Career & Business Coaching Blog.
Inspiration and tips for multi-passionate creatives & entrepreneurs.
Too Many Ideas? Here are 5 Tips to Stop Feeling Stuck, Lost or Under Pressure When you Don't Know Where to Start
As a (multi-passionate) creative, I know the struggle is real. We have too many ideas, and they all seem so good - all of the time! Feeling stuck or lost because of my lack of time or not knowing where to start used to be a familiar feeling for me. Feeling like I didn't have the legitimacy to do what I wanted to do also haunted me for years, and it still comes up from time to time.
If you're feeling overwhelmed with everything, pressured by the burden of having to do something meaningful that pays the bills, feel like you never have enough time to get started, or don't know what to do, this article is for you. Together let's discover how to stop feeling stuck, lost, or under pressure when you're a multi-passionate creative.
Thinking that we'll never have the time or never be able to do everything can make us restless: we want it all right now! It's not that we're greedy; we don't want to miss any opportunity, and we want to do all of the things! The problem is, we have so many ideas that even if we work relentlessly, we still don't know how to get around and do everything.
But the good news is, there's a way to get unstuck from under that pile of ideas AND take steps towards your dreams.
How to stop feeling stuck when you have too many ideas and don't know where to start. Here are 5 tips to help you get started.
#1 Make a list - braindump and categorize
Make a list of everything that is running the show in your head. Write it down as a brain dump or mind map. Don't worry about how good something sounds or if someone else might do the same thing: write everything down without editing yourself. You can also challenge yourself by writing your ideas out on paper instead of typing, but remember to get rid of distractions such as phone notifications or chatty colleagues or family members when doing this!
When you've got your list or overview, categorize (this is the magic step, so don't skip it!). See which ideas could work together, are related, or build on each other. Very often, a lot of our interests will be connected, even if just loosely. By grouping them, you'll feel less overwhelmed by everything that is asking for your attention, and you'll start to see what you could get started with.
#2 Make time - so you can take action
When you have categorized, start with what you think is most important RIGHT NOW, reminding yourself that you're choosing for now and not forever! All your other ideas will get their turn; you can't do everything all at once.
Take action by starting small; don't think about the result and go for it. Starting small can help you to get out of your comfort zone without feeling too overwhelmed by things that might feel stressful or difficult at first.
#3 Avoid perfectionism - it's nothing but a dream killer
Many of us are scared to start working on something we think might not be perfect, and that makes sense because nobody wants their work to look unprofessional or silly.
Avoid feeling overwhelmed by thinking about how difficult or stressful everything might seem at first, and go for it! Timeboxing your work will help by making you focus on doing something for a certain amount of time, giving you less time to overthink or worry about everything that could go wrong.
If you're struggling to get started because you're afraid your work won't be good enough, perfectionism might not be the only thing at play. It may be that you lack confidence or fear failure: both things we've all experienced at some point in our lives. Instead of focusing on the fear of failure, focus on what you have to gain by taking action and creating something real instead of just thinking about it!
#4 Follow a creativity schedule - not a specialist one
Multi-passionate creatives are rebellious by nature. The problem with most schedules and calendars is that they're made for specialists who don't need a sense of freedom as creative generalists do.
As creative generalists, we have many interests and talents. Still, the flow we need when performing a particular activity cannot just be turned on or off (although that would be incredibly cool!). Often unconsciously, we choose tasks based on the available physical, but especially mental energy of the moment. I, for example, write my articles in the morning because I know I won't get a decent word on paper in the afternoon. If I try to write in the afternoon on a tight schedule, this always leads to frustration and reduced productivity.
The solution is simple: put flexible blocks on your schedule, but only fill them when you're ready to get started. So you can decide when you'll work, but do not lock yourself in with "what" it is that you'll do during those blocks. Use a running list of tasks for the coming weeks, for example, and organize them by priority. Then, when you're ready to work, pick what feels good to you in the moment. When you can freely choose what you work on every day, the feeling you get is indescribable, especially for a rebellious bird like you.
#5 Ask for help - nobody can do it alone
Nobody can do it alone. But as creative generalists, because we're so used to learning quickly and understanding practically any subject, we often think we're supposed to do it all ourselves.
