5You Are Too Overwhelmed to Take Your Next Step
A serious, but largely overlooked, problem in philanthropy is feeling overwhelmed. You know what I'm talking about. You might have woken up this morning feeling overwhelmed by the day ahead of you. You could feel overwhelmed right now. It might be because the ideas you're reading about in this book are triggering changes you want to make, but you aren't yet sure how to make them. Or you might be overwhelmed because you haven't gotten around to scheduling the dental appointment, dermatology check-up, and half dozen other health appointments you should probably make.
What is overwhelm? According to wellness writer Michelle Rees, “Overwhelm happens when the sheer volume of thoughts feelings, tasks, and stimuli in our daily environment shifts our brain and nervous system into a reactive, stressed state.”1 The result? Easy things become hard and hard things become impossible.
I felt that way recently while trying to finish up work, pack for a long weekend, take my daughter back-to-school shopping, and register my kids for dance class—all before noon!
In addition to zapping our creativity and problem-solving skills, overwhelm creates a relentless cycle of inactivity. We stop in our tracks. We don't know the right path forward, which step to take, or even what direction to choose. Overwhelm costs money, drains time, and suffocates talent.
Think feeling overwhelmed is not a big deal for philanthropists? Think again.
Think of the woman ...
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