Overwhelm set in? Are you having trouble breaking your goals into manageable chunks so your 90 Day plan will work? Try some of these ideas
1. Step away from the keyboard
The keyboard traps you into left brain, sequential mode. Print out your plan, and work on it by hand for a while.
Use a different coloured pen, a felt-tipped pen, or even a crayon. If you want to get really involved, get some stickers. Remember of course that your goal is to get the work done not to spend time making an artwork!
Make a mess, make a mind map.
2. Take it away from the office
Sometimes it just takes a change of environment to help your brain work.
Take your printout to a park, a cafe, your backyard, your kitchen table, a train, a plane or your hairdresser’s. Just get away from the office.
Afterwards you can come back and write it all up. You can even dictate into your phone and transcribe it later with dictation software.
3. Prioritise (pick one!)
When every single one of your 25 new ideas for next year are important it can be overwhelming. When you are in overwhelm you don’t think clearly.
If they are all important then you must start with something. You are busy, you have a lot to do. Business as usual takes up a lot of your working time. Choose one, any one, if none are more important than the other.
If one thing is really important then choose that one. Then break it down.
You can always come back later and choose a second one. But trust me, all of these goals are interlinked, so just use choose one and you will be ahead.
4. Chunk it small
You’ve been big picture planning in 6 to 12 month or even a lifetime sized blocks.
Now you’re at the other end of the scale.
Ask yourself what is doable in 2 to 4 hours. Because that will be all you will have after you’ve dealt with business as usual. If you have the luxury of a few days then having things in 2 to 4 hour chunks will make it manageable, and you’ll knock them over more quickly.
For example if you’re reorganising your marketing than some of these chunks could be 2 to 4 hour chunks.
- write five auto responders for your mailing list
- connect with three clients on LinkedIn
- write first draft of an article
- set up your invoice so it shows your brand
- set up a Google plus profile or a Facebook page, update your linked in profile.
5. Make it easy for yourself. Plan each week to do one
Choose 5 chunks for each month. Each week go back and focus, and choose from your list.
Remember that change is about doing more of what works, and less of what doesn’t. Work to your strengths.
If you need help chunking down ask for it!
Planning can be hard. Implementing can be frustrating. The clearer you are on where you’re going the sooner you’ll get there. Make sure you enjoy the journey!
