Emma’s story.
A little while ago I found myself in a bit of a funk.
If I hadn’t already used the word f#ck so often in this website copy, this would definitely be my word of choice again here. There are few other words that can so accurately and broadly describe the state of my existence at this particular time of my life (truth be told, I’m also inappropriately fond of the word).
A summary of the big funk:
My brain wouldn’t stop processing, the noise had become debilitating. I am a super efficient person but life’s never ending ‘to-dos’ had taken over all of my thinking and operating capacity. I was finding it hard to concentrate on anything. My anxiety was peaking and the usual remedies had stopped working. I had chronic injuries interfering with my fitness - they just wouldn’t get better. I wasn’t sleeping. My previous traumas were festering. I was experiencing frequent bouts of sadness. Self-doubt had me questioning my decisions and capabilities. I had a mountain of high interest debt. And despite being a highly organised, capable and driven individual, I simply could not get on top of it all.
The accumulative ‘situation’ felt like it had just become too big and too complex to solve. The more I randomly sought solutions to my different problems, the more overwhelmed I felt. All the information and advice I was getting became this giant labyrinth of ‘stuff’ and I had no capacity left to sift through and navigate it.
I felt completely funked. And I couldn’t see a way out to feel better.
There were times in these moments when I wondered if today would be ‘the day’. That is, the day where my body would just stop, beyond my control, and I would completely lose my capacity to function - at all. I don’t really know what a ‘breakdown’ looks or feels like but it certainly felt like something big was coming, and I knew it wasn’t going to be good.
Somehow in the midst of my shitstorm, my Project Manager cogs started to turn. I am a commerce professional, a business leader. I am responsible for scoping, planning and executing projects of work. How would I go about fixing my own problems if it was, you know, my job?
And so ‘The Emma Project’ was born. Scoped, planned, documented and launched. It was simple but the very instant this plan was put together, I felt better. My problems felt less overwhelming, less complex and within my control.
And so things got better. A lot better. And quickly. I started to feel good. I felt so much ‘better’.
The transition was so profound, I genuinely found myself thinking, how the f#ck did that happen?! What was it that worked? What were the tools/techniques/concepts/remedies that had the biggest impact? Why did this approach work so quickly?
I explored the answers to these questions and I started sharing my experiences. The more I shared, the more interest it seemed to gain and the more questions people would ask. Soon enough others were having success with the method I had used and the tools I’d shared. People were telling me they were feeling better too.
It got me thinking - is this a ‘thing’?! Can I teach others to plan their own ‘Project’ and learn to use the tools that worked for me?
And so it began. I found my own ‘better’ and then a passion for sharing my approach to help others find theirs too.
Emma x
Personal Organiser, Fitness Trainer, Life Counsellor*
*+HR Professional, Project Manager, Professional Mentor, Leadership Coach, Lean Practitioner and Resilience Trainer. Mental Health Sufferer, Divorcee, Step Mother, Blended Family Facilitator, Infertility Warrior, Compulsive Organiser.