I can’t imagine who’d want that mug!
I don’t know anyone who loves that feeling. Your ‘To-Do’ list is huge, you feel like every job is the biggest, and you end up in a mental high-speed spin, trying to decide what to do first. You find yourself doing nothing and feeling exhausted in the process. This will crash a business before it even gets off the ground, but there are lots of great ways of handling overwhelm.
My first blog had to be about this one, as this is something I have been guilty of. Trying to do everything at once, saying ‘yes’ to everything and not being focused will put you right where you don’t want to be.
The hints and tips for this are simple, but during that overwhelmed time even the simplest things seem too much. So start by…
Writing a ‘To-Do’ List
Most of us have a one, though I am guilty of not having written one initially. I was scared of how big it would be! Get everything written down; it won’t be as long as you imagine. Ensure it’s readily accessible so you can add to it easily when those good ideas come. This will free your mind to concentrate on what comes next, which is…
Prioritise
I am guilty of wanting to do the fun and creative stuff. However this can lead to everything from you not getting your business moving to fines and penalties. Pick the items from your list that will have a financial impact. Chase debtors, do your invoicing, pay your bills, and deal with anything for which a fine or penalty can be issued (HMRC). This is the stuff that’s guaranteed to give you headaches if you leave it unattended.
What remains can either be let go of, or dealt with. Go through your list and see what’s been there so long it’s not relevant or important any more. You’ve done without it until now, so do you really need to do it? Often we think there are the things that are ‘nice to do’ but if it won’t earn you any money, strike it off the list. Be brutal, this is your time you’re filling and earning potential you’re affecting, so ask yourself ‘will it create revenue?’
What remains should be tasks that will drive your business forward. So the next stage is…
Planning
This is where the feeling of overwhelm really gets under control. Schedule time in your diary for the larger tasks. Imagine you are booking meetings with yourself to get the work done; you wouldn’t let anyone down at a meeting so treat yourself and your own time the same way. Tasks will take longer than you imagine, so initially book twice the amount of time you anticipate. If you get things finished you can fit tasks in from your ‘Quick Jobs’ list. This is anything you think will take less than 10 minutes. Do these in between the bigger tasks to refresh your mind.
Make sure you only touch each job once and get it completed. Whilst multi-tasking is a highly prized skill, it can readily turn into juggling unfinished jobs, and open the door for overwhelm to step back in. Get each task completed and tick it off the list!
When working on the larger tasks, ensure that you take regular breaks, (every 40 minutes or so) for a drink and to move about if you’re sat at a desk. It will keep your mind fresh and help you solve problems. If you have to cancel a task from your diary ensure that it’s rescheduled.
Ask For Help
If there’s something you’re not great at, but have a friend who is, ask them if they can do it for you. Tasks like research, or something that will be important in the future but isn’t affecting how you work right now. Alternatively, some tasks could be contracted to a Virtual Assistant.
Learn to say ‘No!’
As new business owners we want to embrace every opportunity that comes our way. However there are some things we should really not agree to. This is one I really am guilty of, so read the next blog on how to say no…
So, sit down and get that list written, and then prioritise as if it were your best friends list. Treat your time as important, and your business as a business and not a pastime. Overwhelm stops you enjoying what you were passionate enough about to take the leap and start the journey. Get back to having fun building your business and loving what you do…
