Overwhelm gives nothing more than a sense of failure.

How many times have you seen other people doing something new in their business and thought ‘F***, I need to be doing that too’. You go off, start a plan, ask loads of questions in Facebook groups and that’s it – you’re definitely going to do it because you saw someone else – who you’ve perceived is killing this business malarky – and therefore it’s what you need to be doing too?

Sound a bit familiar? I know, I’ve been there at times.

I’m here to say… you probably don’t need to be doing it all. In fact, I’m certain you don’t. Jemima, whose just released a podcast, isn’t you. Jemima might just be running her business as a hobby while hubby props up the family finances, Jemima probably hasn’t ever paid tax because she’s never made a profit! And the biggest thing… Jemima’s life, business and goals are completely different to yours.

By convincing yourself you need to be doing everything you see others doing all you’re actually doing is adding to your to-do list and a big to-do list equals overwhelm.

So, here are a few things to help you stop signing up to things you really don’t need or are not going to help you reach your own definition of success and avoid overwhelm.

Stop

Stop comparing yourself to others – like I said above, your life, goals and business are in no way the same as anyone else. What works for others – or what you perceive to be working for others – may not work for you. Think about your goals and consider whether this latest thing you’re looking to do is relevant to where you’re heading.

Focus

Stop sidetracking. Stay focused. Imagine you’re heading to a tube station and you have five minutes to get the last tube… you’re heading down the escalator and you’ve plenty of time, but ooooh, there’s a really pretty escalator going in a different direction that everyone else is on. You don’t get on it, because it’s not taking you where you need to be in five minutes!

With my mentoring I don’t constantly sell the latest fad, I use techniques that help my unique mentee get to be the one everyone thinks of for the service/s they provide, by becoming known as the expert. For some, it might be to release a course, a workshop, start a podcast, write a book, etc. – but that’s not for all of them because no one size fits all, does it?

Longevity

If you keep releasing all these ‘new’ things or changing your direction you’re going to have very little longevity because people will not be able to keep up with what it is you do, your audience will keep changing and people will see you as a fly by night – not someone they want to invest in.

I’ve recently seen someone swagger into three different areas in the space of six months – and while it’s fine to pivot – constantly doing it and not actually thinking things through, having a plan and a reason (other than a need for loads of money) leaves you with no real enjoyment of what you do for long and your audience will get totally bored of you swaying from one fad to another.

As with anything that’s going to serve you for a long time, you need to invest time, money, build up a consistent marketing campaign and have some authority around what you do. There’s little longevity, or indeed authority, in what you’re offering if it’s changing every bloody week!

Enjoyment

Don’t start a flipping podcast just because someone is running a course on how to do it and they’ve used fear marketing to get you to buy it. Again, stop, focus… do you have the time, what benefit will it bring to your business, can you afford to be spending the time finding guests, arranging slots to interview them, record, edit, market and release at least once a month? If the answer is no to any of them – that’s a recipe for overwhelm.

How will this new venture impact your business now? Is it the right time? Are you so close to your goals that this will take you off course?

It can probably wait. Your success is not determined by buying that latest thing that’s been really well marketed!

And that’s the key line here…  ‘really well marketed‘. Remember, things are marketed to get people to buy them, you need to stop and think whether you actually need it!

How to stay focused

How great would it be to have someone in your corner helping you to stay on track, to stay focused and to only dedicate your time to ensuring your business is safe, sustainable and profitable and so you’re the one everyone thinks of when someone wants what you offer.

It’s what we all want, isn’t it?

It’s exactly what you get when you work with me, and the best bit… I ensure there’s never any overwhelm by cascading information methodically, setting small tasks and challenges every so often to help you reach your unique goals.