Wow, this has been a busy week! And there have been times when I caught myself feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know better. I know that overwhelm is a state of mind that we can select and unselect and I know that overwhelm is a choice.
And when I remind myself of this, I choose to stop feeling overwhelmed. I feel blessed to be busy and active and absolutely in control of my time and success. As an intrapreneur - in charge of building a piece of my firm's business - I need to be at my best. I cannot be at my best when I am feeling overwhelmed or out of control.
Shake it off. Dismiss it. Scram.
To commemorate my on and off again (now OFF) relationship with overwhelm this week, I thought I would share a business poem I wrote on Management Craft in 2004 called, Oh, Overwhelm. I hope you enjoy it. And in case you are wondering, yes, I know I am no Robert Frost. :-)
Oh Overwhelm
Try as I might, I did not get it done
I'm annoyed by others all smiles and fun.
Tired, frazzled, unable to think
Do I need a lobotomy or just a stiff drink?
Oh well, oh overwhelm.
Am I dense, am I slow, am I poor?
Why is this work I loved such a bore?
I hope for a cyclone to take it all away
The stacks, the people, the bosses, the fray.
Oh well, oh overwhelm.
The problems number too many
Sane employees, are there any?
I want to be good, want to do well
I’ve ended up in manager’s hell.
Oh well, oh overwhelm.
Now wait one moment
Musn't allow this self-inflicted torment.
It’s just a day and just a job
Not something deserving my sob.
Oh well, oh overwhelm.
I’ll shake it off, reject the funk
Sit in peace, chant like a monk.
These thoughts of failure I’ll abandon
So bring it on, bring it on!
Oh well, oh overwhelm.