I’m not meaning the kind of organizational, task-oriented Mission that many businesses follow, but rather one based on your deep personal values and principles: your own constitution, manifesto, commandment, or motto. Applying your Mission like a filter, you can then pass all major ideas, decisions, planning, etc. through a lens of your highest serving values, supporting you to focus on what is most important and reducing sparkly distractions.

If you are like many people I chat with, clarity and balance often get lost when you’re overwhelmed with so much information, heavy decisions, diverse agendas, inter-personal politics, urgent timelines, multiple demands, and the like. Empowering a Mission Statement can serve as your guiding compass, and in turn assist you to honour yourself when overwhelm lands with a thud.

The super bonus to a personal Mission Statement is its help in moments when you feel you’re drowning in heavy emotions. As a wave of emotions rises, a Mission can diminish the push and pull action that can fill your heart and overflow into consuming your life. Your Mission can ease the flow and weight of challenging emotions, and more so the potential negative affects they take in your life. A Mission can be a ‘pause button,’ creating breathing space for heart-felt, conscious decisions.

What would your personal Mission be? As you consider possibilities, here are a few tips:

• Identify Overarching Principles: What values do you want to guide your activities of the coming year?
• Pay Attention to Words: What words make your heart sing? What inspirational quotes have special meaning to you? What words repeat in your ear?
• KISS (Keep It Simple, Star!): Which principles are most vital to you? Which ones do you prioritize? Which ones are in your Top 5 or 10? To help review your Mission Statements easily daily, keep your list short and snappy – let them roll of your tongue!
• Personalize Them Without Judgment: What are you about – your strengths, your interests, your goals, your joys…? Be true to you, free of comparisons to others and self-judgment.
• Vision Broadly: What do you value as your focus in your ‘daily living of life?’ What bigger dreams expand you? Balance both small and big opportunities for your growth.

As you venture into creating your own personal Mission, please play until the ideal wording hums off your lips – do not compromise: your Mission is your heart’s guide.

If you wish some ideas as a foundation to hone your own magical Mission: There is only love. Embrace process. Let ‘it’ go. Do ‘it’ now. Be authentic. Follow my heart. Trust my intuition. Live in the moment. Forgive. Be grateful….

KISS!

I’d love to hear your Mission insights. Please email or Facebook your wordsmithing brilliance and/or your sticking points. Share your mission wisdom!

Some days it can feel like Social Media is running you, not the other way around. Juggling techi devices by jumping from Smart Phone to tablet to laptop and back again in an endless cycle to stay connected can run you ragged. When you feel more like a computer pro or a Social Media analyst (unless that is your biz!), it takes time away from what you really love to do – what your business is actually about. Sure, Social Media is a valuable business tool, but ask yourself….

How is Social Media serving you? Not only in your business but in your personal life? Consider: If social media is a vice, does it serve you…or do you serve it?

…Read More…

[The full post at Entrepreneur Mom Now on February 7, 2013]

Amazingly, that’s all it took – one passing comment that stuck with me. For about another week, the thought popped to mind at key moments: as I coached clients, as I was talking on telesummits, and as I planned next season’s events. It was a gift that kept giving me a kick in the butt!

The only way to calm my overwhelming pace was for me to take action in the direction of change. But I was so deeply committed to my overwhelm that I couldn’t find my compass. It was time to rely on a fave trusted tool: being present. Only that meant slowing down to observe the moment, focusing on specific activities, and reconnecting with what I value. From 150 to 0 in one step seemed too extreme. I opted for gearing down in stages. How did I do it? What did I learn? How might you check in with your overwhelm pace?

In June, I pledged to reduce my relationship with my computer. My hubby was fond of saying: ‘You are married to that machine!’ And he was right…only I may not tell him that out loud! It was time to stop ‘living’ online. Only if I went ‘off-line’ while at home, the temptation would be huge. Instead, I ‘escaped’ technology by visiting family in England. Sure I took my computer – I wasn’t being masochistic! But with their intermitted internet access, I was lucky to read and respond to key emails. I learned that by turning off my computer I had more time to do other fun things, and I didn’t miss social media in the least. The fatal Facebook attraction was broken and I survived! You can too! Are you romancing your computer? How techi is your life? Where do your relationships exist: online or in real time?

In July, I focused on prioritizing. Calm would only come with clarity, so being present with only a few key activities meant I could embrace them more deeply. It was perfect timing: I taught a college course for the month and the students were the sole funnel of my energy. Rather than be distracted by other commitments, I fully experienced this aspect of my work in fabulous ways I hadn’t before, while others reaped the benefits of my presence. For you, how many activities do you typically juggle at a time? How could you (and others) benefit from a deeper, more present experience?