But the truth is: It's not because you can do something that you should. Realizing this changed my life and that of many of my clients.
It's essential to ask for help whenever you think it might benefit your project. Even if you're struggling with something that seems like an easy task, remember this: nobody can do it alone. And nobody should!
To end, I'd love to say once more that you don't have to choose just one idea over all the others. If you find yourself overwhelmed with too many ideas, take a deep breath and go through the tips above (again). You really can build a career or business that includes many of your passions and interests. Believe me, I know, because it's what I help people, just like you do every day!
Are you a multi-passionate creative who is stuck in your career or life?
I can help. My name is Murielle Marie, and I'm a private coach for multi-passionate creatives. If you have too many ideas but don't know what to do with them, let me help you find clarity and direction so that you can live the life of your dreams.
Let me show you how we can work together by scheduling a free 30-minute coaching session call today! Click below right now to get started.
10 Practical Ways to Get Unstuck Right Now
Do you currently feel stuck in your life? If you do, I want you to know that you're not alone. As a coach for multi-passionate creatives and entrepreneurs, helping people get unstuck is what I do best.
I get excited about helping others finally move forward because it's one of the best feelings in the world. I get to see people who are passionately pursuing their true path and achieving what they want. There's nothing better than seeing someone move past obstacles that were keeping them from following their dreams.
So, if you're feeling stuck right now, I get it. It's not fun to feel this way. There are many reasons why you might, and they vary from person to person. However, no matter what your challenges are, there's always a way forward. The key is looking for a way out and being open to it.
Action Comes Before Motivation
One of the most challenging things when you're stuck is finding the motivation within yourself to get moving again. It's easy to get stuck, getting moving again... not so much. Old habits and routines can feel safe, and the unknown often feels scary, even if it's so much better in the long term than what you have right now.
There are many reasons why we get stuck:
because we're afraid of failing,
because we procrastinate and keep putting off anything that feels scary or uncertain,
because the path forward isn't clear yet,
because we don't have a plan,
because our family doesn't support what we want to do,
because it seems like everything around us is working against our goals,
because we feel like we're the only one who isn't happy with their life right now,
and so much more...
10 Practical Ways to Get Unstuck Right Now
What do you get when you combine procrastination with fear? Creative deadlock. It always amazes me how easy it is to get tangled up in doing nothing by overthinking what I need to do next.
Ironically, the idea of "being stuck" (the most common procrastination excuse) is itself a fear, and a sneaky one disguised as laziness or indecision. Interestingly, we get stuck with both positive and negative emotions – not just paralyzing fear but also excited anticipation. I know, right? So let's get the "I just don't know what to do" off our chest and look at ten ways to get unstuck right now instead.
Determine what part of getting started is holding you back – fear, indecision, procrastination? Usually, it's some combination. Next time you get stuck on starting something, ask yourself: Do I worry about this? What might the fear be? What is the worst/best possible scenario for getting started? Let's get into some action here.
Write a list of possible actions you can take right now as if you had no fear at all and knew with 100% certainty that it would turn out alright in the end. Most likely, there will be at least 60% of them that you get excited about.
Trust yourself and go for one of the actions on your list. As soon as you get into motion, you'll notice that the feeling of being stuck subsides. The trick is to get a second action going right away after the first one. Then another one, and another one (you get the picture :)).
Remember that the first step is often the hardest. Once you get started, unseen forces and power get you unstuck and get things done. Once you get a few actions going, the momentum will help carry you forward. It is a bit like a snowball effect: it becomes harder and harder to get stuck again once you're out of the starting blocks.
Identify your biggest fear about getting started. Get back to that fear with a worst-case scenario: what's the worse that could happen? Except for the odd one out, you'll realize the worst isn't that bad, and certainly not as bad as doing nothing! Once you get that one out of the way, it will become easier to get things done. Don't leave it on the list for later – do it today!
Reward yourself for getting started. Treat yourself, take a break, get outside in the fresh air. Don't wait until the end of a project or goal to celebrate. When you've been stuck for a while, it's essential to reward yourself for little progress. This will train your brain to want more of that feeling and make it easier for you to keep going.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Let me say that again: get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I know you're afraid of the unknown, I am too, but most people never get what they want because they quit when it gets tricky. By getting familiar with annoying or complex emotions, you give yourself a priceless gift. The more you get acquainted with them, the more control you'll have over them - instead of them over you!
