When the Week Ahead is Overwhelming

We’ve all had those times in our lives when we are overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done. Usually the overwhelm stems from the fact we’ve made too many commitments with our time. However, there are situations that arise we don’t necessarily anticipate that throw off our carefully planned routines and schedules.

I am facing one of those times this week. I thought I would have this week to wrap up some projects I’ve been working on as well as get started on some things I’ve wanted to tackle. However, I think I’m going to have to take care of other pressing matters.

I’ve written before about how we have our house for sale. We are less than 3 months away from it being on the market for 2 years. To say we are anxious to get it sold soon is an understatement.

So, we will be working with our real estate agents this week to come up with a plan to get it sold. We already know we will most likely have to drop our price to a level we’d rather not, but in order to get more potential buyers in to see it, we have to do it.

Along with reducing the price, we’ve talked about de-personalizing our home, getting rid of some of our stuff, and making the home more appealing to more buyers. While we’ve never had any negative feedback on these things, it is possible that making some of these changes will make our home more appealing.

What makes this overwhelming is that the agents have suggested taking new pictures of our home after we do these things. They have emphasized that we need to have this done in the next couple of weeks. So, that means we’ve got to get ruthless about de-cluttering, packing up some things we don’t need for the next couple of months, and being vigilant about keeping our home clean.

Not what I really had planned for this week! But, I want to sell our home, so I will do my best to get it all done.

Now that I know I am facing an overwhelming situation, I’ve got to come up with a plan that will help me get everything done with the least amount of stress possible.

This is what I’ve come up with:

1. Turn it over to God.

I have to admit I’ve not been spending as much time alone with God as I should be. In fact, I’ve gotten into the habit of either reading the paper or surfing the web first thing in the morning. I can definitely tell that my spiritual life is taking a hit. I tend to get stressed and overwhelmed a lot easier than normal.

The other night before I went to bed I prayed and asked God to help me and show me what to do. Immediately I felt like He was saying “Open your Bible.” Just as simple as that. I’ve neglected to read His Word and seek His plan for me.

So, I’ve got to make quiet time a priority, not just this week, but from here on out.

2. Write it down.

I’ve been through a heavy de-cluttering process before. I know what it entails. Making a detailed list of what needs to be done is key.

I won’t be able to make much headway if I’m relying on my memory to remember what all needs to be done. Plus, it’s just not a really efficient way to get things done.

For me, making a list and arranging it by rooms that need work is the best way to go. That way I can see the status of each room and the progress being made at any given time.

Here is an example of my to-do lists from my previous de-cluttering session:

 

3. Ask for help.

I imagine my task list for this week will look a lot like the ones above. There is no way I can tackle everything by myself.

That means at a minimum my whole family will need to be involved. My kids did a great job the last time we did this, however we are taking de-cluttering and packing to a new level this time.

I’m confident though that they can step up and do what needs to be done. As for my husband, he is always hard at work in our home. I know he will come through and help out a lot.

4. Be realistic.

I know everything on my list won’t get done. I have other obligations and appointments this week that will take some of my time when I could be working on the house.

I have to let perfection go and embrace progress. Anything we can do this week to de-clutter and pack up unneeded items will make our home look even better.

I am confident if I give everything over to God and stay focused, I will get a lot accomplished without being overwhelmed by stress.

How do you deal with an overwhelming schedule?