You drag your feet.  You procrastinate.  Perhaps you have a big job to complete and you feel overwhelmed, unsure of how to get started.  Perhaps you have an unpleasant task before you and you would simply rather not deal with it. 

Then there are those times when the task you're facing is neither all that big, nor particularly difficult or unpleasant.  Nevertheless, you still find yourself putting it off day after day.

There's a stability and inner calm that comes with feeling like you're on top of things.  Who wouldn't want to feel this way?  Yet so many people don't feel this way at all.  Instead, they're busy, rushed, and stressed, as they struggle to keep up with everything going on. 

When you're already stretched, it doesn't take much to knock you off balance and throw you off course.  Even something minor can be overwhelming and difficult to deal with.  
 
Here are three reasons why you're feeling busy, rushed, and stressed; and how you can start turning things around.

We've all gone through periods when we felt tired, stuck, or unmotivated.  Your energy is down, and simply getting through each day may feel like a challenge.  Pushing yourself to take action during these times can be difficult, yet this is often precisely what's needed to start turning things around.   
 
In her book I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was, Barbara Sher emphasizes the importance of action when you're feeling stuck.  She also makes the connection between action and luck.  In short, your willingness to take some type of action directly influences the amount of good luck that comes your way.
 
Sher provides four good reasons for taking action, even when you're unclear about what you want or feeling unmotivated. 

It's easy to fall into the trap of overthinking when you have an important decision to make.  You go back and forth endlessly as you struggle to determine what your best move is.  Yet instead of making progress, you find yourself right back where you started.
 
Much of this overthinking happens when you're committed to making “perfect” decisions with the hope everything will turn out exactly as planned.  But given the complexity of life with all its twists and turns, there’s always the potential for something unexpected to come along and throw things off. 

With that said, decisions have consequences, sometimes far-reaching ones, so you want to invest time and care to make the best decisions possible.
 
Here are four ways to make healthy, sound decisions without overthinking.

As you move through life, you’re constantly making decisions.  It starts with when to get out of bed, what to have for breakfast, how long to spend in the shower, what to wear... And that’s all before you’ve even left the house! 
 
Many of these daily decisions can be made quickly and easily, but all decisions aren’t like that.  There are times when your best bet is to hold off until you're in a better position to make the best decision possible. 
 
Here are five times when you'll want to press pause before making a decision.

Even the best of friendships can encounter a bit of turbulence from time to time.  From feeling ignored and neglected, to feeling offended or taken advantage of, there are all kinds of issues that can crop up to sour a friendship.

Once feelings are hurt and emotions are running high, you may be tempted to call it quits and walk away from the friendship altogether. This is precisely when you need to hit the pause button and take time to reflect, so you don’t make a decision you later regret. 

​As you reflect, here are some questions to ask yourself before you cast a friendship aside.