Overwhelm : Get Me Out Of Here!
I seriously doubt there is a business owner around that hasn’t experienced overwhelm at some point in their business. so today I’m excited to share my guest expert Kimberley Taylor tips on how to get over that feeling….
When you’ve got a new business, it can feel overwhelming. You want to do everything to help your baby grow into a big strong impact making beast!
You soak in all of the advice you can. Experts, friends, strangers and your dog are telling you things like:
– You should be doing Facebook ads
– A fancy website is essential to establish your brand from day one
– You should be making stories and posting every day on Instagram
– The only asset that matters is the size of your email list
– LinkedIn is where your hottest leads will be hanging on
– Everyone knows you should start with networking
STOP! You need to get more from less.
So off you go posting and creating and building to the point where you almost forget what it was that you wanted to sell!
And after a while you start to think thing like, “there must be something wrong with me” or “I’m not working hard enough” or “I need to be more efficient and more consistent”.
That’s when you discover the world of productivity hacks and planners. You’re getting more done than ever before but you’re still working 15-hour days, your body feels heavy and your eyes are packing more luggage than Kim Kardashian on holiday in Bali.
You need to get more from less.
So, if you would like to get more results AND be able to enjoy a life outside of world (you remember what it was like to hang out with real life people right!?) then here’s what to do:
Drop the dead wood
When you’re new to business you have no idea what is most important, especially with all of the conflicting information that is out there. I’m not here to tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing because I don’t know your exact circumstances (Sarah I’m sure can help you with that ?) but what I do know is that in some way shape or form your business needs cash to survive (otherwise it’s just a really expensive hobby!).
So, start by asking the question: How much cash do I need?
From there, “What is the quickest way to achieve that?”
These two questions will allow you to start thinking about how you can start to build momentum in your business. They’ll also give you focus so that you’re not trying to do all of the things but instead are doubling down on the activities that ACTUALLY get results. They will be the tasks that are going to move the needle for your business – think selling, outreach, pitching to be on someone else’s podcast etc.
Feel the fear and do it anyway
When you drop all of the dead wood, you will be scared shitless. In the corporate world busyness is a badge of honour. To be honest there are also brands of entrepreneurs who preach busyness in the same way. But let’s be brutal here. Busyness without results is a one-way ticket back to that much hated job you left…
So, list out all of the excuses reasons why you can’t do the things that will bring money in the quickest. You’ll have your own things, but it will likely look something like:
- I’m not ready
- I don’t want to be that direct
- I don’t deserve it
- I don’t want to sound icky
- I haven’t worked hard enough for it
- Urgh sales terrifies me
And CELEBRATE! This is a courageous thing to do! Celebrate the fact that you have had the kahunas to actually create this list. Firstly, forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for believing each of these things that are not true. Forgive yourself for hiding from your potential because you believed these things to be true. Now flip them on their head.
What if…
- You are ready?
- People would love you to be more direct?
- You completely deserve it?
- You sounded like a total boss?
- You didn’t need to work hard for it?
- You loved sales?
It sounds exciting, right!? Sure, you still feel the butterflies churning in your stomach but this time they’re filled with a sense of possibility and excitement.
Be kind to yourself
Stop creating never ending to-do list that leave you feeling like you’re failing at the end of each day. By all means, brain dump everything onto paper or on a google doc. It’s good to get it out. But then, at the beginning of each day focus on one of the important tasks that you chose in step one. After that move onto the urgent tasks. Finally CELEBRATE!!! Give yourself credit for getting the essentials done. Then you can choose to either carry on working or take a well-deserved self-care break!
Add Self-Care
I’m sure you’ve heard people say “I get my best ideas in the shower” or something similar. This is because our brains need space to process. When you’re constantly on the go and never stop, your brain literally can’t see the wood from the trees and it stops generating those important ideas. Everything grinds to a halt and you feel pain every time you come to market or sell your business. Everyday you MUST create that space – meditate, go for a walk, grab a cuppa and browse a magazine, have a bubble bath or play with your pets.
Maintain your Boss Mindset
Changing the way you act in your business won’t happen overnight. It takes constant work and discipline to continue to say no to the nice but not necessary things. As you begin to put your sanity before the business, you’ll be filled with fresh new ideas that help you stay productive and allow your business to grow.
Guest Author
If you’d like more tips on how to get more done in less time, follow Kimberley over on Instagram @kimclaretaylor.
Kimberley Taylor : Productivity Coach
