Too Overwhelmed? Let's Talk Priorities!

That feeling of there are so many things to do and I am too overwhelmed to even start...

There is a metaphor that I learned a while back and I honestly can’t remember where I learned it but I am so grateful for it, and this is it:

When you are juggling too many things, you have to learn which balls are plastic and which are glass.

It means some things are not going to completely shatter if you let the ball drop, you will be able to pick it back up. However, other things are more precious, and need your attention, and should be made the priority. Some things are more easy to "break" when dropped.

It is not always easy deciding which balls are plastic and which are glass. I used to say, "Well, everything I do is important! They are all glass!"

But it is not about what is more important, it is about what needs tending to right now, and what can wait until tomorrow, or a later date.

A not so fun way of finding out what is plastic and what is glass is when a family emergency happens (like a medical emergency), and you have to send out frantic emails to your colleagues or boss or your other commitments. You have to tell people that you will not be able to finish whatever assignment was due today because you are tending to something urgent. All of a sudden, something at work that you felt was “glass” can actually be dropped and picked back up tomorrow. And it will actually be OK.

Because really, what is glass is our family, our relationships, our health.

Take a moment today and really look at your to do list. Put it in order of priority, and allow yourself grace to drop a plastic ball if it gives you just a little more peace and ability to focus on those things that are really glass.