Hello,

I am so pleased to have your subscription to A-Muse Letter! I hope you are enjoying receiving it.

As you know, each month I offer coaching tips, ideas and inspiration to support you in your writing, creativity and personal growth. Please send your comments and questions and I'll write back personally or respond in a future edition of A-Muse Letter.

1 + 1 + 1 = OVERCOMING OVERWHELM

I came home from a trip a few weeks ago and while I loved the trip and being away, I felt that familiar sense of overwhelm when I walked into my office. A pile of new mail, a pile of things I had meant to do before I left, magazines and professional journals that had arrived when I was gone, hundreds of e-mails and a full schedule for the upcoming week all awaited me.

You may know the feeling. Something like "Where do I start?" while secretly wishing you could go back to where you had just come from. But then I remembered a phrase I heard recently. 1 + 1 + 1. That's one plus one plus one. One thing at a time.

We hear a lot about multi-tasking, driving and talking on the phone, running several other computer programs while waiting for something else to download or taking a teleclass and checking your e-mail at the same time.

But generally speaking, time efficiency experts have found the most efficient way to work is doing one thing at a time. Here are six ways to apply the 1 + 1 + 1 formula to overwhelm:

WORK EFFICIENTLY

Note the times you work and are most efficient at getting tasks done. Ever notice how efficient you are at taking care of business the week before you go out of town? Why is that? You are efficient and focused because you have to be. If you want to get things done, you somehow manage to stay focused and on task. What if you applied the same work effort more often, even if it meant creating false deadlines?

MAKE LISTS

In our teleseminar earlier this month we talked about the multi-faceted list as a tool for generating ideas, getting organized and focusing. The basic "To Do" list is still one of the best ways to stay focused. Lists remind us to do one thing at a time, not two or three things at once.

TINY TASKS

All projects, no matter what the size can be broken down into a series of tasks. The more tasks are broken down into a singular action, the more likely that action will get completed. Psychologically being able to check off completed tasks, however small, gives us the sense of forward movement, combating overwhelm.

TALK TO YOURSELF

Of course, talking to yourself generally works better when you are alone. Speak to yourself in a kind voice with phrases like "I'm really moving along," "Stay with it," or "I can do this." Or gently say to yourself, "Okay, that's just a distraction, I'll do that after I finish what I'm working on now."

VISUALIZE THE END RESULT

What will this project look like when it's done? Imagine it in great detail and create as concrete a picture as you can. It may be cleaning up your office (see everything put away just as you would like it to be). Or imagine filing papers (see everything filed neatly and easy to retrieve). Imagine clearing your e-mail or paper in-box (see an empty e-mail folder or the bottom of your in-box). Whenever you start to feel overwhelmed, go back to the picture you visualized.

CLEAR OFF YOUR DESK

I sometimes speak to people who tell me they function just fine with piles of stuff on their desk or in their workspace. If it works for you, that's fine. But if your desk is causing you to feel overwhelmed, try clearing it off. Even if it is filled with piles, move the piles out of your direct field of vision. Give yourself the physical space to work on one thing at a time instead of being distracted by whatever you happen to glance at.

Overwhelm makes it difficult to get anything done because we feel we should be doing everything at once. Apply the 1 + 1 + 1 formula and watch yourself overcome overwhelm.

If you find yourself stalled in Overwhelm Land, contact me and request a GRATIS SESSION via phone or in person. Phone (800) 552-WRITE, that's (800) 552-9748 or write to me at susan@susanborkin.com to find out more.

Take good care,

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UPCOMING EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS:

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2008 - COMPLIMENTARY MONTHLY TELESEMINAR

Join us the second Tuesday of each month for live teleseminars on support and tips for writing and creativity. Calls are at 12:00 noon, Pacific (1:00 pm Mountain, 2:00 pm Central and 3:00 pm Eastern).

TOPIC: Super Simple Ways to Use Mind Maps to Get Where You Want to Go.

Can't make a class? No worries. Sign-up anyway and we'll send you a free recording after the call.

Never been on a teleseminar? A teleseminar is a virtual classroom. Accessible by telephone, you simply sign-up beforehand then dial in at the appointed time. No travel, no hassle. Listen or be part of a seminar from anywhere in the world!

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT, NOW!

FRIDAY – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10TH & 11TH - Second Annual “Wellness & Writing Connection Conference in Atlanta, GA. Susan will present a workshop entitled: “Me, Myself & I: The Healing Power of Dialogue.”

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH 2008 - PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR NEW AND BEGINNING WRITERS Full-day workshop: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, De Anza College, Cupertino, California.

If you want to start writing and don't know how to begin, your writing has stalled, you are feeling out-of-focus or you simply want to bring more writing into your life, this is the seminar for you. Although publishing may be your eventual goal, emphasis will be on the process of writing. All genres and skill levels (including absolute beginners) welcome.

Included:

• Tips and tricks to get started writing and keep going
• Get moving again when your writing has stalled
• Get your writing organized!
• Keep track of your ideas
• Silence your inner critic
• Manage your resistance
• Break through writer's block
• Deal with rejection
  

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Susan Borkin, M.A. is a licensed psychotherapist, coach and writer. She is the founder of Write Now! a professional practice specializing in the use of writing for personal and professional growth. Susan specializes in helping people overcome creative blocks and achieve deep personal transformation through the use of writing. A personal growth writing teacher for more than twenty-five years, she is the author of When Your Heart Speaks, Take Good Notes: The Healing Power of Writing and Writing From the Inside Out: Using a Journal for Personal Growth & Transformation.

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BOOKS TO STIMULATE YOUR WRITING AND CREATIVITY By Susan Borkin

Writing From the Inside Out: Using a Journal for Personal Growth and Transformation When Your Heart Speaks, Take Good Notes: The Healing Power of Writing

Both books are available for previewing and ordering at www.susanborkin.com. Sample chapters are only available to preview.

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GRATIS CORNER

• Sign up for free monthly teleseminars!

• If you find yourself stalled in Overwhelm Land, contact me and request a GRATIS SESSION via phone or in person.

• Need some journaling tips? Send for your GRATIS BONUS ARTICLE, 'JUMPSTART YOUR JOURNALING'. Send an e-mail requesting the article by name.

• Have a question about writing or creativity? E-mail your question to Susan. She may use your questions in future issues of ' WRITE NOW! A-Muse Letter by Susan Borkin '.

Phone (800) 552-WRITE, that's (800) 552-9748 or write to Susan at susan@susanborkin.com to find out more.

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