Do you have too many ideas in your head after a few relaxing days of vacation? Or relishing the lazy days of summer and asking yourself, “What if I……?”
That’s great! But it also can be very overwhelming!!
- Which idea do you tackle first?
- How do you know if they are good?
- Do they fit with the goals of your business?
- And how the heck are you going to have enough resources to get them all done??
If you find yourself in this position, I have a few ideas to get you started. Because it’s all about taking brainstorms and creative insights to the next level….without the overwhelm!!!
1. Write them all down
This is key!! DON’T do anything yet. First, write everything down. Without judging if the ideas are good or not. Just list everything down.
I prefer old school methods for this activity. Why? Something powerful occurs when you physically write the idea. You give it meaning by putting it on paper.
But there is also something very subtle that occurs when you write down your ideas.
Writing your ideas positions you as a leader
rather than just following the money trail
Alot of businesses start with 1 or 2 people running everything. But as you grow, you want to spend more time in leadership activities and less on day to day implementation.
This is often a hard “skin” to shed for many entrepreneurs. They tend to obsess over the details and dive right in.
So stop diving in too quick! Just write everything down.
Take 20 min if you are super busy. Or spend a full day in a coffee shop or other productive workspace and get the ideas on paper.
2. Do the ideas help you achieve your MAIN business goal?
So, this is the part where the rubber meets the road.
The ideas are flowing because you are in a creative space. Great! But the overwhelm starts because you are thinking: How am I going to get it ALL done?
The answer: you are not.
You are going to review which of the ideas fit your MAIN business goal. And tackle those FIRST.
But Malla, I don’t have a main business goal??
No worries!! Come up with something. Seriously. Just write it down.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind after reading this question?
What do you need to do in order to have your business earning more this time next year?
This is a big-picture project that will move your business during the next 90 days. Consider a goal like:
- Find new clients easier
- Sell more effectively
- Analyze your finances
- Set up metrics that help you grow more effectively
Don’t stress over getting it perfect at this stage. Just write down your idea. And talk to your coach or mentor about your MAIN goal. Get insights on what works and what you might be missing
3. Create timelines for your ideas
Once you have the main idea, you can prioritize the brainstorms.
- Some will help you achieve the goal.
- Some won’t.
And that’s fine! You have them all listed so you can tackle them as you have more resources available.
My recommendation is to chunk them via time (ie. 6-12 months, 1-3 years) or with a simple 1, 2, 3 prioritization.
Don’t gloss over the simplicity of the timeline. You want to “honor” ALL of the ideas. Yes, I said it. All of them. Because they may seem wild or far-fetched.
Or they may “call” you to tackle them all. NOW. LOL
But the timeline frees you to think more like a leader than a doer. And leaders are what grow companies. You gotta be able to make the tough decisions and keep the priorities in focus
4. Get feedback from your business coach or mentor
I’ve worked on business goals solo. And I’ve worked in conjunction with a business coach.
Guess which one usually helps me get better results???
Your coach is usually someone who is usually ahead of you in business growth. Or at least comes to the table with a different perspective.
Often, they will be able to see hiccups and hurdles easier. Or gently remind you when the mountain is really a molehill. And share a few tools to conquer the climb.
Yes, I’ve had that moment many times!! Lol
But most importantly, they are able to help you think about the big picture.
For example, I am often listening to the marketing plans that my clients share when we talk. They don’t actually outright say, “Malla this is my marketing plan”. But it comes up informally when they start talking about how they are spending their time and money. So, I listen to see if they are spreading the word and creating awareness to keep the clients steadily coming in.
Because if they are struggling with cash flow and there is no/little marketing, it will only get worse.
But, it’s hard to “hear” that when you are in the day to day weeds. You are usually focused on treading water.
A coach will help you think about your goals and the Main goal from a different perspective. Which will ideally get to that Promised Land of growth with less overwhelm even sooner!!!
