Of all the mindset blocks that keep entrepreneurs stuck, overwhelm is at the top of the list.
Overwhelm comes from not knowing what to focus on and lack of clarity. When you don’t have a clear vision for where you’re going or what you want, overwhelm takes over and you end up taking no action or at least no effective action.
The core emotion of overwhelm is anxiety. You know that constant unsettled feeling that hangs out in your body, usually your stomach. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone, 80% of my clients deal with overwhelm in their business.
Take a quick test and score yourself by adding up the symptoms of overwhelm you’re currently experiencing:
⟤ Stress
⟤ Procrastination
⟤ Being busy but not getting anywhere
⟤ Lots of unfinished projects
⟤ Not having a structure for successfully executing projects
⟤ Lots of notes everywhere, no delegation
⟤ Poorly executed projects and lack of results
How did you score?
1-2 you’re feeling the pressure but coping pretty well
3-4 you’re struggling with stress and mild depression
5-7 you’re on your way to total burnout
So, let’s break overwhelm down so you can see how it looks when you’re in it:
Core emotion: Anxiety
Presents in the: stomach
Your self-talk is: I’ve got too much to do
Your belief: I’ll never get it done
Your focus is: scattered and on a hundred things at once
You make it mean: This is how it is, and there’s no other way
The truth is you’re trying to do too much, and most of your actions are ineffective.
So how do you fix it?
Did you know that of all the actions you take, 20% are responsible for 80% of your results? Which is fantastic news because it shows that most of the things you’re doing, while they may seem significant, are not contributing at all to moving your business forward and that means you can safely let 80% of your to-do list go and you’ll make progress faster!
The solution to overwhelm is to get crystal clear on your vision and then drill down on the top 20% of actions that will have the most significant impact on creating the results that you’re looking for.
By identifying the top 20% of actions that will get you to your goal the fast, you clear out any confusion around what the right next step is with, and the feeling of overwhelm subsides.
A few key questions you can ask yourself to identify your top 20% of actions are:
1. How can I automate repetitive tasks in my business?
2. Who do I need to hire to move things off my desk so I can leverage my time?
3. What are the top income producing activities that I need to be focusing on every single day?
Now that you know what’s causing you to feel overwhelmed you can use the 80/20 rule to be more productive and take your business to a whole new level.
