You can see them from miles away: buzzards slowly circling high in the sky. Something below is either dead or dying, and the scavengers are waiting to swoop in and enjoy the remains. That’s a little how I feel right now. I have a BIG project deadline to meet in the weeks ahead, and instead of being excited that I’m almost done, I feel that if I look up, I’ll see a bunch of birds flying overhead who are waiting for me to fail. So how do I stay calm in such stressful circumstances? Here are a few tips that help me get through.

Don’t Overthink Things

I have LOTS to do to get this project done. There are a few rewrites, lots of maps and charts to make, and a few more images to find. Plus, I have to put everything together in book form for my client. If I start thinking of all I have to do, my mind starts working overtime. Instead of focusing on the tasks I need to get done, I think about what I have yet to do. That’s too much distraction.

The best way to handle this is to not overthink. Things will get done, if I take things one at a time and focus on the now. When my mind starts to wander, I pull my thoughts onto my current task, letting those other thoughts run in the background so to speak—just like a computer system program that is running when we aren’t aware of it. God created us with amazing minds. We can process many things at a time. And I find if I don’t worry about what I have yet to do, He allows my brain to work behind the scenes, so that when I finally get to that other task, I have a clearer path for completion. When I overthink, I worry—and the buzzards like worry.

Don’t Overdo

We need to listen to our bodies as we work. If you’re breaking out in sweat and feeling anxious, it may not be from the unexpected heatwave or from a bad batch of fruit. It may be stress. If we tackle too many tasks at a time instead of pacing ourselves, our bodies react. And if we end up getting sick or worn out, we can’t meet our deadlines. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? We need to remind ourselves that slow and steady will win the race, and that goes for finishing projects as well. But we need to finish strong, and that comes from not overdoing.

Give God the Project

As Christian writers, giving God our projects should be a no-brainer. But sometimes in our busy-ness, we may forget to do this. Build the habit of daily giving your work to the Lord. He is our enabler. He is the One who can calm our minds so our thoughts can be clear and sharp. He is the one who can multiply the work of our hands when we can’t see how we will ever get things done. And He can provide the creativity we need when we can’t figure out how a storyline is supposed to work out or how a character needs to develop.

Giving God our projects is a matter of trust. Do you trust Him to help you? Do you trust Him to organize your day? Do you trust Him to keep you focused? Do you trust that the God of the universe cares for you enough to help you even in this? I say, “Yes, Lord! Help me trust You more!”

If buzzards realize there is nothing of worth below them, they will fly off. Don’t let panic or overwhelm keep you from completing your project. Focus on the tasks for today, don’t do beyond what your body tells you, and trust God for the rest! Happy writing!

How do you keep the buzzards of panic and doubt away?

Catherine L. Osornio has written inspirational articles for a women’s ministry newsletter, over 200 leveled reader stories for a school’s reading program, fiction and nonfiction articles for Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines, The Declaration of Independence from A to Z, Thunder Comes a Rumblin’, Mosquitoes Infect!, Danger on Martin Mountain, plus various work-for-hire projects. A former elementary school librarian, Catherine is passionate about sharing the love of reading. She enjoys cartooning, illustration, and reading kids’ books. Email her at CLOsornio@verizon.net or visit her at www.catherineosornio.com.

Unsplash photo credits: Tim Umphreys, Luis Villasmil, Chu Chu, and Andrew Moca.