In August, I expanded on lessons from June: it was time to socialize in-person! Networking is super fun and often feels like socializing, especially with the many biz friends I have met. Only networking has an undertone of work, and with so many possible events to attend it can feel overwhelming. With far fewer networking events in August it was great timing to reconnect with non-biz friends, some I hadn’t seen or talked to in months! The richness of enjoying quality time chill-axing with friends was a refreshing and grounding elixir. Question for you: who do you spend your ‘free’ time with? How can you honour your friendship connections more deeply?

Returning with greater clarity and balance to my autumn events and planning for the year ahead, my pace has quelled to a speed where I can be present, focused, and connect authentically. No more ‘stunned’ for this biz gal!

[Original article located on Mom Inc Movement – a fabulous gathering of mom and non-mom enterpreneurs: http://momincmovement.com/blog/2012/08/30/push-the-pause-button-on-the-overwhelm-pace/ Love them!]

Of course, it comes with a bit of a brain teaser: What is Labour Day all about?

First, yes, I am writing ‘labour’ with a ‘u’, because English English uses that extra vowel to prove some sort of point – I’m not sure what exactly? Plus, who can’t use an extra ‘u’ in their world! If it irks you, you may want to seek counselling for ‘u-itis.’

Second, according to the world of Wiki, Labour Day is the equivalent of International Workers’ Day held on May 1^st in many parts of the world. So instead of May, the USA, Canada and some other countries celebrate in September. If you’re in Australia, your workers (which if you haven’t already sussed is MOST of us!) celebrate differently in each state/territory – how confusing is that! But OK, seems like a fair trade.

Third, as a Canadian I proudly smile at the day…after all its roots rest here! It’s all the other countries who jumped on board…and why not they all have workers who deserve to be honoured.

Only here’s where I get lost in holiday-land…Labour Day supposedly “celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.” Again, my use of ‘supposedly’ is intentional. I’m not sure where you live or travel, but I have NEVER EVER witnessed a workers celebration in North America on Labour Day. How about you?

Unlike the May 1^st union protests and student marches experienced in other parts of the globe, which celebrate, and in tighter times, even stand up for the rights of workers (a.k.a. MOST OF US), we opt for a day off to party. So, here’s a statutory holiday aimed “to celebrate the achievements of workers,” but really it’s a fabulous reason to fire up the BBQ, grab a 6-pack (of whatever you glug), and dive into some quality R & R. The irony is hilarious – our achievements are marked with a brew and a burger!

I’m not actually complaining, more shaking my head. Initially, Labour Day involved a street parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations,” followed by a festival for the workers and their families. Speeches by leaders or employers gave way to a day of rest and parties, including picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, outdoor activities, sports, and public art events. Maybe what people REALLY want, yes?

Fourth, better yet how about spending your day celebrating YOU by shopping? With all those workers on holiday, what better day for stores to hold sales!? Taking advantage of the opportunity results in “one of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to the Christmas season’s Black Friday” in the USA. Only this means that workers in retail jobs actually work on Labour Day, and often longer hours that day! Probably reflects how retail workers are rarely in unions!?

Fifth, my guess is that somewhere in the mix school pays the biggest role in our Un-Labour Day, because it’s typically viewed as the end of the summer vacation season. With most schools opening for the year the day after Labor Day, families with school-age children take it as the last chance to chill-ax before school begins. Thing is that once you are a school-age child (again MOST of us) with years of living this calendar cycle, we sort of continue to mark Labour Day as the end of summer. It becomes our ‘new year.’

My proposal: What rocking awesome things can you do to celebrate you (most likely a worker!) between Labour Day and the first day of autumn? Imagine that Labour Day stretches to the true end of summer…how would you make the most of it? Now get out there and do it – you deserve more that one day with a brew and burger to honour YOU!

Happy unofficial New Year!

Over the coming weeks, this website will be revived with a whole new look. With dreaming, idea plotting and designing started behind the scenes, you’ll gradually witness the metamorphosis. Like a caterpillar to a butterfly, watch it soar!

In the meantime, please accept my apologies if some features of the website are a bit slower – it’s only temporary as we’re ‘Under Construction.’ And as with caterpillars transitioning, there may be a few moments of hair tugging, sighs of ‘Ugggggh’ and cheers of ‘Whew’ along the way. Patience and laughter, please!

In either case, we often feel overwhelmed by whatever systems we do or do not have in our world – whether paper or electronic. With increased information flying at us everyday it can be a struggle to keep up, adding to our To Do lists until we feel like we’re drowning.

A fabulous example of desktop overwhelm is the profound question of our techi era: to print or not to print? For people who are drawn to printing, the challenge starts with a desire to read the document in its tangible, touchable form – maybe it’s easier on the eyes, maybe it feels more ‘real,’ maybe…. Only then what?  Having printed it, where do you now store the paper? With all the other papers in an avalanche caving in on you??

