Please don't crash and burn

This is a note for anyone, I gues, but especially for a few friends out there.

Life can be hectic. Life can throw us curveballs when we least expect it.

Some areas of life can be quite competitive. It is in our nature to strive to 'beat' other people. To be the best at everything.

A little competition is healthy. So much competition that you get stressed over what you're doing, and it negatively affects areas of your life including health isn't healthy in more ways than the obvious.

Steps to prevent complete crash and burn (for those who are currently crashing and burning, I promise to catch you and douse you with water (and stuff you with cookies)).

1. Take as much time as you can (1 hour ideal, but could be done in 30 mins/15 mins/10 mins) for a breather.
2. List your goals in life. What you want, not what other people want from you.
3. List what you believe is preventing you from achieving those goals (usually by cutting in on time you spend working on those goals).
4. Figure out what you can do to help settle life down, help you to feel in control again. Truth is, control is an illusion, but let's imagine it exists.
5. Go do what you've written down/thought about in step 4. This usually involves reorganising time, dropping or lessening one or two daily tasks.

Tips: delegate where you can. Have a supportive friend - more is preferable, but even just one can get you through the day. Remember that you are a lovely person, you aren't evil (including those writers who kill characters and try to take over the world - that is perfectly normal), you make someone smile, people love you for you and I probably care for you more than you can know. Taking a step back, suspending an activity doesn't mean you're quitting. You're just going on a hiatus until you're ready to tackle that particular molehill (or mountain, whichever way you look at it).