for what I want. In my case, I am asking God – and you can ask God, too, however you happen to perceive God. You can also release your desire to the Universe, to nothingness, to your guardian angel, to Jackie Chan. Whatever organizes the world for you.

After you Request, you keep Visualizing what it will be like to get what you want. You hold that powerful visualization in your mind and you keep touching base with it, throughout the days and weeks to come.

And, believe it or not, you will Receive what you want..

“Pshaw.” That’s what I hear a reader from Pennsylvania saying. “What a bunch of hooey.”

OK, I can prove this works. On Tuesday, February 20, 2007, I did this exercise. I came up with four things I want in my life. I will share two of them. I asked for support of my financial goals by sending me clients who I can help. I also asked for help expressing myself through my writing and speaking.

By the time I went to bed on Wednesday, February 21, 2007, I had: three new clients; two clients who paid me for work done in December and January; one new speaking engagement; and, four good leads on publishing.

Coincidence? Maybe. But it sure as shootin’ happened. And it’s not the first time. Center, Seek, Visualize, Request, continue to Visualize and, then, you will Receive.

Exciting, isn’t it? What would happen if you gave it a try? What would happen if you actually asked for what you want?

Why you just might get it.

Filed Under: Authenticity, Career Coaching, Managing Change Tagged With: coach, get what you want, intention, The Secret, visualization

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