Do you find yourself working more than you should for a fraction of the results you’re anticipating?
Running here and there thinking the next webinar, program, self-study course or event is the answer?
Before we can begin to manage or overcome our overwhelm, we first need to identify it.
What type of overwhelm are you currently experiencing? (Note that it may be, and likely is, more than one type.)
- Too Much To Do: Everywhere you turn, something or someone is clamoring for your attention. You “should” send out that solo email, you “should” follow-up with that promising prospect, you “should” create that new program, you “should” finish your bookkeeping, and you “should” update your website.
The list is never ending. And, that’s a good thing. When you’re a business owner, there should be lots to do. It’s a sign your business is growing. Embrace it. We’ll talk about how to manage it later this week. - “Where do I start?” or “What’s next?” An offshoot of “Too Much To Do”, “Where do I start?” rears its head when there’s a project looming and there are SO many moving pieces. This is especially common with writing, tech and financial projects.
Which one do you tackle first? Which one will give you the greatest feeling of moving forward without taxing your energy? Which steps do you know how to do and in which order?
Again, it can feel never ending — only here, it’s not a list, it’s more a jumbled mass of wires, something you need to unravel before you can figure out where to start. Exhausting. We’ll discuss how to manage it in our next email. - Do I have a viable and sustainable business? Perhaps the most overwhelming of all the overwhelms is knowing whether or not what you’re doing will “succeed” (you define what that means) without you working 12- to 15-hour days.
Will all your efforts be for naught? Will you live your desired lifestyle without going deep into debt? Will your dreams take wings or will you forever be struggling to get clients and create the passive revenue that “everyone” talks about? Will you be able to actually enjoy the money the business is making? The revenue is there, but what about the profits?
Regardless of where the business is in its growth, many business owners give each of the below four quadrants the same time and attention.
This is the primary cause of overwhelm — trying to do all things equally and simultaneously while constantly being seduced by new and brighter shiny objects.
Next, we’ll cover how to manage all of the above.