I drive daily on a fairly busy highway, and rush hour is never great. This week it was particularly bad. Traffic has been slow when I get on the highway and it only slows down more the closer everyone gets to the next on ramp. I don’t go far enough to see it open up, but I know that by the end of the downtown exits, traffic will clear up again.

That’s sort of like life. It can bottleneck when you’ve got too many things getting on your highway and not enough things getting off. Work projects, volunteering, ideas, commitments…they can add up before you know it, but the cost can be high.

Some people seem to thrive on being busy every moment of every day. I personally am not one of those people. In fact, I don’t see a lot of those people around me. I am in a position to hear a lot of complaints, and when things get intense, I hear people complain. I see them start to get sick. I watch some get so stressed they need medication to alleviate the frustration.

Set Speed Limits

For these people, I have a few words of advice. Let’s start with “when to say when”. It’s like with alcohol. You have to know your limit, and you can’t consume more than your body can tolerate, or it will make you sick.

Contrary to popular belief for some people, me included on occasion, it’s not the end of the world when you have to tell someone “no”. You can’t always help run the bake sale, especially when you’ve already got a yearbook meeting scheduled on the same day as your major project is due at work. Sure, maybe you could pull it off. But how late will you be up the night before preparing? How much sleep will you really get when you are worrying about what you need to take out the door with you, what you absolutely can’t forget, and then actually get up to get that thing so not only are you not sleeping with worry, you’re not sleeping because you’re actually working?

Move the Accidents Out of the Way

Everyone has a point at which they lose all patience. Maybe it’s an idea that’s been trickling through your head that went from waterfall to leaky sink. Or perhaps you were asked to be on a committee that gets absolutely nothing accomplished because of all the gossip – or bickering. All you want to do is run away!

Well then, it’s okay to drop something that isn’t helping you or anyone else. Why should you keep dragging around a dead weight that is only causing you stress and frustration? Trust me – virtually no committee meeting, brochure, deadline, or brownie bake-off is worth an ulcer.
Clear your road. You know there are things on your plate that you don’t need. Maybe it’s even something you really want, but there are other obligations that need to come first. Set it aside. The icky stuff moves faster when you can focus on it, and you get to move on to the good stuff all the sooner.

When You Are At the Perfect Speed, Don’t Add More Traffic!

There is a place at which you can finally breathe, and when you find it, don’t you dare let it go by suddenly adding a million things back to your schedule. Just because you have breathing room and are able to sit down in the evenings with a good book doesn’t mean that it is a signal that you’re not doing enough. Not needing to eat a roll of antacids is a good thing.

Taking on one new project (or idea, or other commitment) at a time, after you’ve just completed a previous one, is a great idea. A nice, steady flow will ensure a better night’s rest, less stress, and generally a happier life overall.

Now how do I beat this lesson into my friends (in a kind and gentle, yet firm manner) so they actually do it?