A Simple Solution to Overcoming Overwhelm

In December of 2021, I wrote down a vision for my new life and a goal to start sketching again. When I wrote it down, it felt courageous and inspired. I had been inspired by something I witnessed and even knew what I wanted to draw. I immediately began thinking about what I needed to do to make it happen. First, I needed to clean my garage, dig out all my old art supplies, and set up a new creative space. I was instantly less motivated. The more I thought about it, the longer the list got. I would have to get rid of and sort through dozens of boxes and clutter, sell things on craigslist, buy a drafting table, and then organize all my art supplies and tools, and then, and then, and then. And, I had not even started sketching yet. That’s when I had the worst thought of all, “maybe it’s not worth it after all.” Yep, I was totally overwhelmed by the whole idea of doing it. Yet there it was in ink, staring up at me from the pages of my journal, “I will start sketching every day.”

Overwhelm is a creativity killer if you let it.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed or frustrated because there’s just too many things to do to follow your dream, make a change, or start something new? Maybe you’ve even thought, like me, it probably won’t actually change anything because it never has before. Have you ever given up on a dream you really cared about or put off doing something you’ve wanted to do for years, because you doubted yourself or were afraid to fail? Yep, I’ve done that too. Actually, that’s exactly what I had done. Thirteen years had gone by and some part of me kept stopping me from tapping into my creative passion because it was too difficult, it probably wouldn’t change anything I was feeling anyway, and I would be disappointed, again.

I’m grateful that I was both working with a professional coach at the time and was open to getting help to overcome these limiting beliefs. During one of our weekly sessions, I brought all this up and she took me step-by-step through a process that changed everything for me. She helped me realize I was stuck like a broken record, repeating a ridiculous story in my head for far too long. I was terrified to fail and somewhere deep down inside I believed it wouldn’t help me anyway. After all, I had tried and given up before. My thoughts were so focused on needing some perfect setting to create my art in so that I could blame something else for my failure if I wasn’t able to rekindle my creativity.

Obviously, I’m not the only one who’s been overwhelmed or felt this way before – there are a ton of articles out there about this – but it is such a personal journey that I know I would have never overcome it without help. Empowered by my coach’s guidance from that one session, I was able to admit that all I actually needed was a piece of paper and a pencil and I would be sketching again and only the action of sketching again frequently would prove to me whether it would help rekindle my creativity and change my state of mind.

A simple solution to see you through the overwhelm and fear

Complicating the steps to get started is something we have all done at some point in our lives. Most of us don’t love change and will do anything to avoid failure, disappointment, shame, or embarrassment. This feeling of overwhelm is a defense mechanism your brain uses to protect itself. Sometimes these feelings of doubt take us back to our “emotional home” where we feel most comfortable. There are times when we’re as terrified of succeeding as we are of failing.

One of my clients, an award winning narrator and voice over artist, was grappling with not having enough connections to potential publishers and therefore not getting enough work. She came to me and said “I have to make a spreadsheet, research and list out all the producers and publishing houses that I want to connect with, then I have to organize them by priority, and then write a personal email and send it, and then, and then, and then. Having worked with her for years now, I knew by the tone in her voice and the urgent way she described all these “must dos” that she was overwhelmed and frozen on the fear of all these actions not leading to the outcome she wanted.

There were a few other things going on as well. First, she thought she didn’t have enough work lined up in the future. She didn’t think anyone in these important roles knew who she was or what she was capable of and she started doubting her own success. Then there was the list of things that were a perfect storm of actions she was not comfortable doing and she could even blame the industry friend who suggested making the list if she got no response.

We talked about her end goal – she wanted to reach more publishers so that she could fill her calendar. I asked her how many projects could she add to her calendar at that moment. She answered “Well, there are several projects coming up…” She proceeded to tell me she was actually pretty busy for the next couple months, and her physiology and tone became more confident. I then asked which publisher was the most important to her right now? She told me one and she even mentioned why they were the one she really wanted. Then I asked her if she could reach out to this one contact and then add it to a spreadsheet, wouldn’t she be making the list and prioritizing it? She said yes and then she got so excited. “You mean I could make the list as I go? I don’t have to create the list to start connecting, I can just send it and document them so I know when I did it!” A week later she sent off the first couple of emails and she immediately began getting incredible responses and was able to fill her schedule further so she could focus on what she enjoys.