If it's still hard to get started, make a plan for the next 15 minutes - not a minute more. Forget about the end goal, forget about all the tasks you have to accomplish, and focus on the next 15 minutes. Once they're over, you're done. Congratulations! Repeat for a few days or weeks until those 15 minutes feel too easy, then add more time as you progress forward.
Get an accountability partner. Find someone who will tell you to get your butt in gear even when you don't want to get started. Share goals, dreams, and work schedules with this person. Ask them to keep you on track and offer to do the same for them. You can get there on your own, but often knowing that you're accountable to someone will make it easier to get - and stay unstuck.
If you really can't get unstuck, find some professional help. There's a lot of it out there: therapists, support groups, coaches like myself... whatever it is you're struggling with, someone can help you figure things out. Don't be afraid to reach out.
I hope you've found these tips helpful. Just remember that being stuck is a feeling, not a fact. You have the power to move forward. I know it's hard, but you can do it!
Do you feel stuck?
I'm a coach and mentor for creatives and entrepreneurs who want to grow their careers or businesses. My specialty is helping people get unstuck so they can move forward with confidence. You don't have to go through this alone – I can help!
You don't have to stay stuck forever! Let me help you find the clarity, courage, motivation, and direction needed to progress your goals today! We will work together in an intimate setting where we can focus on what matters most for YOU. It doesn't matter whether it's writing a book, changing careers, or starting a new business - my job is to support you through this process until you're ready to fly again by yourself! This could be precisely what you need right now...
How to start small to finish big
When we dream big, it’s easy to get caught up in the dream and become overwhelmed. Huge goals often feel like mountains that we’re not equipped to climb. I believe this is one of the main reasons why so many big dreamers never act on their goals. The vision is so big that they fail to see how they could ever make it their reality, so they do nothing.
In order to achieve big dreams it’s important to start small: plan small, take small steps, move forward in an achievable way. That way the path that leads to your dreams feels more manageable, and you’ll be more likely to remain motivated and in action.
How do you start small?
Put action steps on your to-do list, not goals
Last week a client told me about the “goals” she’d been stuck with on her to-do list. When I asked her how long they’d been on there, her reply was: “Forever”. I wasn’t surprised. I see this so often in my coaching practice. When we fail to turn goals into actions steps when putting them on our to-do lists, not much gets done. Who can blame us? Goals could take weeks, months, years to accomplish. Having them as an action step on our daily planner inevitably will cause overwhelm.
Keep your goals and dreams on your vision board and use your daily planners for the actual steps you’ll take to achieve them.
One way to do this is to break down each of your goals into all the steps it’ll take you to accomplish them. Then use this master list to put together your daily, weekly, or monthly to-do lists, starting from the actions you can take right now. If your goal is to start an online business for instance, steps you’ll need to take range from figuring out your website software, domain name, hosting provider all the way to writing content, defining your offering, and putting together your marketing strategy. Not all of these steps can be taken immediately. But some can, like researching website options, or brainstorming domain names. Those are the steps you need to get started with first.
Make sure you can complete each step in one sitting
It’s not enough to turn goals into action steps. You have to make sure you can tackle each of them in one sitting. What I mean by that is that you have to be able to complete any action step in 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on the time you’ve allocated for it on your daily schedule. If not, the action step is not small enough and probably looks more like an intermediate goal that needs refining.
When I put together action steps I like to revisit them a few times to make sure they’re the smallest they can be. When I review them I always ask myself the same question: “Is there anything else I need to do to complete this step?”. If the answer is no, I know I have a good action step. If it’s yes, I break it down further.
Plan ahead weekly
Once you have a master list of action steps for each of your goals it’s time to plan. I love to plan ahead of my week on Sunday. It’s the most peaceful day of the week, with the least amount of distractions. At least for me I sit down with my list and fill my weekly planner with the steps I’ll take that week. It not only helps me to stay focused, but I consistently achieve more when I plan ahead like this.
