Career & Business Coaching Blog.
Inspiration and tips for multi-passionate creatives & entrepreneurs.
I Want to Start my Own Business, But I Can't Decide on an Idea. What Should I do?
Starting your own business can be a daunting task. But what if you can't even decide on an idea? This is a common problem for many people who want to create their careers. It certainly is a question I get asked a lot by my clients. They have many ideas, no idea, a combination of fears, lack of experience, or blocks holding them back.
How do you get started when you need help deciding what idea to pick?
This is one of the most challenging steps in the entrepreneurial journey, but you can do it. You might have too many ideas or none; perhaps you're overthinking every option until you cancel it without ever taking action. Or maybe - like the creative generalists that I see in my coaching practice - you want to do it all, get super excited by all your amazing ideas, but are quickly overwhelmed after that until your ideas die a slow and agonizing death, and you're back to square one.
If any of this applies to you, I want you to know that you're not alone, and there's nothing wrong with you. You're not crazy, delusional, a daydreamer, or procrastinator. You just haven't been shown the right way to find and develop a business idea that is right for you. You're stuck.
Finding a business idea to settle on.
Even the most indecisive or unsure person can find the clarity to start. I know because that's what I help creatives and entrepreneurs do every day. Let me help you get unstuck and move forward: here are five tips to help you figure out which business idea is best for you.
1. Take some time to reflect and brainstorm - Slowing down is not the strongest trait of creatives and entrepreneurs, and indeed not of multi-passionate creatives (creative generalists). We love to start immediately because we have this creative fire that we need to take action and move forward. This is the most crucial reason we must reflect, brainstorm, and give our ideas some room to take shape.
Whether you have too many ideas or need a clearer one, start writing. Take some time to sit down with yourself and write down everything you've ever considered could be a business, any idea you've ever got excited about, no matter how outlandish they may seem. Only discard possibilities once you've written them down and have taken the time to analyze them one by one. Think about what would make each idea successful or why it could fail. Also, ponder how excited you would be and for how long when developing this idea. This will help you narrow down your choices and clarify which ideas to pursue and which ones to put aside for now.
2. Speak with people in the industry - The worst thing you can do with an idea is to keep it to yourself. This doesn't mean you must tell everyone everything about what you want to do (you do want to be careful with your intellectual property), but you must start talking to people. Speak with mentors, advisors, and peers in the industry who could provide insight into what they think of your idea, help you refine it, and ensure it's viable.
This is the start of your market research. Ask for advice and opinions about your different ideas and what could be done to make them successful. Survey people, call businesses doing something similar, and ask them what their business is like, their challenges, and their great successes. This can provide different perspectives that may give you new insights into which idea will work best for you and whether or not you enjoy building a business with that focus. Knowing what we don't want is as valuable as knowing what we do want. Don't be afraid to act on that feeling; I've said no to many ideas I was first super excited about after talking to people in the industries I was looking to enter.
3. Assess the joy and stress factor of each idea - Before you get too excited about any business idea, assess its joy and stress factors. How much time do you need to start up? What kind of return can you expect after investing time, energy, and effort into developing it? Is this something that you're willing to do?
For your answer to these questions to be helpful, you must answer as truthfully and honestly as possible. Reflect on what is crucial for you and what you'd consider a wonderful life and perfect day. Make sure the idea you select fits in with that vision. If you need a lot of free time, it might not be the wisest idea to start a business that requires you to always be on call. Having clarity of what you need to be happy and fulfilled will help you make better decisions, to make them more quickly and with greater confidence.
4. Consider your skills and interests - Following the previous point, when looking for an idea, consider the skills and interests that you have. You don't need to be an expert to pursue a business or career, but it will make life much easier if you can focus on something that you already have some knowledge or experience in or are excited to learn.
Look at what other businesses are doing and see how they've made things work. Ask yourself if you have the suitable skill set and interests to do something similar or if it would require too much of a learning curve to making it worthwhile. Researching this can help provide answers as to what might fit best for you or where there may be potential gaps in the market that need filling. You could be passionate about a particular topic or want to develop specific skills by starting a business around them; anything! What's important here is to ask yourself whether this business would bring you pleasure, fulfillment, and satisfaction over time without boring the hell out of you.
3. Start a project - Don't just sit around and wait for the perfect business idea or opportunity to fall into your lap. Instead, take action by starting one of your projects right away. This doesn't mean you need to quit your day job immediately (although it's not entirely off the cards either). It means working on something small but real at least once a week (bonus points for every additional day) so that you can start getting feedback from your market and build momentum.
By taking small steps over time, you'll gain the clarity you need to know this is the idea you want to go for: are you enjoying yourself? Do you find the process enjoyable? Can you sustain it? Do people buy your product or service (this is the proof of concept you want, even if it's only a few sales or a small amount)?
Whichever idea you select, ensure it resonates with who you are and what you want to create. And always remember that the best way to find out is by getting started. You cannot think yourself into anything. Eventually, you have to go out and do it!
Unsure of the next steps to starting your business?
