How to deal with entrepreneurial overwhelm
A strategy to manage yourself as an entrepreneur to avoid overwhelm and find more fulfillment
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Feeling overwhelmed
As a business owner you have a ton of ideas, projects and responsibilities but not enough time or resources. You probably wonder how you can avoid entrepreneurial overwhelm and stay productive. First of all, know that feeling overwhelmed as a self-employed entrepreneur is normal. The key is to find the best ways to manage yourself, your energy and your tasks.
You are not you when you are overwhelmed
So how do you recover from overwhelm in business and life and get things done?
A process to deal with overwhelm and stay productive
Here is a simple strategy to get clarity and focus. This planning process will help you prioritise, delegate and get done what’s important.
Do what you love and enjoy the process
This is how to deal with entrepreneurial overwhelm
1. Get it out of your mind
Brain dump all things that are in your head, overwhelming you and adding up to your stress levels. Write down everything you need to get done, all work projects, house chores, all to-do list. Gather everything in one place.
Facing new challenges every day can burn you out
2. Group the tasks
Go through the list and mark things to:
- Ditch
First, decide what you need to say no to. - Delegate
Choose things you can delegate as paid work or unpaid help from friends and family. - Prioritise
Choose tasks which can wait and can be done later. - To do
Decide on what you really need to do now and by yourself. - Automate
From both categories – things to delegate and those to do by yourself find things which can be automated to save your and others time.
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3. Batch your tasks
Group similar tasks to do within the same time blocks. When your brain gets into the flow of a specific activity, e.g. creative work, you’ll get more done. Avoid switching between the tasks requiring different brain powers and types of energy such as analytical, creative, evaluative, decision making, communication etc.
4. Plan in time blocks
Fill out your monthly calendar with the tasks batched in time blocks and grouped by types of activities.
Tip: Find the best times of the day for specific tasks. We have different preferences and levels of energy for specific types of activities during the day. Observe which times of the day are best for you to do specific tasks such as creative, communication, analytical, learning, physical energy and others. For 1 to 2 weeks set a timer for every hour and record what you feel like doing most. This way you will find out your natural preferences and you can plan specific activities when it will be easier and more enjoyable for you to work on them. This is also a good way to avoid procrastination.
Summary
These are my tips on how to deal with entrepreneurial overwhelm, manage energy during the day and stay focused on what’s the most important.
What are your strategies to avoid feeling overwhelmed? Share in the comments below.
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