Taking Things One At a Time

One task at a time, no multitasking.
One business venture at a time.
One conversation at a time.
One new habit at a time.
One library book.
One internet window open at a time.
One sentence at a time. The whole book doesn't have to be written tonight.
One pushup at a time. Don't stress about doing a full workout routine 3-5 days a week. Just do one pushup, right now.
One problem at a time.
One day at a time. Tomorrow can wait. Don't worry about tomorrow.
One moment at a time. Be present. The only tangible piece of time is right now.

The last couple days I've been running around, pulling my hair out. I've been stressed beyond belief, and I had absolutely no idea why. I talked to my mom about it, and she did one of those super-mother-psychic-abilities things and suggested I was overextending myself.

And you know what? She's absolutely right. I'm a workaholic, and on top of that I'm one of those people with a billion and one good ideas and goes after all the ideas at once.

I've also started a new diet, trying to exercise, eat right, cut junk food, etc. I'm working three different "jobs" right now, running a blog, caring for my family (my mom's disabled so I do most of it), maintaining a 4.0 in high school, managing my social life, and starting a bazillion and one new projects.

I need to slow down. I've simplified my home, for the most part. I've simplified school. Now I need to simplify my life. Because there's just too much on my mind, in my head, too much existential stuff weighing me down.

You're probably overextended too. Do you feel exhausted all the time? Are you tired, are you stressed, are you scared? But you don't know why?

Now that we've cleared the physical clutter, it's time to clear the rest.

• Stop multitasking
• Cut down to one project (be it a story, art, a quilt, or some other idea)
• Simplify your commitments. Don't spend your time in activities or at appointments that don't give you something truly valuable (money only counts if you're desperate).
• Stop your big, complicated diet with all those rules. Choose one, small element (like drinking more water) and just work on that.
• Stop making promises, don't overextend yourself. 
• Schedule yourself some down time. I've got a spa day scheduled for next Sunday.
• Change one habit at a time.
• Cook small, lovely meals instead of a three-course-dinner.
• Focus on one business venture at a time.

Once you've mastered one thing, then you can move on to the next one. But don't worry about the next one, focus on your present project. Be present in the moment. The rest can wait.