Many people feel lost when starting their own business. I offer private coaching services to help you get started on the right foot. I'll work with you one-on-one to help you develop an idea, create a plan of action, and start making progress toward your goals.
You'll have the support of a professional coach every step of the way, who will answer any questions and guide you as needed. With my help, you can finally take control of your future and achieve success on your terms.
Stuck in the Overthinking Loop? Here Are 5 Ways to Get Out.
Do you ever feel like you're stuck in an overthinking loop? You know, where all you can do is think about everything – the good, the bad, and the terrifying – and it's preventing you from taking action? This type of thinking often leads to paralysis by analysis.
Overthinking and worrying about the right decision is stressful and causes anxiety. Those are not great feelings. Instead of helping us get unstuck, they keep us where we are for longer. I know because I've had to work through them to get to where I am today - and so have many of my clients. That endless spiral of thoughts that keeps you up at night, where you get so caught up in your thoughts that you can't make a decision, can be disastrous for your career, business, or personal life, especially if you want to make meaningful progress.
The good news is there are ways to get out of the overthinking loop and start taking action again. In this article, I'll share five strategies to help you get out of your head and move forward! But first, let's take a look at why we overthink in the first place.
Why do we overthink?
We all have fears and concerns that can cause us to overthink. We might be worried about making the wrong decision or feeling doubtful about our abilities or worthiness. Fear of failure and fear of rejection – these can all be triggers for overthinking.
Of course, sometimes it's just human nature – when there's an unknown or unpredictable situation, our natural response is to think more about it to prepare ourselves better and feel less anxious. Chronic overthinking is one of the reasons many people get and stay stuck. Because of brain plasticity, forming a habit of overthinking every choice happens without us realizing it. Add a dash of the nervous system to it that feels as if danger lurks every time a decision needs to be made, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Regardless of why we're doing it, too much rumination can keep us from living a full life and reaching our goals. That's why it's essential to find ways out of the overthinking loop as soon as possible!
Five strategies to get out of the overthinking loop
Train yourself to make quicker decisions: The way to get out of overthinking is by training your brain and nervous system to make quicker decisions without giving them much thought. You want to practice this on little things first, like the pants you will wear today or the coffee or sandwich you will order at Starbucks for lunch. Practice making quicker choices daily and gradually work your way up to more complex situations and options.
Let go of perfectionism: We all want to make the right decision and have perfect outcomes, but that type of thinking can send us into a never-ending cycle of overthinking. Accepting imperfection is key to getting out of the loop; doing something is better than nothing! Remind yourself that mistakes happen, growth requires learning from your failures. Take a risk, and remember that you can course-correct if needed.
Understand your fears: When you're in the overthinking loop, it can become hard to see past your fears. To get unstuck from this kind of thinking, try to understand why you're scared or anxious about making a decision. Is there something you need to learn more about? Do you need help from someone else? Once you have identified the source of your fear and anxiety, it's easier to work through it and move forward.
Eliminate the noise: It's easy to get caught up in the endless loop of thoughts when we have too many options to entertain. To start making progress, take a step back and strip away any distractions, opinions, or options that don't matter so you can focus on what's important and make an informed decision. What ideas can you eliminate? What information will help you make the right choice? What opinions can you do without?
Take action: The only way to get out of the overthinking loop for good is by taking action. Even if it feels scary or uncertain at first – do something! Taking small steps will give you momentum that can help propel you forward into more significant decisions and actions with more confidence. Remember, every day is an opportunity to practice making better decisions, trust yourself, and take action! If you're struggling to find your way out of overthinking, I hope these five strategies have given you some ideas for moving forward.
Overthinking can keep us stuck. It can lead to paralysis by analysis, or worse, make us doubt ourselves in the decision-making moment, so we stay stuck forever. But with the right strategies, it can be a different way. Training yourself into faster decisions, letting go of perfectionism, understanding your fears, eliminating noise, and taking action are all excellent ways to help you break out of the overthinking loop and move forward confidently!
So if you feel stuck in your head and keep contemplating the same ideas or options repeatedly, remember: in the end, you cannot think yourself into anything; you have to go out and do it! Good luck!
Feeling stuck in an overthinking loop and needing to make progress?
Private coaching is a great way to get unstuck and take action. You'll be able to work with me one-on-one, and I'll help guide you to the life and work you want.
Imagine your life if you could finally break free from the chains of overthinking. How much progress could you make if you had someone supporting and motivating you every step of the way? Sign up for a free session today and find out.
5 Tips on What to Focus on When You Don’t Know What to Focus on
Do you often feel like you have too many ideas? Are you finding it hard to find your focus? If this sounds like you, don't worry, you're not alone. Many creatives and entrepreneurs struggle with this issue. I know I do, and so do my clients.
Knowing which project(s) to focus on can be challenging when everything seems like a good idea. And it can be particularly daunting to choose when choosing feels like losing. In this article, I'll discuss five tips to help you focus on the right projects without making you feel like you're missing out. Because, hey, let's be honest, wouldn't that be awesome?
#1 What's most important to you?
