When You Feel Like You Are In Over Your Head

Do you ever feel like you don't have any idea what you are doing?  Do you feel like everything you do goes badly?  Did it all make sense in your head, but not work like you had envisioned?  

When it all seems too much, don't give up.  Here are five steps to help you get back on track and accomplish what you set out to do.  

1. Take a deep breath.  Know that everyone has setbacks and failures.  I think sometimes we surround ourselves with the ever-present success stories plastered all over the internet and TV and fail to realize that most people don't just step into their successes.  Realize that even those that have been farming their entire lives have setbacks and failures.  Farming is just a giant experiment and the experiment works differently for every person.  
   
2. Make a list.  Ugh!  I sound like my mother!  Whenever my mom sees that I am overwhelmed, she always says "make a list and just start working down through it."  I hope my mom doesn't read this, because I don't want to admit that every once in a while she is right.  Wright down what you want to accomplish and the steps that you need to take to get there.  Cross them off one at a time.  Don't let the list discourage you...let it encourage you in the progress you are making.
   
3. Ask questions.  I cannot stress this one enough.  Never be afraid to learn and never quit learning.  Find as many people as you can to ask questions of.  Make sure that you seek out different points of view.  Ask them why they do what they do.  Even if it isn't how you plan to do things, it might be very useful to see the other side of things.  Ask them what they would do differently and learn from the mistakes that they have already made.  Ask them what they wish someone had told them when they were starting out.  
4. YouTube has everything.  You might be surprised at what you can learn to do on YouTube.  If what you are looking for isn't on there, add it yourself.  
5. Just Start.  Another one of the things my mom always like to tell me is to just start and do one thing at a time.  You can't go anywhere if you don't do that first thing.  One step at a time gets you closer than just standing still. 

Life is a journey, a process and a continual learning experience.  Don't act like you know-it-all, because you don't.  We all continue to grow and learn with each day.  There is always someone who knows more than you do, but don't let that intimidate you.  Choose instead to glean from their knowledge.  It only makes you look smarter and pads someone else's ego in the process.  

They probably won't think you are dumb when you are making them look smarter.  


And in other news.....

Isaac and Walker made the front page of the Morrow County Sentinel for their participation in the OCA BEST program this year.