Navigating the Year-End Hustle - Staying Focused Amidst the Chaos

The Rush of the Final Stretch

Yesterday morning, my first call began with the voice on the other end of the Zoom call shouting a simple yet loaded statement, "25 days to go!." Immediately, I knew what it meant - the end of the year was looming. My response, "It's 4th and goal, crunch time," encapsulated the mixed feelings I am currently experiencing.

As much as I look forward to end-of-year vacations (I need some Vitamin D so bad) and a break from work (do I ever really break from work?), I can't shake off a sense of anxiety. It's like I'm a ball of feelings and energy, buzzing and ready to burst. I feel as if the ground is rumbling underneath my feet. The past year has been a whirlwind of building, growing, and changing. These relationship that I was able to establish through the Obama Foundation have provided me with such a wealth of connections. I know this feeling very well, I have never really had a "path" but when amazing things begin to happen THIS is the feeling. Times like this li rely on one of my favorite Kayne West lyrics, "I know I’m 'bout to kill it, how you know? I got that feeling". Such times of extreme transformation often leave me feeling disheveled and scattered.

My mind races non-stop. Sleep eludes me as ideas bombard me relentlessly, coming at a pace of a mile a minute. My workspace is a testament to this chaos - littered with lost and found notes, a physical manifestation of my scattered thoughts.

Lately, my nights have been visited by a recurring dream that seems almost reflective of my current state of mind as the year winds down. In these dreams, I see silent, gentle cicadas adorned with the most beautifully decorated paper wings. This imagery, so vivid and symbolic, seems to mirror the whirlwind of feelings I'm experiencing as we approach the year's end.

This combination of cicadas and paper wings in my dream might be suggesting this period of personal transformation. It's as if I'm developing new aspects of myself, much like the delicate yet resilient nature of these dream creatures. The dream could be a message to embrace change with the strength of a cicada and the delicate, imaginative approach symbolized by the paper wings.

Yes, I used DALL-E to recreate the image fro my dream

Finding Focus in the Frenzy

In these moments, when our ambitions and anxieties collide, it's crucial to find ways to stay grounded and focused. Here’s a list of tips and tricks that I've found helpful:

Create a Structured Daily Routine: I start my day with a set routine. It could be a morning jog, meditation, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee in silence. For me, it's wake up and write down my "sleep thoughts", any and everything that is on my mind when I wake up. This routine sets a tone of grounding first thing in the morning to help me set the stage for discipline at the start of the day.

1. Prioritize Your Tasks: Make a list of tasks and prioritize them. Tackle the most critical or challenging tasks when your energy levels are highest. With all of the ideas flooding me, it gets really easy for me to get distracted with ideas that are randomly popping in my head. I create a lot of list and I have a lot of stickers to highlight the really important things that are either "setups" for larger things or things that have to happen before the end of the year. It forces me to also break down some of my larger loafy goals. Large goals can be overwhelming. Break them down into smaller, manageable tasks. This makes it easier to track progress and maintain momentum.

2. Limit Distractions: Identify what typically distracts you and take steps to minimize these interruptions. For me it's almost always my scrolling addiction so I will lock my phone away. Yes, I have a lock box with a timer for my phone. I got it from Amazon and it was the best productivity investment that I have ever made. I have to turn off social media notifications or set specific times to check emails.

3. Keep a ‘Brain Dump’ Journal: Whenever you feel overwhelmed with thoughts, jot them down. My thoughts are This can help clear your mind and organize your thoughts. I have tons of those little Postit not manesfestations, on computers, in notebooks, just everywhere.

4. Stay Connected with Your Support System: The first thing I did was book lunch with my "Board of Mentors", I need grounding. They provide me with an outlook on things that they can see that I can not. Most on my mentors are women who are in a very mature stage of their lives and "been there, done that" is an understatement. Their valuable insight keeps me grounded.

Embracing the Chaos

As we navigate these bustling final days of the year, it's important to remember that feeling overwhelmed is a natural part of growth and change. By implementing these strategies, we can channel our energy productively, stay focused on our goals, and maintain our sanity amidst the chaos.

Remember, it’s not just about surviving the rush but thriving in it. Here’s to making these 25 days count!

"Don't be perfect, be present"