How To Conquer the

Overwhelm of Hard WorkA 10-Step Take-Charge Guide

by Ritu Rao

When considering making a big change or starting a project,

- if your first hurdle is getting over the overwhelm at the (long) path ahead of you;

- if you feel panic, or a sinking feeling in your stomach;

- if your start thinking there’s no way I can do this,

Know that:

* everybody wants success….till they see what it takes.

* there’s no way around hard work, at least not long-term.

If you’re willing to accept that, and want to start -

here are

10 stepsyou might find useful:

1. Time will pass anywayWhether you train for that marathon, write that book or start a business…or not, the weeks, months and years will pass.

If you don’t want time/life to pass YOU by, might as well get going.

2. Don’t look at it all atonce

Of course it will look big and impossible. The mountain always looks the biggest before you start climbing.

Instead…

3. Break it down

Break it down into the smallest steps possible.

Keep downsizing till it starts to feel doable (or till that sinking feeling goes away).

4. See how others did it - part 1

You now have proof it is doable (therefore, not impossible).

Look at their journeys to success, not just how they seemed to achieve it overnight.

Most (if not all) struggled, learned, and conquered obstacles. At some point, they were where you are now.

5. See how others did it - part 2

While your path will vary, you can see what steps they took and get ideas you can apply.

You can be creative but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

6. Focus only on the next few steps

The finish line or major milestone always seems far away. Try to focus only on the next few steps.

When you get there, focus on the next few.

7. Celebrate small wins

This is easy to disregard if you feel you’re not progressing as fast or far as you want, but don’t fall into that trap.

Small wins build confidence, and are part of enjoying the journey.

They’re also an opportunity to reflect on what’s working (so you can do more of it).

8. Know that not everyone will do this

Hard work is intimidating, and many will give up before they even start.

Remind yourself this is an advantage you have over everyone who chose not to do this. In running, it is said:

DFL (dead f%$king last) > DNF (did not finish) > DNS (did not start)

9. Have a plan for when you hit bottom

Because you will. Have a game plan in place:

➢ reflect on why you’re doing this in the first place.➢ have a go-to person/place where you feel ‘safe’ to discuss how

you feel➢ distance yourself from those who’re not supportive➢ put uplifting reminders-like a meaningful quote-over your desk

or bathroom mirror, or a go-to book➢ keep taking action to prevent sinking deeper

10. Have patience

This might be the hardest step of all, because it requires faith.

Things worth having require hard work, persistence and time.

If they didn’t, we’d all have what we want and life would be perfect. Keep doing your best, and have patience.

If we let overwhelm stop us from starting anything,

we’d never accomplish anything meaningful or worth having, and end up with a bucket of regrets down the road.

We’re all capable of hard work, but regret? That is a lot harder.

Take charge,work for what you

really want,

and

don’t let overwhelm keep

you from going for it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ritu Rao is a dentist, business owner, ultra-runner, writer, and explorer of “what else can I do?”. Sometimes, it doesn’t work, but her kids think she’s pretty cool.

Her book, The Light Shift: 21 Simple Ways to Make Your Days Interesting, Get Unstuck and Beat the Daily Grindis now available on Amazon.

Learn how to make shift happen at riturao.com