When we are in a state of overwhelm, the thought of progression and moving forward becomes a distant thing – an impossible task – something that other people do. We can feel ‘less than’ or frozen in place, unable to move forward or even entertain thoughts of what else is possible.
This still at times haunts me today - I can remember at my worst and lowest point that making decisions no matter how small or insignificant still seemed like climbing a mountain.
Then I met a very wise person who said to me, remember this:
‘Just three things’
I came across this blog the other day from Linda Bonnar that reminded me of this exchange, and the power of ‘Just three things':
Anyone can do three things, right? Three is doable, it’s manageable, it’s the power of three. It’s that golden rule of thumb that suggests that when things come in threes, they are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things.
There are three little pigs in the story, three blind mice in the other story, three-legged races, three members of Destiny’s Child, three members Hanson, it is 'of the people, by the people, for the people' in The Gettysburg Address, three-piece suits, rock, paper, scissors, triangles, and of course every story has a start, a middle and an end— just three things!
So it is a real thing, a concept to live our lives by, perhaps even a mantra to recite to ourselves each morning! So much so that I put all those ‘To Do’ things on a whiteboard and transfer just three things to my ‘I did it List’. To my delight I discovered no more feelings of overwhelm - it provides me with clarity, a sense that I have moved forward no matter how small those steps may be. It clears my head of destructive self-critical thought, and it makes things more manageable for me.
Why not take the just three things concept, and try it yourself for the next three weeks and see where you get to? Let us know how you get on; we would love to hear from you!