On this week’s episode of the Magnify podcast, host Laurel Day asked former General Relief Society Presidency member Sister Sharon Eubank, “How do we avoid getting overwhelmed?” And Sister Eubank shared a story that has completely changed my attitude about trying to do all the things, all the time.
“Spend Just 10 Minutes”
A woman in my ward had a failed back surgery about 12 years ago. She lives in excruciating pain, and as she describes it, she has said it’s like a full-body charley horse [cramp] that never stops.
And she’s a grandmother, and she knows that she is dying, but she wanted to do something for her kids. She wanted to write these genealogy books for these little grandkids, but she thought, “I can’t even type for more than 10 minutes. That’s all the energy that I have.”
And she was telling the Lord, “How can I do this? I want to do it, but I’m just overwhelmed by my physical and my mental anguish.” And she said the Holy Ghost said two words in her mind. He said, “Just try.”
So in 10-minute increments—she could only do it for 10 minutes every day—she wrote 23 books. She has shown me the 23 books on her table that she has written in 10-minute increments.
And since then I have thought, “OK, if I feel overwhelmed, I can do something for 10 minutes.” And when you see the results of that, just by trying, it has made a huge difference for me.
Consider this: What is the overwhelming desire of your heart? And what can you do about it for just 10 minutes every day?
Is it 10 minutes of Family History research or indexing?
Is it 10 minutes of organizing a cluttered corner of your home?
Is it 10 minutes of FaceTime with a far-away relative?
Is it 10 minutes of personal scripture study?
Is it 10 minutes of researching your latest parenting concern?
Is it 10 minutes of prayer or meditation or stillness to be more in tune with the Spirit?
Is it 10 minutes of connection or playtime with your child or grandchild?
For me, the important takeaway here is not to try to do everything, because those 10-minute increments can also start to add up. But to prayerfully consider the root cause of your sense of overwhelm (or at least one of the root causes) and find a simple way to make incremental progress in that area.
One Percent Better
In a similar vein, Elder Michael L. Dunn’s 2021 conference talk, “One Percent Better,” told the story of the British National Cycling Team and their markedly influential coach who taught, “If you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by one percent, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together.”
In fact, acclaimed author James Clear says that if you can get just one percent better at something each day, by the end of a year, you will be 37 times better.
Elder Dunn said, “Every effort to change we make—no matter how tiny it seems to us—just might make the biggest difference in our lives.”
Just imagine: What changes could you see in your life if you applied this same principle to reading the Book of Mormon or repentance? How powerful would it be if you could look back and see that you are 37 times better at keeping the commandments or responding to delicate questions or listening or focusing on Christ during the Sacrament?
So whether you approach your life’s most overwhelming tasks by tackling them just 10 minutes at a time or by trying to be just one percent better, like Sister Eubank, you may find that it begins to give you more peace and calm in your daily living.
For more insights on avoiding overwhelm and finding peace, check out the stories below:
► How to avoid getting overwhelmed in your calling
► Expert tips for enjoying spiritual stillness—no matter what’s on your plate
► Peace can be a choice. 3 ways to re-center on Christ when worry sets in