The near equivalent can occur even if you don’t print. You may save documents, website, emails etc. on your desktop in the hopes of referencing them later. Only do you really ever go back to them? What if you can’t find them amongst so many precious saved icons? Surrounding yourself with little pictures like a mosaic, where do you start your work day when you’re overwhelmed looking at your computer screen!?

Now maybe you’re like me, at times I tend to get organized in one of these areas…only to notice information overload sneaked around me through the other avenue. It’s like feeling strongly positioned in one shoe, while the other one dangles.

Recently, I was feeling lightened by setting up a new office space system: new drop file folders all labelled, desk trays each assigned a role, large desk calendar for article/blog planning, new earphones for skype calls, and my 2012 Vision Board watching over me. I felt ‘on’ it!

It was when I opened a fresh portable hard drive to begin my computer organizing that the other shoe dropped. In preparing my physical space, I neglected my cyber space. I now dreaded opening my computer for fear of being greeted by all the emails, Facebook updates, and icons screaming their neglect at me.

Surely there can be a balance? Today, I put on both shoes: I am making it an admin operations day. Half the day will be spent organizing my physical office space – file papers, consolidate To Do lists, return phone calls, etc. The other half of the day will be dedicated to cleaning up my online mess – address the email backlog, file saved icons into folders, prep my ezine, etc.

Sounds like a great ‘evensy’ plan…only how about the things that bridge both worlds? Here is my sticking point…where does bookkeeping fit when it involves both paper receipts and electronic files? How about planning, when things need to be organized across both paper and electronic means? What about articles and blog that start as hand-written journal entries but transform into typed online messages? Which camp do these fall into? It’s this gap that so often leaves some tasks on my desktop (either desktop!) un-touched for longer than serves me.

To continue the de-clutter challenge this month, let’s share our tips and tricks to rid all our worlds or excess desktop debris. Which are you more prone to – computer or paper clutter? What do you do to organize and limit your desktop clutter? What measure do you use to decide: to print or not to print? How do you feel desktop clutter weighs you down?

BTW – having taken this blog idea from a journal entry and now typed it up, I will remove the journal note and put it in the bin. Meanwhile, I have just saved the typed article on my computer desktop along with ALL the other icons that await de-cluttering!

Returning from my techi-free vacation, I figured I’d bounce back into my joy-filled end of year biz rituals, and of course the holiday season. Only upon returning home physically, I discovered I’d left by biz brain back in the tropics – it apparently wanted (or needed?) a longer shift of gears. In hind-sight, the rest of me did too!

The actual moment that I realized my haze was in reaction (yes, reaction, not response) to a comment from my loving aunt. In her usual enthusiastically supportive style, she commented in an email about what an amazing year it had been for me: ‘You wrote and published a book! How are you ever going to top that?’ Ouch! She inadvertent poked the trigger to my haze.

Indeed, how on earth am I EVER going to have such a stunningly magical year again? The pressure turned up 10 notches with one question. So much for my 2012 affirmation list, my updated Bliss List, my Word-of-the-Year, my Vision Map, etc. I went straight to my default overwhelm belief by the time the ‘?’ ended the sentence: I don’t deserve.

My dance for the past 10 days took me through a flogging of negative self-talk…all while sipping egg nog, laughing with loved ones, and attending festive events. I cloaked myself in denial – procrastination, justification, and excuses – as I pretended to actually be ‘working.’ Sure I got my calendar planned, my email inbox cleaned up, met with biz friends, and tied up some loose ends. But what would usually take me a day to do was drawn out over 4 days.

I was so overwhelmed with the thought of what a mountain any similar accomplishment would require that I sent an avalanche of dread on myself. So much so that I got stuck in my overwhelm…yet again! I invited Holiday Haze it in, sat it at my holiday dinner table, and fed it.

Until a crack of light shone through – it only took a possibility. If I could manifest the awesome events of this past year with little to no effort in welcoming the opportunities, what else could I attract? If all it took was opening to possibilities – even the smallest most dreamy item on your Vision Board – then what next? Yes, what NEXT? WHAT EVER! Whatever I dream of…each and every day with each and every thought.

Of course, if I can manifest beauty, you can too.  What is your heart’s desire for this coming New Year? Let’s pool our dreams to support each other’s manifesting – team manifesting, anyone??

Today, just in time for the last sunset of 2011, my Holiday Haze of overwhelm is lifting. Tomorrow a new year starts and I’m ready to get ‘buzzy’ for 2012 biz!

(C) 2012 Whitney McMillan

Want to use this article (in whole or part) in your ezine, website or blog? Please do! Here’s what to include:
Whitney McMillan is a best-selling author, life & business coach, workshop facilitator, & motivational speaker who supports people weighed down by overwhelm to reach Overwhelm Freedom! Check out her book ‘Rock Your Overwhelm: Live in Clarity, Balance and Freedom’ and receive her FREE eWorkbook and eZine tips: www.whitneymcmillan.com