In my last post, I talked about being overwhelmed. What I didn’t tell you is that overwhelmed has an older sister. An uglier, sinister one.
Underwhelmed.
The underwhelmed thrives on your fears. It makes you feel like everything is going hunky dory on the surface. Yet, every once in awhile, something sinister creeps up.
You wonder why your business is slowing down, for example. Or why you keep working and working, but you have nothing to show for it.
It’s underwhelmed. She’s working to destroy you, one boring, one uninteresting feat at a time.
It happens when you keep things on the straight and narrow. Things get too comfortable. You want more from your life, but you don’t know what. Or you know what you want, but you either are too afraid to get there, don’t believe it’s possible or that leap between where you are now and where you want to be seems too great and impossible.
So what do you do?
You keep doing the same thing every day. Hoping for change, but doing nothing to make that change happen.
What’s the cure?
Wake up from the dream that is your life. Then, do something small every day to face your fears.
You wouldn’t chug a cup of hot tea, for example. Yet, we expect the efforts of our hard work to come after one swoop. Applying for one job probably won’t get your there. But like taking the time to sip that tea, pause and do it again. Sip by sip, bit by bit, you’ll get there.
Be a sipper.
Let’s take an example. Want to be an expert in a particular niche?
1. Start off small by googling people who have already been successful at their craft.
2. Then work on contacting them and ask if you can spend a few minutes of their time finding out how they were so successful.
3. Read biographies, magazines, books all on your topic of interest. Sit there and read your heart out.
Not too bad right?
If at any point, you feel overwhelmed, you’re probably on the right track. To get you on the right path without letting that feeling stop you from pursuing your dreams, however, you may need a buddy to help motivate you. Find a life coach or a supportive friend or find an online or in person group like Meetup.com. Having people in your life to motivate, inspire and support you are the best ways to counteract this deadly duo and get you that much closer to your dreams.
Monday, August 9th, 2010, 8:00 am | 
Facing Fears, Following your dreams | 
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August 9, 2010 at 8:59 am
What an intriguing point you make in this post!
I think it’s important to have some times when we just cruise, to rest up from those overwhelmed times, but there comes a point where you have to shake yourself out of your complacency and take a step forward.
Tweeting this!
August 9, 2010 at 9:06 am
Thanks Sue! I definitely think there is a balance between being overwhelmed and being under. The best part? That cushy point right in between. A little bit of risk taking to keep your heart beating and a little bit of rest to get you ready for the next challenge. =)