I have learned that one of the reasons I was financially, emotionally and physically broke was because I failed to subscribe to a daily self-care regimen. I did not adhere to setting realistic expectations for myself, life and business.
Often times as entrepreneurs we are focused on making “right now money” not really focused on long-term goals or what we need to do and learn to achieve our desires.
Before I quit my job March 2015. I was a hot mess. Overwhelmed and stressed out. Worried if I was ever going to live my dream life, which is to work from home, travel the world, be location independent, debt-free, and profitable. (Yes, making money does NOT mean that you are profitable. I will break that down to you in a later post.) I wanted to do meaningful work that allowed me to be authentic, to learn a little bit about everything and connect with emerging thought leaders around the world.
I realized that the only thing standing in the way of my vision for my life and reality was my ability and will to make a decision, so I did.
The reality was that I was the main cause of my overwhelm. Not willing to take responsibility for my happiness, not being realistic about my feelings or expectations, not sitting down when I was over tired, and the list can go on.
Before I had my epic “F*ck It Moment” and quit my job, I decided to get a handle on my stinking thinking and devised a plan to turn my life around.
Overwhelm is one of those things that will rob you of your self-confidence, focus and future if you don’t define the root cause of it. I am certain that at some point in your life you have experienced overwhelm too. Overwhelm is that sort of thing that makes you want to hide under the covers until a magical solution or situation appears. The truth is overwhelm is rarely situational, it’s merely a mindset. It is a situation that you create because you are not willing to face the music, take a few breaths, and slow down for a while so that you can speed up.
Overwhelm is that sort of thing that makes you want to hide under the covers until a magical solution or situation appears. The truth is, overwhelm is rarely situational, it’s a mindset. It is a situation that you create because you are not willing to face the music, take a few breaths, and slow down for a while so that you can speed up.
Overwhelm usually shows up when you are exhausted, unclear about what you want and how to achieve it, lack direction, and focus.
Here are four ways that I have identified that will help you kill overwhelm when you feel it rearing its ugly head.
1.Clarity- Get clear on what it is that you want and why. It is hard to focus on your next best step if you are not sure about why you should make an effort to change your situation. It may sound crazy that you need to define your why, but honestly most people just push logic and their big picture for their life to the back of their mind and what’s important doesn’t make it to the infamous To-Do List. I have learned that you can be taking action to achieve your goal, but when you inspect your activity you will discover that you are merely doing busy work vs. making any real progress. I mean what the world sees looks good, but when you do an audit on what’s really going on it gives you an opportunity to access the situation without being bias.
I have learned that you can be taking action to achieve your goal, but when you inspect your activity you will discover that you are merely doing busy work vs. making any real progress. I mean what the world sees looks good, but when you do an audit on what’s really going on, it gives you an opportunity to access the situation without being bias. Course correct and then start performing because now you are clear on what is what and what is next.
Put your ideas down on paper and rid yourself of anything that is no longer serving you. Clarity allows you to eliminate b-s and focus on activities that will allow you to move the needle. What areas of your life are unclear?
2.Mindset– Don’t expect to magically rid yourself of overwhelm because now you are aware of your situation. Awareness is the turning point from chaos to confidently taking your next step. When you embark on aligning your mindset with your desires, it is important to understand that at first it will not be easy. Your mind has been programmed to automatically think negative when life doesn’t go as planned. You have to be strong enough to know that you have options and that it is left up to you to focus on possibility vs. a state of mind that will not serve you to become your best possible self. Your ability to control what you think and how you respond is left us to a single decision to do so and daily practice.
3.Game Plan– A game plan allows you to establish a strategic approach to achieving your goals. Overwhelm goes away when you implement systems, processes and structure in your life. It allows you to be realistic about the resources you need to achieve your goal, and it prompts you to be mindful of the time investment needed to be successful. A game plan is a road map. It gives you guidance and room to be flexible. Overwhelm appears when you attempt to pursue something on the fly, which is when you have no clear pathway from point A to Z or a backup plan should something not go as intended. A game plan allows you to measure your success and progress. You have a vision for your life, so create time to plan for greatness. Expecting greatness without a plan will set you up to have more failures that you anticipate.
4.Accountability-If you think you can achieve greatness alone I want you to reconsider. Pursuing someone or a group of people to help you stay on track is more than just someone reminding you of what you have to lose if you don’t follow through. It is more than someone being a personal cheerleader for you. Accountability allows you to have an extra set of eyes, wisdom and support that you will not be able to give yourself. When we are focused on our goals we become narrow sighted. Not looking at the BIG picture with a magnifying glass. We are focused on the end-result not the day to day activities, trails and tribulations, and grit that is required to land us a deal of a lifetime. Every time I have made a bold move to pursue my dreams I ensured that I enlisted a trusted accountability partner that would help stretch me. I know my weaknesses and not following through on certain projects is one of them.
When we are focused on our goals, we become narrow sighted. Not looking at the BIG picture with a magnifying glass. We are focused on the end-result not the day to day activities, trails and tribulations, and grit that is required to land us a deal of a lifetime. Every time I have made a bold move to pursue my dreams I ensured that I enlisted a trusted accountability partner that would help stretch me.I know my weaknesses and not following through on certain projects is one of them. I have always had a coach on payroll to assist me. Not only do I need accountability to thrive, but someone to bounce ideas off of and to tell and teach me what to do. Having accountability reminds me that I am not on my journey alone. That when I am in a time of need, doubt or curiosity I have someone to lean on. Success is lonely if you don’t have anyone to share your wins with.
I know my weaknesses and not following through on certain projects is one of them. I have always had a coach on payroll to assist me. Not only do I need accountability to thrive, but someone to bounce ideas off of and to tell and teach me what to do. Having accountability reminds me that I am not on my journey alone. That when I am in a time of need, doubt or curiosity I have someone to lean on. Success is lonely if you don’t have anyone to share your wins with.
I want you to access how you have been addressing overwhelm that shows up in your life. Make a decision today to nip it in the bud the minute it appears. Don’t ignore it, but take some time to understand how you feel and how you got to where you are. Then focus on what you want and then go for it.
Need help with this? Let’s Chat
Your Business Systems Strategist
Wendy Nicole Anderson