Finding the Right Focus

I don’t know about all of you, but my summer has been crazy busy. And being crazy busy puts a damper on progressive creative projects like novels. Or anything for that matter. Yard work, decorating, etc. And if you have a lot of any of those things to work on, the idea of finishing any one thing can be overwhelming.

This summer, we’ve moved. We’re in the process of redoing a yard that was a disaster, also installing a pool. Also, I had two very important writing projects to complete—one to edit, and one to draft and polish. And a book to promote, a blog to keep up. Kids. Husband. Blah blah.

A lot of stuff, no? And there have been times when I’ve been completely overwhelmed, because who in the world could do ALL THE THINGS and actually finish them? No one, that’s who.

So I’ve decided that the best way to finish is to pick ONE thing and focus on it. Start with the most important thing, and focus and work and work and focus until that one thing is done. Then, not only do I have something checked off my to do list, but I feel the satisfaction of having completed an important project. Knowing I’ve done one thing makes the other things feel less overwhelming, because I know I can now pick the next important one and focus on it. And so on.

This is the way I finish things.

What about you? How do you handle overwhelming busyness?