Is overcommitting actually self sabotage?

Overcommitting is impacting your life, but not in the way you intended.

We have been there, completely stressed and overcommitted. Sitting on the couch at midnight, rewinding, yet again, the latest Netflix craze that is automatically playing in the background as we pound away on our keyboard planning forecasts for the new year, setting team quotas, rejecting and approving account trades and accepting the next 3 interviews that were just dropped into your calendar for tomorrow afternoon. And you still have to prep for the morning, take the dogs out, do the dishes and research a perfect spot for the girls night dinner this week. Not to mention the piles of laundry still left unfolded, and the holiday decorations that may not come down until March (if you're lucky).

So often we overcommit because we have a hard time saying no, letting people down, or thinking taking on just one more project or commitment is going to help gain favor in our career or our social circles. When in reality it is often actually doing just the opposite. 

So what is overcommitting? Taking on too many tasks/projects, filling your to do list way past it being productive and saying yes when you actually mean no all contribute to your overcommitting. You have a limit to what you can realistically handle, taking on more than that can impact your health, relationships and your career. Overcommitting can be self sabotaging because your overcommitting isn't helping you get more done, it is actually making it harder to get what is important done and its is leading to stress, burnout and health issues. 

How is overcommitting impacting you? Overcommitting can lead to a weakened immune system, exhaustion, fatigue, anxiety, stress, sleep issues, depression, burnout and even impacts your relationships. Overcommitting can even lead to conflict and resentment, reduced cognitive function and can make it harder to actually make decisions, think clearly or focus. 

Life feels different once you understand how to plan time around your TRUE priorities, not your "should" priorities. You create undue stress when you overcommit and live a life of "shoulds". Overcommitting yourself does not get you promoted, but it does get you noticed for all the wrong reasons. So how do you know you are overcommitting, you are spending your time and energy on your shoulds instead of true priorities. 

This time of year can be full of "shoulds"! It is so easy to fall into doing all the things you should catch up on. Things you should have done last month but were too busy. People you should have caught up with. Projects you should have finished, or better yet should have started. 

This time of year can also bring a lot of obligations... Beginning of year events, sales kickoffs, school fundraisers, team and company meetings, awards dinners just to name a few. AAANNNDD along with all that you are still expected to be setting new year goals, forecasts, hire new team mates and get the family back on track after the holidays. It can be a lot!

This is true all year long, but especially important this time of year. Stress happens when you are DOING too much, especially when you are doing it out of obligation and not alignment.

Here are a few steps to doing what aligns instead of doing things out of obligation:

• Step 1. Decide what your TRUE priorities are this year (don't worry you can have more than one). In order to live in alignment with your priorities, you first have to know what they are. So often we say things that we think we want our priorities to be, but our actions are contrary to that. Knowing what your true priorities are helps you to start to align and keep aligned with them. 
• Step 2. Anything that comes up that does not align with step 1, stop and make a conscious choice if you WANT to do it or not. If you want to do it, then say yes and enjoy it. IF you are only doing it out of obligation because you "should" then graciously say No. Doing something out of obligation can lead to resentment and burnout. For example, if spending time with your family is your priority, rsvp no to the events you don't really want to go to anyhow but have gone in the past because you "should". If creating memories is your priority, spend time doing things together that are meaningful and opt out of cooking for the random office pot luck that doesn't resonate with you. Buy it instead. 
• Step 3: If it is something has to be done and it does not align with your priorities, delegate it to someone else, hire it out or find an alternate solution to get the job completed. 
• Bonus: If you have to do it and it can't be delegated, then shift your mindset in what it provides for you. For example, you can't quit your job and you can't delegate it. Shift the priority to how your job fulfills or serves your priorities. Ex: Your salary allows you (insert your priority alignment here). 

We know this seems "easier said than done" or "sounds great but this won't work in my life". We used to feel the same way but it is possible and helping you though it, well that's where we come in. 

If this resonates with you & you want to have a different experience you can learn more about us, check out our programs at www.believeblueprint.com or follow us on instagram @believeblueprint

Katie & Lynn 

Founders of BELIEVE BLUEPRINT LLC