5 Ways To Overcome Overwhelm and Achieve Your Business Goals
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Starting a coaching business can be both exciting and daunting. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the multitude of tasks and decisions ahead, you're not alone!
In this blog post, I’ll guide you through some practical steps to help you overcome overwhelm and pave your way towards building a successful coaching practice that aligns with your unique vision and strengths, and enables you to have fun along the way!
We’ll look at:
- The importance of staying connected to your why
- How to remove overwhelm by breaking down goals and tasks
- The importance of choosing a niche to focus your work
- Why planning matters to overcome overwhelm
- The benefit of working with a coach or mentor along the way
This post won’t include everything you need to know – that would take too many words – but you can always reach out for a chat [email protected] or check out my other blogs for more passive income, time management and productivity tips.
1: Embracing Your Vision and Purpose
When the overwhelm sets in, it's essential to reconnect with your “why.” Reflect on the reasons you embarked on this coaching journey. What impact do you want to make and how do you want to help your clients create change?
Clarity of purpose acts as a compass, which is vital when you’re feeling a bit lost or stuck. It helps you stay focused and motivated amidst the chaos and when the end goal still feels so far ahead. This can be a powerful tool to help you overcome overwhelm.
Create a vision board in those early days as well as a mindmap or a journal entry of “the day in the life of me in 12 months time”.
Have your vision board, and your main reason why somewhere visible to you every day. I use boards behind my desk so that I can add things to them & my vision for my business, my reasons why and, some key words such as “freedom” and “choice” are right where I can see them!
What could you add to your vision board or wall to help you when you feel like it’s all just too much?
2: Overcome Overwhelm By Breaking Tasks Down
Overwhelm often stems from trying to tackle everything at once. If you’re multi-passionate like me, or you’re right at the beginning and just cannot wait to get those first few clients, it is very tempting to try to do all the things straight away.
But this tends to just cause confusion and overwhelm as you move from task to task, possibly without finishing them, or creating a lead magnet but not actually doing anything with it. You end up with an even longer list of things to do because you now have several projects underway at the same time!
My general advice for this is to make sure that you zone in on the very essential tasks first before moving forward with other more fun things. As tempting as it is to just focus on connection and social media growth, without the basics in place to turn these connections into potential leads, you’re still going to have these tasks waiting for you.
Okay I admit I found this hard myself… but once I got those fundamentals in place – those foundations ready for the growth of my business, things became much less messy. But, I am also an advocate for doing things YOUR way.
If you find it tough to follow strict schedules, strict plans etc., then find what works for you. Still make time for those foundations, but allocate time to do the other fun things as well to break up the tasks. As long as you’re okay with it taking a little longer as your attention will be split then go for it! It’s about enjoying the process as much as anything. If you’re engaged and passionate with what you’re doing, the easier you will find these things.
If your overwhelm is because your goals just feel too big and it’s hard to visualise achieving your goals, break down your tasks into manageable steps. Not only does this make the pathway to your success a lot clearer, it also provides a brilliant roadmap with a step-by-step on what you need to do, which will again help you to overcome overwhelm. It’s also great for keeping a record of your progress (very important when you’re in the thick of it to see how far you have come!)
Follow these steps:
- Start with a master list of everything you need to do. Write them all down in a brain-dump, or on a large piece of paper / digital document.
- The next step is to categorise and prioritise the tasks. Do all of these have to be done? When would they need to be completed by? (Think SMART). How do they feed into the bigger, overall plan?
- List them in order of priority and find a planner to keep track as you complete them.
- Set small, achievable goals for each day, and finally,
- Celebrate your progress every step of the way! This will boost your confidence and keep your motivation high.
3: Crafting Your Unique Coaching Niche
One of the most empowering steps you can take is defining your coaching niche. This part of your business build up can be both exciting and terrifying! You may have come into coaching 100% clear on your niche and don’t need to think too much about it generally.
However, some find it confusing and stressful. Depending on who you trained with can have an influence, for example were your providers wellness based or more corporate focused?
If you’re unsure what you want your niche to be, try these reflection points:
- What topics resonate with you?
- What topics align with your expertise?
- What are you most passionate about?
- What can you relate to/with?
- What excites you?
- What would you love to do?
Lots of coaches / online service providers will choose to coach others on things that they’re experienced before. For example, they have marketing experience, so will go into business coaching. Or perhaps they have lacked confidence but things have changed over previous years and now they’re passionate about helping others feel the same.
The thing is with choosing a niche is that you can change your mind if in time you do not feel like it aligns with you anymore. Although, it’s suggested that you stick with things for a decent amount of time to give yourself the chance to build those connections.
It can also feel quite scary when you niche down. It can feel like you’re cutting off a huge portion of potential clients. But in fact, by narrowing your focus, you not only stand out but also build a deeper connection with your target audience.
I felt a strong resistance as a counsellor when it came to niching down. I was afraid that I would never get any clients as there were so many therapists already out there. But once I did I began to have a steady flow of clients reach out to me.