One thing that has helped me throughout the years though (and that I’m still working on) is to limit the amount of things I put on my list every day. It’s so easy to overestimate the amount of time we have available, and to stress ourselves out with too many things we think we “have to” do. When we do, it’s as if we’re adding the goals back on our to-do list: we become overwhelmed, and our momentum fades away. Make sure to give yourself enough time each day to complete the actions steps you’ve set yourself, and limit how many you’ll do each day.
Remember there’s a whole world out there. While you’re building your big dreams make sure to experience, and enjoy it. In the end, now is the only time we’ve got.
If you want more tips to get unstuck, I’ve got great news for you! This tip is part of a series, you can find all entries here.
3 tips to get started with almost anything – immediately
Last week on the blog I wrote about 5 ways multi-passionate, creative women such as yourself can declutter their minds for success. While the tips I mention in the post are pragmatic, and actionable, there is one thing that remains absolutely necessary in order to achieving anything – success included, and that’s to get started!
After spending years overcoming the fears that kept me from doing what I wanted to do, and be who I wanted to be, I know how hard it can be to get started. Much harder in fact than many things that come after it.
One of the things I procrastinated the longest on was putting myself out there. Spreading my message. Articulating my ideas. Sharing my beliefs. Now that I’ve sort of come out on the other side of that fear of being visible, it’s easy to forget what it took to get here, or how I felt before. When I think about it hard enough, like now when I’m sharing this personal story with you, I remember the hard work that was involved, the fears I had to overcome, the questions, doubts, and insecurities that I’ve worked through…
But what I remember most, and what stands out as an act of personal bravery in my book, is that I got started. Whatever came after, all the successes (and failures) I’ve had until today, none of that would have happened if I hadn’t taken that first step.
You wouldn’t even be reading these words.
That’s why today I want to share 3 tips with you that I’ve used successfully to get started with almost anything – immediately.
The beauty of these tips – as you’ll see below in just a minute – is that you can practice them anytime, anywhere. And what they’ll teach you is how to put the powerful mantra of “do first, think later” into practice for you. Something that has been instrumental in helping me get started on so many of my projects in the past few years.
#1 Ignore (silence) your inner critic
The whole point of doing first, thinking later is that you don’t think but do. Duh! Now listening to your inner nasty doesn’t count as not thinking. However unconscious or subconscious the listening may be, there’s a mental process going on that is keeping you from taking action.
Working my way through my own procrastination, I’ve found that silencing that inner voice really helps to get me moving. One of the ways that really works for me is to acknowledge her, then challenge her beliefs using questions such as “So what?”, “Who cares?”, and “What’s the worst that can happen?”.
#2 Focus on one small step
Failing to take action often comes from wanting things that seem way too big. You’re in a job you hate, single while you’d love to have a relationship, you don’t make the money necessary to live the lifestyle you desire, you’d love to start a business, be fluent in another language, bake cookies for a living… but when you look at where you are right now, you can’t seem to imagine you’ll ever get where you want to be.
I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing wrong with your dream, and that you can achieve it, I have no doubt. But you need to forget about the dream, already! That’s right, in order to work on your dream you need to forget about it so you can focus on one small, and simple step. Nevermind the flourishing business you want to have, the fluency in which you want to speak a new language, or the tons of delicious cookies you’re eager to delight children with. Instead ask yourself what the first step is that you can take to start your business, learn that language, bake a cookie today.
#3 Let your body lead the way
Finally, and this is the tip that really brings all of the above together, let your body take over. To get started we need to physically move our bodies – always. When we imagine doing something we’re firing neurons through our brain, sending signals to our body that something’s about to happen. The body’s reaction is get into motion.
This is not only true when we want to get a snack out of the kitchen, choose a show to watch on Netflix, or grab our laptop to Google something. This is also true when we tell ourselves we should email that accountant about that business we want to start, or pick up that language book and start with that first lesson, or get our ass into the kitchen so we can bake some cookies! The best way to get started is to let your body lead the way. When you’re feeling the body’s readiness to get into action to go and grab that book, let it lead the way.
Before you know it, you’ll have started working your way towards your dreams.
In the spirit of taking action right now, and letting your body lead the way… in the comments below let me know what your big dream is that you’re finally ready to take action on! And if not yet, what’s stopping you from doing it?