Having a creative mind is a blessing but can also be a curse. Too often, we have so many options that we don't know what to do first. From starting that vegan protein bar company to promoting STEM careers to teens to developing an app that helps busy moms manage their time, it's hard to know where to focus your energy. This can make us feel scattered, unfocused, and not doing anything at all.
When you're struggling to focus, probably the most critical question to ask yourself is what your goals are and what you want to achieve, aka what's important to you. A lot of people try to figure out what they really want. Unfortunately, that's probably also what they're struggling with the most. By clarifying what's most important to them - which doesn't need to be the same thing as what they think they want - it becomes much easier to choose what to do.
Some questions that often help:
What are you most excited about in life? What are you passionate about?
What do you want to achieve, personally and professionally?
Who do you want to help, and what difference do you want to make?
What problems do you want to solve? What is important to you?
What does success look like for you?
These questions will help clarify your goals and give you a better idea of which projects are most important to you. Once you have a good understanding of what your goals are, it will be much easier to focus on the projects that will help you achieve them.
#2 What's your time frame?
In addition to considering what’s most important to you, it's also essential to think about your time frame. How much time do you have to devote to each project? Are you working on a tight deadline? Do you have specific milestones you want to achieve in your life?
Your time frame will likely be different for each project. For example, if you're working on a new product you want to launch in the next six months, you'll need to focus on that project and not get sidetracked by other ideas. On the other hand, if you're working on a long-term goal, like writing a book, you might have more flexibility in how you spend your time.
Knowing your project's time frame will help you prioritize and focus on the most critical tasks. It can also be helpful to break down your projects into smaller goals achievable within a set timeframe. This will help you to stay focused and motivated as you work towards your larger goals.
#3 You don't have to choose, but you can't do everything at once either
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to focus is thinking they must do everything at once out of fear of missing out or having to choose. This is particularly true for multi-passionate creatives or creative generalists for whom choosing is like kryptonite (hello, there, I see you!).
The truth is: you can't do everything at once, and you shouldn't try to. Trying to do too many things simultaneously leads to feeling scattered, frustrated, and overwhelmed. That doesn't mean you have to choose and let go of what you want to do forever, but it's important to limit your focus to a few things and let the other ideas waiting for their turn.
It can be helpful to think about your projects in terms of seasons. What can you focus on right now, and what can you put on the back burner for later? For example, if you're working on a new product, you might want to wait to launch your blog until after the product is released. Just remember that choice is not equal to losing; you're not killing an idea, you're just putting it on hold for a while.
#4 Identify your core values
In addition to setting goals, another great way to find focus your attention is by identifying your core values. The question from tip one is related to this, but identifying your values goes even deeper. What is important to you? What do you believe in? When do you feel most fulfilled?
Your values will guide you as you decide which projects to work on and how to spend your time. For example, if one of your values is making a difference in the world, you might want to focus on projects with a social or environmental impact. Or, if you value creativity and innovation, you might want to focus on creative or challenging projects.
Identifying your core values will help you to stay focused on the things that are most important to you. Thinking about your values can be a great way to get back on track when you're feeling lost or uncertain.
#5 Make a list of all the ideas that you have
I purposefully added this tip as the last one and not the first because when you've gone through the first four tips, you should have a much better understanding of what is and isn't important to you. You'll especially know what you're truly passionate about (#1) and what your core values are (#4). So now, when you make your list of ideas, it will be easier to narrow down which ones are most important to you.
To do this, ask yourself which ideas are the most aligned with your values AND your passions; in other words, which ideas will help you achieve your goals. For example, if your core values are creativity and adventure, and you're passionate about writing, you might want to focus on ideas that involve travel or creative writing; or if you're passionate about fashion and your core values are simplicity and sustainability, you might want to focus on ideas related to sustainable fashion.
Bonus tip: choose your three most important ideas
After eight years of supporting creatives and entrepreneurs to get unstuck, I've come to believe that there's a sweet spot for the number of things we can focus on simultaneously. For most (except some powerhouse creative generalists), anything between 3 and 5 projects is doable at any given time. So my bonus tip for you is to choose the three most important ideas from your list and focus on those.
There you have it – five tips to help you focus if you don't know what to focus on! I hope these tips will be helpful for you as you work on bringing your projects and goals to life.
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person might not work for another. The best way to find what works for you is to experiment and be patient. Focus on one (or a few) things for a while and see what happens and how it makes you feel.
One last thing I want to add is to give yourself permission to change your focus - and your mind. Our goals and values can change over time, just like we do as people, so it's ok to be flexible in how we focus our attention. If your focus no longer aligns with your goals or values, don't be afraid to adjust accordingly.
It's your life, you decide.
Feeling overwhelmed with all of the options out there and don't know where to start?
You're not alone. Many people feel this way because it's hard to know the best option for you. That's where private coaching comes in - I can help you figure out what you should be focusing on to make progress and achieve your goals.
I'll work with you one-on-one to help you create a plan that works for you and your unique situation. You'll be able to achieve anything you put your mind to! I'll support you set goals, stay motivated, and overcome any obstacles that get in your way.