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Hi Team,

If you feel overwhelmed you probably have a priority problem.

Overwhelm often feels like failure and leads to exhaustion.

For the last 8 months I have been mentoring two other builders and the biggest issue we talk about is being overwhelmed at work. I can fully sympathize with my mentee's as I often feel overwhelmed and never seem to have enough time to do everything my job roll demands.

The big problem is that all this "busyness" doesn't translate to real productivity or help you to achieve your goals. 

Being "too busy" is B.S. because you just don't know how to say no or prioritize your time.

According to "Psychology Today" the common symptoms of overwhelm are, disengagement with your work, low energy levels, loss of confidence and treating every problem like a BIG problem.

Busyness doesn't make you happy. Being time poor is a big cause of stress and overwhelm, and this is a symptom of a much bigger problem, a conflict of values. (See Email # 55)

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." Henry David Thoreau

Most builders love their job and are very passionate about what they do. So why do builders feel overwhelmed?

Building, like many creative pursuits, is not an exact science (see Email # 141). Each building project has a unique set of design challenges, thousands of variables and hundreds of moving parts. Each client and architect has a unique personality and specific expectations that the builder has to deal with. The weather also plays a significant role in the day to day work schedule and the builder has only so much control over most of these variables. Within this backdrop of variables, a builder must make dozens of decisions each day and keep track of all the moving parts. I'm feeling overwhelmed just writing about it!

For me the biggest source of stress at work is when something significant and unexpected happens that disrupts my planned day and sabotages my productivity. My priorities for that day go right out the door. These unpredicted road blocks create a sense of overwhelm that can last for days. 

A big part of successfully dealing with overwhelm is being honest with yourself about your time and how you spend it. The problem is that we are not very good at accurately knowing how we spend our time, especially when you are constantly jumping from one problem to the next and forever trying to put out fires.

The key to consistently being productive and making good decisions each day is knowing when to say NO and having high standards for yourself.

"Holding yourself to a high standard prevents you from saying yes to whatever new thing comes your way." 
James Clear.

One of my favorite online thought leaders, Robert Glazer, in his weekly blog "Friday Forward" outlined the following
 six tips for dealing with overwhelm.

1. Understand & acknowledge the true value of your time. (See email # 58) Your time is the most valuable resource you have, so use it wisely.
2. Know the difference between "urgent and important". Most people focus too much on urgent tasks and not enough on important tasks. Important tasks move you towards achieving your main goals, whilst urgent tasks rarely do.
3. Make you priorities consistent with your core values. Always keep "The Big Picture" in mind when you prioritize your time.
4. Value rest, relaxation and exercise. Avoid taking your overwhelm home from work by prioritizing some R&R into your day.
5. Focus on things you should stop doing each day. (See # 1 above). If you have more than 3 or 4 items on your "to-do-list" each day, this tip is for you.
6. Be selective about whom you give your energy to. People either fill you up with energy or drain you of energy. The more self-centered someone is the more energy they consume from people around them.

"Whatever excites you, go do it.
Whatever drains you, stop doing it." Derek Sivers

Thanks for reading,
Stay safe and say no occasionally.
David.