4 Things That HELP When Your Week Moves Too Fast

One of those weeks. Moving too fast.

A writing deadline. Crafting a keynote. Chasing logistics. Designing a new workshop. Personal conflict with a colleague who matters. That was my week.You know how it goes. New information flies in before you have time to respond to the old one. You shift gears, readjust, every moment, at high speed.Your brain is about to spin.Too fast.Yes, you remember what they taught you in time management class. Prioritize your commitments. Bundle tasks. Delegate. Take a break.You believe in that stuff. This week it all seems just a little too cute. Not working. When the stuff you think you SHOULD do isn’t working, try the stuff that will .

Here are a few approaches that may do the trick:

Accept it

Let go of the notion that this will be a balanced week. It’s not the week you got. Do not fight it, do not resist it, do not try to change it. Accept it. I mean, FULLY accept it. Surrender wholeheartedly to what is in front of you. Because fretting and fuming and wishing the demands would go away will drain even more of your energy.If every week is a too-busy week, please reconsider why you have invested in an overly busy life. But just for now, board this week’s train. Ride it. And commit to the fast ride.

Fuel yourself

A break would be brilliant. It’s not going to happen. When we don’t break we tend to also not fuel ourselves. We forget. At time when we need a lot more fuel, we succumb to less or none at all. FUEL YOURSELF. Consistently. With water, with nutrition, with healthy body-energy-fuel.Notice the difference it makes. Instantly. So so simple.

Articulate the experience

A disarmingly easy concept. And effective. When you start to feel overwhelmed, tell someone. Feeling overwhelmed. When your brain can’t think straight anymore, tell someone. Can’t think straight right now. The act of stating what we feel lessens the very thing we’re feeling. Part of the emotion gets released the moment it’s articulated. It also keeps us conscious of what is going on.Because the other option – checking out – never gets us to the end of the day.

STOP

When you absolutely must STOP, STOP. Not when you habitually STOP. Not when your calendar says take a break. No. When your mind, your body tell you to STOP. Listen, notice, don’t override. No, STOP.When you STOP, don’t fill your STOP with distractions. No facebooking, no internet-cruising, no brain-feeding of any sort. Just STOP. You’ll be surprised by how little STOP-time you need when a STOP actually is a break.Related: How to Direct Your Impatience WELL

Here is your bonus option.

The moment you find yourself resenting a week that’s moving too fast – and let’s face it, we all have made the trip to resentmentland many times over – why not ponder this question: What part of the experience today could actually be fun if I let it?I don’t mean to be glib with this question. Consider it. Really. Be ready to amaze yourself.Now go execute.And let it be.