I am easily overwhelmed when I think about all the things I should be doing to market my book: promote on social media, grow my email list, write guest posts, et cetera, et cetera.
I work on one thing for a day or two, then I’m reminded I should be doing that other thing, so I switch to working on it instead. And at the end of the week I feel like a failure because I haven’t made any significant progress in any of them. Or I feel so overwhelmed by all I’m not doing that I go into ostrich mode and ignore all of it—Which only leads to more guilt, overwhelm and stress.
I face the same problem with other large projects, such as spring cleaning or planning a big event.
Does this sound familiar?
Then read on…
A simple strategy to avoid project overwhelm
Stop trying to do it all!
Really.
Big projects like marketing a book, decluttering the entire house, or getting in shape are marathons rather than sprints. We can’t do it all at once, anyway, so we’re better off prioritizing one aspect for a period of time and then switching to another. The key is choosing a long enough time period to allow for success of each individual chunk.
Try the one-chunk-at-a-time approach
Break projects into segments and assign a reasonable time span to each one (like one month or one week). Then create a schedule and assign specific dates to each segment. Now you have one—and only one—focus for a given chunk of time. So when you’ve completed your goal for the day, you can give yourself permission to check it off the list and spend your remaining time on something else, like a favorite hobby.
An example: Housecleaning chores I put off
| Time | Housecleaning chunk | Further breakdown |
| May | Weed and mulch all flower beds | 1 bed / week |
| June | Wash all the windows | 1 window / day |
| July | Declutter and reorganize storage areas | 1 closet / week |
| August | Clean cobwebs, baseboards, picture frames, and other odd spots | ?? be creative |
| Sept. | Wash curtains, bed skirts, and other odd fabric stuff | 2 loads / week |
Obviously, I still have to do the normal everyday stuff like laundry and dishes, but this strategy helps me tackle all the other stuff I tend to put off otherwise.
This one-chunk-at-a-time approach helps you:
- Stay focused
- Stay motivated
- Keep priorities straight
- Avoid feeling overwhelmed and giving up
- Have more time for other stuff
- Actually get these projects done instead of procrastinating because it’s too much to even start.
I hope this one-chunk-at-a-time approach helps you face your next big project with more confidence and less stress.
Such perfect timing for me to read this, thank you so much for sharing! First, I realize I’m not alone with the ostrich in the sand thing, and 2nd if I do this I can take a deep breath and enjoy every day, appreciating what I do get done. As we both know, this is not new information but we always need this refresher.
Blessings!
Mary
Exactly. Life has a way of distracting us from the mindsets we need to stay sane and calm. We all need periodic reminders to help us get back to an even keel. Blessings to you, and may you find success and peace today.