In this brief session with her, I guided her through refocusing on the truth about her upcoming projects, what she really wanted, why it was important, and how it would decrease the stress she had around her calendar and getting her name out there. Her physiology and state of mind shifted, she realized she was busier than she thought, and that this must-do list was just a story she had built up in her head because of what a colleague told her to do, and she was trying to protect herself from the fear that the publishers she wanted to reach wouldn’t hire her.

These types of overwhelming thoughts, stories, and beliefs lead to thinking there’s only a small window of opportunity that you will make it through unscathed and without failure. The reality is, the minute we start shifting our focus on why we want to do it and how doing it could change our lives for the better, we stop focusing on all those stories and limiting beliefs in our head and we can remove the must-take-steps from our mental to-do list. Suddenly, the small window of opportunity becomes a wide open door to our desire and imagination and we begin to see what’s possible so we can take action. That’s when we discover what we really need to do to make the change, create the thing, fill our calendar with new projects, write the book, discover our creativity, reach more people, and fulfill our wildest dreams.

What’s your creative dream and why do you want it?

If you’ve read this far, then something I wrote here has you thinking about your own creativity, your creative dreams, the overwhelm in your life, and maybe even what’s been stopping you from taking the next step. Overwhelm is one of the most common creativity killers and I want to help you break through it! So, take a deep breath, maybe you can put on some music you love, grab a pen and paper, and take a few minutes to write down these questions and answer them for yourself. Remember, this isn’t about logic and to-do lists, this is about what your heart wants, why you’ve always wanted it, and what your life will be like if you succeed.

What is your creative dream or change you want to make in your life?
What has to happen for you to get this dream or make this change?
What is the last step you will need to take to make this dream or goal a reality?
What thought or belief has been stopping you?
What are you afraid will happen if you fail?
Why do you want this?
How will your life change for the better if you achieve this dream or goal?
Who will it impact and how will it impact them?
What will you be able to do for yourself and for others if you do this?
What does this new life look like, for you and for other people in your life?
What is one thing that you know to be true about yourself right now?

Whatever you’ve written down is all part of your passion and passion and purpose, your why.

Focusing on your why is the key to your clarity, discovery, inspiration, creativity, and also the best path to achieving your dreams and harnessing your creative power. Knowing your why makes all your future challenges easier to overcome. Anything is possible when we focus on what we want and why we would be crazy not to do it.

These questions make up the first two steps in the four-step process for taking massive action and living the life of your dreams. I’d love to hear from you or to coach you through any challenge, goal, or overwhelm you’re struggling with. Connect with us directly or post your Why story in the Lucky Starz Life Community on Facebook.

---

The strategy used to help me and my clients discover our why is called the Rapid Planning Method (RPM), which is taught by Tony Robbins and his head coaches. The RPM process is more than a framework for planning tasks and making to-do lists, it’s a way of shifting your energy, mindset, and focus into your heart and out of that protective brain where fear and doubt are playing games with you. The process is an excellent way to break down large overwhelming tasks into small digestible steps that make your success more plausible and possible. This way of thinking can be applied to just about any goal or project and can be implemented into your corporate culture as well. I have walked many of my clients, friends, and family through the steps of the RPM, without them ever realizing it, so they could overcome their creative blocks, take action, and ease their overwhelm.

You can follow the RPM link I provided above and try to do it on your own, but as I mentioned in my story, finding your way through challenges like this is always easier with a coach to lead you through it. Learn more about our Life Coaching services here.

Enjoyed reading this? Subscribe below to get the latest news in your inbox.

Join the Lucky Starz community
and discover your true creative nature!