The best way to start your day? Whelmed of course.

Conflicts - between nations, within nations, amongst people. Climate change. Financial challenges. Racism. Poverty. Gender-based violence.

Sometimes it’s enough to make you want to hide under a blanket for the next decade.

Or at least to feel deeply weary in the very marrow of your bones.

Can you relate?

I’ve been noticing my energy and my motivation dipping recently.

So I decided to focus on a little, wee, tiny thing.

How I start my work day.

Before we dig into the details though and what I’ve done to make a huge difference,? let me first tell you the back story.

My motivation style is mainly achievement. (See the link below to discover your own motivation style).??

I LOVE to get stuff done and tick things off my list (even writing that makes me smile).

I’ve been known to cross items off my to-do list by checking them off and crossing them off, not once but twice.

Knowing achievement feeds my soul, I had an epiphany when I realized that feeling overwhelmed sucks my motivation drier than a desert on laundry day.

Because I get so enthused by feeling like I’m getting stuff done, and achieving things, when I feel overwhelmed, it’s the opposite of achievement.

I realized I’m allergic to feeling overwhelmed.??

I feel lost, and adrift.? It’s impossible to get anything done.

When I’m overwhelmed I make poor decisions about how I use my time.? I start working on little, unimportant things just so I can feel a sense of achievement.

Not good.

So, I made a promise to myself that when I started feeling overwhelmed at the start of my day, I’d turn things around to start my day feeling whelmed.

As in not being overwhelmed with a to-do list packed longer than the terms and conditions of a software update.

As in not being underwhelmed, with no motivation, feeling flat, bored, and disinterested.

You may be asking yourself, how do I start my day whelmed?

Great question.

Here are five ways to start your day in that sweet spot of being whelmed.

1. Test your to-do list:

• This has been a game changer and the most important way to get to whelm state
• I take a hard look at my to-do list the night before.?
• If I get a niggle that it’s too long, it gets hacked.??
• The key thing I’ve realized is that my list is going to get hacked anyway so it’s best to get in front of it.??
• When my intuition is telling me I’m overwhelmed it’s because there’s no way to actually get my to-do list done.??
• And if I try to force it, like I say, my list gets hacked and I finish the day with lots of things bearing down on me as they’ve not gotten done.
• Because there is no way to actually create more hours in a day, it’s sooooo much better to get whelmed than working all day under the false and crushing belief that if I simply put my head down, I can get.it.all.done.

2. Mindset:

• I’ve realized where my head is at at the beginning of the day has a big impact on my whole day.
• I’ve recently handwritten some sayings that are important to me on a sweet little card and I review them first thing every morning.
• They sit on my computer so I can’t miss them at the start of my day.
• Here are a couple of examples:

3. Candle melts:

• I was recently home in Canada and picked up this sweet candle melt from a thrift store.
• I LOVE it.??
• I’m playing around with different scents.
• So fun. So easy.
• Tip: If you work from an office, you may not be able to have a candle but substitute something that helps your whelm, like a simple piece of greenery in a vase, a nice-smelling essential oil, etc.

4. Music:

• Music is medicine for me.
• That is all.
• (Except check below for a link to one of my playlists.)

5. Movement:

• I know I need to move my body more, especially as I get older.
• I’ve made a list in my notes app of several simple movement options.?
• At least once a day, I click on one and move my body.
• Easy, peasy.

Wherever you’re at, try your hand at my five tips for starting your day whelmed.??

From testing your to-do list and minding your mindset to candle melts, music, and movement, you got this.

If this finds you happy, healthy, and motivated. Yeah, you!? Keep on keeping on.

If this finds you weary and wary, my sincere hope is you try my whelm concept and that it gives you some juice.

Because you know you’re awesome right?!

Now go on and learn, laugh, and lead

Learn

• Discover which of the six motivational styles fits you.
• Dive into some more tips around motivation, demotivation, and bridging the gap between “I know I should but I don’t wanna.”

Laugh

• Sometimes even stationery can be overwhelming.

Lead

• Feel free to click on one of my playlists.? I call this one ‘Inspirational.’? And if you feel moved to move while listening, even better.