Episode 4 min
0:00 the average human brain has about 60,000 thoughts a day 95% of them are the exact same thoughts you had yesterday that is the sound of a mind running in circles in our last episode we talked about the feeling of not being behind today is about what happens when that feeling turns into a tidal wave when it feels0:26 like everything is coming at you all at once this is for when you're overwhelmed so here's the first thing to hold on to that feeling of overwhelm it is not a verdict on your ability it is a signal that's it it's a smoke alarm not the fire your brain is a brilliant ancient machine designed for survival and0:53 right now it's screaming that the inputs are too high it's not saying you are not enough it's saying this is too much so the first affirmation is this this feeling is a signal to simplify so ask yourself right now what is one thing i can put down not forever just for now what meeting can be an email1:18 what task can wait until tomorrow what worry can you consciously decide not to carry for the next hour you don't have to solve the whole problem you just have to make the problem smaller just for a moment okay second you are not going to boil the ocean you've heard that phrase right trying to do something impossibly large1:42 you would never expect one person to literally boil the entire ocean so why do you expect yourself to handle an ocean of tasks emails and expectations all at once the second affirmation i will not try to boil the ocean i will heat one cup of water look at your list look at the chaos find the smallest possible2:04 thing you can complete the one email you can answer the one dish you can wash the one phone call you can make that's your cup of water because here's the secret clarity doesn't come from thinking about the overwhelm clarity comes from engaging with one thing doing that one small thing breaks the spell it proves you are not2:26 powerless it reminds your brain that you are still in control of your hands your focus your next five minutes and this leads to the third and maybe the most important truth your capacity is finite and that is a feature not a bug your phone has a battery you don't get mad at it when it hits 10% you2:47 don't call it a failure you just plug it in your energy your focus your patience they are no different they are resources not an infinite well and when you're overwhelmed it's because you've been running on empty for too long trying to pretend your battery is limitless so the affirmation is my capacity is finite and i will honor3:09 its limits this means rest is not a reward you earn after you've done everything rest is a requirement for doing anything at all it's part of the work you are not a machine you are a human being and human beings need to recharge so today when that wave of overwhelm starts to build just remember it's a signal3:36 not a verdict you're not here to boil the ocean and your energy is a precious finite resource you don't need a five year plan to get out of this feeling you don't need a grand strategy you just need your next breath and then the one thing after that the single cup of water that's where your power4:05 is not in doing everything but in choosing the one right now thing and letting the rest of the ocean wait