Take your time with it, think about what you really want to do and then go for it!
4: Developing a Simple Action Plan
Create an action plan that serves as your roadmap. Straightforward right?!
Surprisingly this can be one of the biggest blockers for new coaches / online service providers. I’ve likened it to reading or not reading the instructions on flatpack furniture – there’s the ones who do and then there’s the rest!
But planning well can be one of the most effective ways for you to overcome overwhelm!
When you’re managing multiple aspects of a business it is easy to feel overwhelmed and stuck. You can lose sight of your goals and waste time focusing on things that aren’t helping you progress, leaving you feeling frustrated and wondering why you bothered at all.
Having a roadmap helps you see exactly what needs to be done to achieve your goals. These can be adapted as your business evolves, but having clear steps will help you to stay on track and save yourself time and energy. It's a great way to overcome overwhelm and feel more confident in your work.
Things that help:
- Start by setting clear, measurable goals.
- Break these goals into specific strategies and tasks.
- Allocate time in your schedule for these tasks. (Time Blocking is a great tool).
- Include self-care and regular breaks to prevent burnout.
- Flexibility is key; adjust your plan as needed while staying committed to your goals.
Flexibility is key. Life happens, illness can happen, or you may be building your business alongside working a different job. When you plan flexibly you feel supported but not stifled. You can tweak things and stay in control of your business growth. It can be hard when you see others moving ahead and you feel like it’s taking you an age to get nowhere fast, but if you remain focused on your own roadmap and your own progress, you will reach your goals at the right time for you.
Flexibility, patience, self compassion, belief are key in those early days. They will help you reduce and overcome overwhelm and increase your confidence as you work towards your goals.
5: Seeking Support and Mentorship
If you want to overcome overwhelm, it doesn't mean you have to go it alone. There is support out there for you, but do be mindful that you’re not getting “shiny object” syndrome and that what you’re investing in is both necessary and relevant for the stage that you’re at!
Saying that I have invested in some amazing coaches. My first coach was when I set up my counselling business. I knew I wanted to develop my business back then, so worked with a coach who not only helped me with my confidence around my niche and where I wanted to expand my business, but also became a great mentor in what can be a lonely space when you work remotely.
Seek out mentors who have walked the path you're on, or who are providing you with the support and knowledge that you need to move you closer to your goals. I have joined memberships that looked amazing – and they were – but I didn’t need them at the point I joined so it became both a waste of time and money! A couple of those I cancelled I rejoined further down the line when I knew they were perfect for where I was at that point.
Another great idea is to join coaching communities or networking groups to connect with fellow coaches / online service providers who understand your journey. Supportive relationships with others in your field can provide valuable insights, encouragement, and a sense of belonging. I have been lucky to have a “business bestie” who together we have support through the tougher times and celebrated through the better times! It’s been one of the best parts of moving into the coaching world, so reach out – you never know who you’ll connect with!
To Recap:
Starting a coaching business can at times feel overwhelming. But keep in mind that each step you take brings you closer to your dream business and life.
When you embrace your purpose, tap into your “why” and keep going, you will achieve the success that you deserve.
Break down your goals and tasks, plan strategically, and seek support along the way.
Overwhelm is a common challenge, but it doesn't have to be a complete roadblock.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and understand why you may feel resistance or fear with showing up so that you can work through those with compassion and confidence. These will all help you to overcome overwhelm and move confidently forward.
I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Take a Look…
Have you read my other post talking about how passive income can be a fantastic add-on to your business? If you're an introvert, manage energy issues or want to do business your way… Passive income could be THE answer to your business goals!
What Are You Waiting For?!
Success is MORE THAN possible for introvert coaches, even if certain aspects may be challenging. Explore alternative options if traditional methods like one-on-one work or extensive social media content feels overwhelming.
Passive income can provide the freedom and financial stability you desire. Once you're up and running you can consider using the passive income to fund a virtual assistant (VA) or social media manager, further streamlining your business operations as you grow.
With persistence and good, strategic planning, and effective time management in place, you can create a thriving business and achieve financial freedom through passive income.
While you're here, let me share my accountability and support membership with you!
The Authentic Growth Community provides accountability, training and mentoring to support you as you grow your online business with ease and confidence. Visit The Authentic Growth Community
Meet Lynsey
Hey there! I'm Lynsey, a coach, counsellor, and mentor for low energy, introverted or low confident female coaches & small business owners. With over 5 years’ experience of running businesses, and over a decade as a tutor and trainer, I've learned the value of effective time management that energises you through working with your energy.
I've lived with chronic illness – ME/CFS since 2011 and since then I re-trained as a counsellor, and achieved a distinction for my MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice; all while running 4 businesses! I want that for you as well & it is possible with the right support and pathway to success.
Improving your mindset, finding acceptance and developing a solution-focused approach to achieving your goals is my passion. Blending mental health support where needed, as well as a supportive space and methods to manage your work more effectively.
If you'd like to know more about working with me, you can email [email protected] or find me on socials (links in the menu)
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