Great question! Overwhelm is very common even among
most veteran entrepreneurs, so take solace in fact that you are not alone. With ever-increasing numbers of new entrepreneurial endeavors, and therefore new entrepreneurs, there are many who are experiencing very same feelings as you.So, Tool 1 is to Join or start a business-focused support group. Napoleon Hill’s MasterMind Principle* has profoundly and positively impacted business life. Success breeds success and surrounding yourself with colleagues who are also on entrepreneurial path will propel you to heights you cannot even imagine.
Each participant makes a commitment to himself as well as to group, meeting on a regular and frequent basis. The group dynamic is powerful and will surely increase your confidence and diminish, or completely eliminate, your feelings of being overwhelmed by daunting volume of details that require your attention. You will learn practical techniques from fellow professionals that can be implemented immediately! You will also come to understand that you’re not as bad off as your runaway mind would have you believe.
That brings me to Tool 2 – YOU ARE NOT your feelings. If you realize that your entire experience doesn’t have to be dictated by how you feel in this moment, you release your hold of being in, and remaining in, state of overwhelm. Allow yourself to fully embrace that “this too shall pass” and that your feelings aren’t in control of you, but rather, although you “feel” overwhelmed, you are in control of your feelings. This is true no matter how incompetent or inadequate you feel!
FEELING (or believing) SOMETHING DOESN’T MAKE IT TRUE! Think about it. If your client FEELS (or believes) that you are a lousy business person because their order arrived late, does this make it true? Maybe courier made a mistake. Maybe you were caught in an unexpected rush that didn’t allow you to call your client as soon as you might have otherwise. Maybe your CLIENT was having a bad day and nothing would appease him/her even if order arrived as promised.
The point is this - You get to decide what these feelings of being overwhelmed mean to you, e.g. “I am completely overwhelmed and that must mean that I am a total loser who doesn’t belong in business because I am too inept to ever succeed” or “Even though I feel overwhelmed, I am confident in my abilities and will learn skills necessary to feel less overwhelmed in future.”
Tool 3 – Consult with a Coach, Business Consultant, or Advisor. You will be amazed at peace of mind you feel after making this investment in yourself and life of your business. After all, what is it worth to regain your confidence and stability and get back to producing?
You may ask “How can I take time to meet with an advisor if I am already short time and long on tasks?” The answer is this: Because taking time to learn a new way of approaching business can SAVE YOU TIME in long-run. Working smarter is smart work, so go ahead and schedule a one hour consultation with an expert!
There are times I prefer to consult in person and you may as well. If this is case, it will take more time than actual session due to getting ready, travel time, parking, etc. However, if your meeting is conducted over telephone, it is truly a one hour investment well worth every minute and every dollar.
As your business grows to depend on more sophisticated systems, this evolutionary process will require a fresh perspective. However, more involved you are in day-to-day operations, you will notice that it is difficult to bring an objective attitude and viewpoint. This is perfect time, yet again, to consult with a professional for their expertise.
Tool 4 - Establish simple, yet effective, systems that work for YOU. This is important. If you need help establishing a new system or refining an existing process, hire a professional Virtual Assistant (VA), professional organizer, or enlist help of a willing and trusted friend or family member. Then see how practical these systems/processes are for you and way you work. Modify them as necessary to ensure that you are working as efficiently as possible. Something that works for your colleague may not work for you in same way it works for them, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Some ideas take only a minor adjustment to make them an excellent fit for your working style.
Tool 5 – Allow creative resolve to find you. Always keep your ears and eyes open for solutions to your yet-unresolved business situations. (I don’t call them “problems” because assigning that label sets up a scenario that requires me to find a solution based solely on my own experience and this always drains me of precious energy. I prefer to set my intent on allowing resolve to find me!) This has happened to me more times than I can remember. Picture a business discussion about something completely unrelated and all-of-a-sudden, your thoughts go to how information could be modified and applied to fix your current situation!
