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Try this when you are overwhelmed about your studies.

Focus on STARTING rather than on finishing your task

That's similar to but not exactly what I ALWAYS say, "TAKE THE NEXT STEP!" Sometimes we just are overwhelmed by that next step and can't make ourselves do it.

This week I had an overwhelming task. Eight cabinets arrived by UPS and had to be taken out of their cartons and assembled. You have permission to skip to the end of the story if you wish. I always like to read the last page of a book first.

Naturally, there were problems involved. The cartons containing the cabinets were heavy, awkward to carry, difficult to find space to place them, and sometimes the parts didn't fit right.

I first dived in and removed four of them from their cartons, assembled them, and put them where I wanted to use them. I was then exhausted and didn't want to see another cabinet EVER!

However, my utility room was packed with four more huge cartons. The dogs couldn't find their food or water. I couldn't get upstairs. I also couldn't get to the washer/dryer. I couldn't even get to the garage!!! I started wondering how the firemen would rescue me in case of a fire. Ice still blocked the front door. Now cartons of cabinets blocked the garage door.

OVERWHELMED as I was, I decided to attack this in a way that I could handle it without going hysterical. I made a decision to work smarter, not harder.

I DECIDED TO FOCUS ON STARTING THE PROJECT, NOT ON FINISHING IT.

Think about staff in an emergency room, for instance. Do they procrastinate? Not likely. When the patients arrive, they START THE PROJECT, having no idea when or how the project is going to be finished. The priorities are set. Mistakes are made and dealt with quickly. Time is not wasted on worry about whether they SHOULD start the project now or wait. They simply start it.

They don't make lists.
They don't worry that maybe they aren't GOOD enough to start.
They don't sit around worrying or feeling sorry for themselves that they have this tough project to complete.
They don't wait for Prince or Princess Charming to do it for them.
They are not paralyzed by a desire for perfect conditions before they start. They simply do the task with whatever conditions they have available.

Every time I went by that hall, I intended to accomplish one more thing toward that project. I intended to TAKE THE NEXT STEP. I thought it would probably take several weeks to finish. As I happened to go down that hall (or try to go down it), I would take the next step on one of my emergency room patients.

After a short rest, I "heard" the call of the ambulance arriving in my hall emergency room. I quickly got rid of all of the "stuff" left over from the cartons I had already opened. They were part of what was causing me to be overwhelmed.

Now normally I might waste hours "organizing" or making lists, never get around to saving my patients. This time I STAYED ON TASK. I simply needed work space. I made the work space. I got the empty cartons out of my way and out of my mind! All that was left was the four cartons containing the remaining cabinets.

The work area was established. That was a major accomplishment. Now I could "see" my victims, uh, patients, uh, cabinets.

I decided just to START the project. I could handle that.

I got out the box cutter and ripped open each carton. Then I paused to admire my work. I realized that I was able to take another step, even though I hadn't planned to do that.

I was still calm and grounded (not hysterical or exhausted), so I decided to START THE PROJECT. I would just tip the first cabinet over so that it would be ready next time I approach the task. Even though my plan was to stop after that step, I kept going! It was so handy to just grab the casters and insert them and then I naturally just HAD to tip the cabinet back on the casters to see if they worked. Next I just HAD to see if the cabinet was going to work in the place I had planned for it.

That wasn't so bad. I thought I might TAKE THE NEXT STEP with another of the cabinets. I could at least START THE PROJECT.

I made myself take a short break (didn't want one) and then wrestled the second one out, tipped it over, etc. In no time at all, they were all out EXCEPT one which was broken. That required a call to my son Steve, who came over and fixed it. I normally would kick myself around for a few weeks because I didn't have the skills necessary to fix the broken cabinet. Wisdom was knowing it and taking the action that needed to be taken, without beating myself up.

I HOPE YOU WILL TRY SOME TIME IN THE NEXT WEEK TO JUST "START" ON A PROJECT THAT SEEMS OVERWHELMING TO YOU.

Don't worry about finishing. Just START. Let me know what happens over on the "Conversation" section. Make it happen!!!