Inspirational Overwhelm
I’m one of those people who can quickly get overwhelmed.
It usually goes something like this…
“I want to create a new class offering to get in front of a wider group of people. I can make a bigger impact by reaching more people at once, and maybe some will see value beyond and want to engage in 1:1 coaching.”
“Oh, this will be great! OK, what topic should I discuss?”
At this point, my brain instantly goes in one of two directions, without fail.
The first looks something like this…
…
…
[cue sound of crickets chirping]
…
…
The second looks something like this…
***Careermoneyrelationshipbeingpowerfulconfidenceimpostersyndromeenergyvitalitymanifestationleadershipempathybeingtrueselfvisionvaluestransitionwellbeingworklifebalanceburnouthabitsfocusproductivitymotivation***
…
…
[Head spinning with ideas, trying to grab one and hold on and then three others show up.]
…
…
Both result in the same next step…
“I’ll come back to this later.”
[Later turns into a week. Three weeks. Two months.]
Then a thought. “I really should create that class.”
And like clockwork, “should” shuts down “inspiration”. The only thing that happens is guilt.
What follows: Push thought away, distract with something else. (My “favorite” distraction is to complain about not achieving what I say I want, not making the impact want to make. Ugh.)
Now it’s weeks after that, and I’m having lunch with a friend… “Oh yeah, I’m thinking I’ll create a new class offering….”
[Repeat entire scenario above.]
We have thought habits we develop, and those patterns show up automatically. Which of these sound familiar to you?
1. Looking for the “right answer”.
2. Waiting to be “inspired” (but not overly inspired!).
3. Feeling bad/guilty for not having done it already.
4. Believing that “wanting” to do it is sufficient, vs. actually doing it. (This one is sneaky, logically this makes no sense, so you must look at your actions. How long have you been holding on to the idea of doing something but haven’t taken steps towards it?)
5. Questioning, “do I REALLY know enough to be the one to do this?”
So, what to do to break out of that cycle?
A. Try on that there’s no “right answer”. Any action you take will be powerful because you are in action. Once you’re in action you have momentum, and it’s much easier to take another action. In fact, you may find that the direction changes naturally along the way until you look back and realize, it’s exactly what you wanted to do all along! Or, you may finish the first thing fully and be completely ready to take on what’s next!
B. Related to (A)… You don’t need to come up with every idea and then find the “best one”. The best idea is the one you act on!
C. Treat a friend/coworker to coffee. Ask them for one idea. Using my example, it might look something like, “Hey, if you were going to spend the next hour in a class, what topic would be most worth your time?” or, “What’s the one biggest complaint/concern/request you hear from your clients?” or, “What’s your biggest complaint you have about your clients?”
D. You don’t need to be the expert on whatever you choose! It’s an opportunity for you to share what you do know about a topic and may even lead to a deeper interest and desire for more research and/or follow-up offerings. Chances are there is SOMEONE out there who knows more about the topic you are engaging in than you. But you are not creating something for that person – you are creating it for the many people who know less than you, or even those that have similar knowledge but aren’t doing anything with it. There’s so much to offer and contribute if you focus on where you can make an impact!