Ever have one of those times when you just have too many things to do, and the stress of it all is driving you crazy? Of course you have. The images and practices of todays world tell us were always supposed to be doing something, otherwise were going to fall behind the Jones, our companys competitors, etc.

Well Im not going to tell you to get ignore those images and move to the country. What I am going to say is that its not necessarily the things you have to do that drives you crazy, its the fact that you keep bouncing them around in your mind that does so.

Try this. The next time you feel overloaded, simply sit down and create a list of all the things that are going around in your head. Then, look at each one and ask simple questions like:

- Is this really necessary?
- If so, why?
- How important is it compared to the others?
- Could I get someone else to do it?
- If it isnt important, can I simply decide not to do it?

A major cause of stress is not actually what we have to do, but the difficulty of trying to organize it all in our minds. Getting it out of our minds and on paper allows us to look at it more objectively, and its amazing how stress relieving this can be. And, writing it on paper with a pen/pencil is much better than typing it into a computer. Theres a real feeling of power when you mark through items you realize you really dont have to do.