Do you still feel like you’re absolutely exhausted by things to do, but you’re somehow not doing enough? You might have thought you’d be further along in life than you are right now, or you might have this list in the back of your head of stuff that you *should* be doing.

No matter what, whatever you do, it doesn’t seem to be enough. Having the achievements of other people will cause this sense of inadequacy. Setting high goals for yourself will also make you believe like nothing is good enough.

Of course, there’s always space for change in our lives, but it seems like a never-ending rat race because you’re always chasing the next thing. It’s frustrating to feel like you need to do it all.

When you start to feel like you’re not doing anything, it’s easy to exhaust yourself. Feeling like you could or should do more is putting more tension on your somewhat heavy shoulders.

In this post, I’m sharing how I’ve been coping with this sensation like I’m not doing anything. You’ll also find some useful ideas to counter this anxiety if you feel the same way.

What causes the fear of not doing this?

Pressure: 

Although I’m doing a lot of things, there’s still something I think I should or could be doing so there’s pressure to be always busy. This burden will show itself from the internal standards that you have set for yourself, as well as those of the outside world, such as work, society, relationships, etc.

Family members and friends who have good intentions may suggest things like, “You should do this” or, “I saw this person do this, you should try it, too.”

You may feel like you don’t get any appreciation of what you’re doing at work, so you start believing you’re doing something wrong or just not doing enough. This burden just adds to the weight of the to-do list.

Everything else I’ve noticed is that I sometimes overwhelm myself rather than anything else. A quick check-in encourages me when I feel stressed. I ask myself, “Am I the one who has caused this extra stress? “When the answer is yes, I take over the issue and attempt to delete items from my to-do list. If it’s triggered by someone else, I ask myself, “How can I set a stronger barrier with this person or express my needs?

Comparison:

Another excuse to feel worthless is the game of comparison. I sometimes feel like I don’t do anything so I compare myself to other people. In fact, whatever I see from other people, it’s a highlight reel, a curated version that they want me to see. This isn’t necessarily bad, because creating (even if it’s expressing your simple daily life) is an art. It’s an art to make life seem more exciting.

But I know that I don’t really find myself comparing my life with my close friends and family. I guess that’s because I can see their achievements, but I can still see their challenges. It reminds me that both of us have highs and lows.

When I catch myself in a contrasting trap, I remember that I’m not getting a whole view of someone’s life. Everything they do doesn’t change how good I’m doing. In fact, they’re actually comparing themselves to someone else.

Perfectionism:

Not feeling good enough can also come from perfectionism, even the most boring of things. The other day, I posted a quote on Instagram, and as soon as I posted it, I felt like it wasn’t good. It was simply a quote on the social media platform. It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but I thought there was something better I could share. Anything more meaningful than that.

I have to tell myself that even the slightest thing might influence. Getting someone to say “I needed this reminder today” is enough. The simplest act of sharing something with me is enough. Often I have to take a step back to note that any little step is part of something larger. Any small move we take leads to our growth or to our decline.

In the book, The Power of Focus, the authors talk about how everything in life is built on tiny little actions. Healthy connections rely on small efforts–sending an text, posting a meme, or meeting for coffee. Over time, these little things are creating a closer bond. Many friendships are weakening because you stop calling, stop checking in, or get into an argument, and don’t want to work things out.

Any little thing you do is adding up to make something bigger. This shows me that the little things I do—no matter how perfect or imperfect they are—are really worth it. Whatever you do is enough.

3 Tips for when you feel behind

When you find yourself thinking “I’m not doing enough”, here are a few things that can help:

1. Stop making your to-do list so long. Do fewer things with intention.

When you’re focused on a lot of stuff at once, you might feel like you’re making progress, but divided attention makes it very hard to get ahead. Progress needs a dedicated focus.

Stop overpowering yourself to do less things exceptionally well. If you’re wondering, ‘But there’s so much I can do, how do I decide what to concentrate on’ you know what you need to do deep in there. You know what you’re going to do, so what do you need to do? Frequently ask yourself this question.

There’s always something that you can do, but it’s not always important. Focus on what’s required. Reflect on what blends into your view of life, business, work, family, and wellness.

2. Set realistic boundaries and expectations for yourself.

You can’t handle it all. Be rational with the amount of time and resources you need to commit to things. Well, whatever you’re doing is enough.

When you feel like you’re late, think of what you’ve done in the last year. Dream of how you’ve improved and evolved in the last five years.

Avoid comparing your life to someone else and set goals that you believe you can achieve, regardless of what other people say.

3. Track where your time goes.

If you ever get to the end of the week and wonder if you’ve done something, keep a list of what you do on a regular basis. I’ve been tracking my time for a week and I’ve found that I’ve wasted a lot of time on stuff that aren’t important to me.

Analyze your time to see where your efforts are headed. You’re going to a) know that you’re doing better than you thought, and/or b) realize that you’re wasting your time in the wrong way. If you think you’re spending money in the wrong way, carefully organize your schedule using time blocks based on your top priorities.

YOUR TURN !!

Think of one thing you’ve been putting consistent effort into lately. How does this add up to something bigger? If you feel like sharing, leave a comment with your answer below!

If you found this post helpful, share or bookmark this page so you can revisit it whenever you start to fear that you’re not doing enough.