Life Of E's

In the previous post, I gave you some of the signs to look for to know that you or someone you know is feeling “underwhelmed.”  It is important you make observations as to why you are feeling the way you are. Quote to Consider (and an action to take): “You’ve got a lot of choices. [...]

Tags: overwhelm, overwhelmed, Productivity, underwhelm, underwhelmed

If you think you are only in “overwhelm” but not “underwhelm,” please don’t ignore this article.  Believe it or not, you may be in “underwhelm” part of the time or you certainly may know some others who are in “underwhelm” and they could use this information. In thinking through the reasons why someone becomes (and [...]

Tags: overwhelm, overwhelmed, underwhelm, underwhelmed

In The Organizing Sourcebook: 9 Strategies for Simplifying Your Life, Kathy Waddill shares the concept of looking at someone’s home ‘through through the eyes of a stranger,’ in order to learn about (and then better be able to assist) the person who wanted to be more organized.  Let us take this concept and apply it toward [...]

Tags: calendar, just whelmed, Kathy Waddill, overwhelm, schedule

There are three terms, the first with which you are probably most familiar, that deserve a definition.  Those three terms are:  Overwhelmed Underwhelmed, and Just Whelmed Be very clear on the fact that you are the only person who can distinguish between and among these three for yourself. Each person has a different tolerance overall…and [...]

Tags: just whelmed, overwhelm, overwhelmed, underwhelm, underwhelmed

Do you ever look at your schedule and think, “Was I insane when I put all of this in here?” And does this happen on a regular basis?  It may be time for some sanity to be reintroduced into your scheduling practices.  Here are ten powerful tips. Keri Pommerening: As a principal I try to [...]

Tags: outlook, overwhelm, personal time, schedule, to do lists

Does the word ‘no’ rarely come out of your mouth?  In particular, do you find yourself having difficulty responding ‘no’ when someone asks you to do something?  Or, maybe you are able to say ’no’ at first, but then if the person looks disappointed or asks (begs) you to reconsider, then ‘yes’ ends up being your answer? This is [...]

Tags: Aristotle, no, overwhelm, telling people no

In a book that I consider one of my top 5 favorites from 2007, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t, Robert I. Sutton (a professor at Stanford) states: “Negative interactions have 5 times the effect on mood than positive interactions” (p. 180). You can probably think of some [...]

Tags: 'no asshole rule', energy, negative interactions, overwhelm, underwhelm

The main idea for you to keep in mind is that you are consciously and very deliberately DECIDING to DEFER. So, now, here’s the question. What do you do with those emails that you’ve deferred? What most people do, unfortunately, is leave them in their inbox, which is a poor solution. These emails just pile [...]

Tags: action, email, inbox, overwhelm, Productivity

The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed – it is a process of elimination. (Elbert) So what do you need to ‘chip away’ that is currently introducing or exacerbating the complexity in your life (and thus, the overwhelm)?  You might consider one or [...]

Tags: choices, complexity, just whelmed, overwhelm, simplicity

If you want to diminish your ‘overwhelm,’ one option is to go simple rather than complex. The sheer number of choices you encounter every day can overwhelm anyone. This series of posts will give you some ideas related to making one more choice, but it is the choice to decide on a simpler life whenever possible. Believe [...]

Tags: complexity, just whelmed, overwhelm, simplify, underwhelm