What Works: Take action to stop project overwhelm
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 01/16/2020 - 12:27pm
I have had a lot of opportunity knock on my door lately. It seems from the moment I open my eyes in the morning, I am going non-stop on everything from my new radio show on KNVC (Business Therapy, Mondays and Wednesdays 7:30 to 8 a.m.) to the needs of a variety of companies. Honestly, it can get a little overwhelming. It’s overwhelming until I realize there a sure-fire cure for overwhelm — take one strategic action.
The scariest part about overwhelm is it creates anxiety, the kind that makes your heart beat fast and your chest hurt a little. Overwhelm may be triggered by outside circumstances. But first and most important battle is in one place — your mind.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve obsessed about a 15 or 30 minute project like it was going to take me the rest of my life. Yet, when I start, it’s over faster than I even imagined.
I want to share with you my simple analogy for combating overwhelm: HIKE THE TRAIL.
I’ve heard, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
But that never resonated with me, mostly because I’m not in the habit of eating elephants.
Yes, I am in the habit of going on hikes from time to time. The analogy works.
Step 1: Decide what trail you are going to hike.
Deciding what to take on first has a lot to do with priority, comfort level, skill level, estimated time for completion, and if anyone is breathing down your neck to get it done. Consider these things and pick a trail.
Step 2: Pack your bag.
You are going to need resources for your project. Get your bottle of water or beverage of choice, notepad, journal, computer, phone, and anything you will need to get the project done. Every project has different resources. Get what you need and settle in.
Step 3: Drive to the trail.
Organize the project. Does the project have sub-projects in it? Get your mind around ONE project. Just like you can’t drive to multiple trails at once, unless they are in the same connected trail system, it is not efficient to try to multitask and tackle five things at once. That creates overwhelm on top of the overwhelm you were already feeling.
Step 4: Hike to the first marker.
You aren’t running up to the summit of this project mountain yet. Pick one task and do that. Just start. Don’t think too much about which part to start on. The trailhead is right there. Just walk.
Step 5: Celebrate and evaluate your progress.
Do you have it in you to finish the whole project? Awesome. Do it. Have you gone as far as your energy will let you go? That’s fine. Celebrate!
If you repeat this over four days, it becomes a practicing habit. 29-plus days you install it as your new way of conquering overwhelm. How can this process help you? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE DYE HANSEN
Diane Dye Hansen has more than 20 years of experience in communication and change management gained in the sectors of government, non-profit, healthcare, publishing, advertising, entertainment, and SaaS. Her Critical Opportunity Theory helps organizations and leaders turn challenge into opportunity through proper leadership and team communication.
She is the president and founder of What Works Consultants, Inc., a consulting firm which helps business leaders communicate when communication is hard. This is done through research, strategic communication planning, change management consulting, and training. She has a Master of Communication Management from the University of Southern California, is a Certified Problem and Change Manager through the Global Association of Quality Management and is a columnist on CarsonNow.org. To meet her and learn how she and her team can help your company, visit What Works Consultants, Inc. online at www.whatworksconsultants.com.
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