If you are anything like me, when tasks mount up, I get overwhelmed. Sometimes it just feels like an elephant sitting on my chest.
Designing and bringing starting a brand, company or bringing a product to market is no small task. Things never move at the pace you want. Stuff stacks up, or perhaps we should say "backs-up" kind of like a toilet clogged with... You get the picture.
Getting Rid of "Overwhelm"
Here are some things I do to get unstuck when I am am dealing with "overwhelm."
1. Take the False Pressure off Yourself — I am not saying don't push yourself. You need to keep yourself accountable to execute. Just drop the ego. Get rid of the egotistical pressure and identity stroking. Let go of needing to be the next Eon Musk, or mega-entrepreneur. Most businesses plod along for some time until they hit an inflection point. It does not help you, your team, and your family if you are a wreck because you have to be the next "supastah!"
2. Focus on One Thing — When overwhelmed, I just try to pick one thing. You can only do one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is BS! Multi-tasking = multi-distracting! Yes you can put in a load of laundry while you are cleaning the bathroom, but that is because you have a machine to do that task so you can focus on another. We don't really do laundry anymore—we delegate laundry to a machine!
Find a key task for the day. If you make yourself execute on one task a day, or one or a few big tasks for your project per week, you will be amazed at how things build. When you are overwhelmed, pick the key thing you can do that will move the ball the most and shut all the other tasks out.
3. Be Flexible — Businesses and organizations die without flexibility. The recipe is simple; you cannot control everything. Successful people learn how to course correct on the fly to take advantage of the circumstances they have, not the circumstances they want.
Think sailing: Pros do not control the winds, they harness them. The wind is constantly shifting just like in business and life. They are constantly shifting to take advantage of the wind they have, not the wind they want. An inflexible business plan will sink you (pardon the pun). Take the opportunities that are in front of you.
In Sum
In starting UW, the process of getting samples and locating a manufacturer has been trying. What I mean by that is waiting...and the waiting, and waiting, and waiting! When one aspect of the business is stuck, I switch to another that is next highest in priority.
I find these things help me get unstuck, refocus, and get back to making progress. What helps you?
Happy Executing!
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