The Syllabus Effect

Yesterday morning I had a mini melt down which consisted of tears and F-bombs.  Not my finest moment, but it happens to us all from time to time.  I was super stressed out by the Syllabus Effect. 

What is that?

When I was in school, I found the first class of a new semester to be the worst due to the distribution and review of the dreaded syllabus. I'd look at everything I had to accomplish over the next several months, and totally freak out. The funny thing though, at the end of the semester I'd usually look back, and notice that it wasn't so bad. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy peasy, but it was manageable and I always survived, and sometimes even thrived. I also noticed that everything I worked towards made me stronger and more skilled.

The thing is, if you look at everything you have to do all at once it can be totally overwhelming and debilitating. Insert meltdown here.

So back to yesterday, I caught myself looking at the entire "syllabus" of my life which led to my breakdown.

This is how I made things better:

1) Break each task into smaller and more manageable chunks, focusing my energy on point B rather than point Z. One step at a time going in the right direction overtime leads to big changes.

2) I decided to use the stress as a way to motivate and energize me in a positive way. Stressers can be a good thing, and are only awful or terrible if we choose to label them as such. I'm choosing to see them as motivators, challengers, and as a learning process to help me grow and get stuff done.

3) I got myself outside with Bodie. We went to the beach, one of us ate sand (not me), and we went for a skate. Fresh air is a cure all. 

Have you experienced the Syllabus Effect recently? Or do you have a different name for it?

Let me know if you try these techniques, and if they help!  

With love, 

Lindsay