How to fight overwhelm in your online business

Have you ever felt like you are working all the time, but that you aren’t actually getting any closer to your goals? Maybe you’ve felt burnt out and like you aren’t even moving at all? It’s so easy to get down as a solo business owner, and to not feel that forward momentum. It can seem like everyone around you is reaching higher and higher and that you are standing still.

The comparison fatigue is REAL

Enter my preferred solution to the problem: a solid plan. Having a plan makes it easier for you to know that you are on the right path, and it’s a great way to help you prioritize tasks and projects.

My 5 step plan to fight overwhelm and grow your business

  1. Do a review of the past 12 months:

    Go through what went well and what didn’t. Numbers can help you figure out your foundation. And you have to know where you are to find the path from where you are to where you want to go. Track your number of sales, revenue, views, engagement and anything else that is important to your business.

  2. Write down your dreams for your future:

    Take a look 3-5 years into the future: how do you want your life to be? Make sure you get specific. Think about how much you want to work. What you can afford to do or buy. And how you spend your time. When you know where you are going I know you will find it easier to prioritize your tasks and spend more time doing the thing, rather than thinking about the thing.

  3. Set 1-3 smart goals.

    Now that you know what you want to achieve your can compare the your numbers from this year, to the numbers you need or want to reach your dreams. Draw a line between now and your future. The first point on that line is the goal you want to reach the next 12 months.

    Examples: Revenue goal, follower/subscriber goals.

  4. Set specific tactics in place that will help you work towards your goals.

    Your tactics should be things you can control and that are based on your effort. If your goal is to reach 50k followers on Instagram, a tactic might be “to publish 15 reels a month” or “be present in stories every day for 30 days”. Exactly when you get to 50k followers might be down to a lot of factors that you don’t have control of. Setting measurable goals that are based on your output can keep your motivation up and help fight overwhelm in the process.

  5. Set up systems for tracking:

    Make sure you have systems for tracking your numbers that are easy to keep up with. You don’t have to update daily, but make sure you have it in your routine to update the numbers you are tracking at least monthly. Only by tracking will you know if your tactics have worked.

When you have your business goals defined, it will be easier to prioritize tasks and new projects: All you have to ask yourself is if the thing you are doing is serving your overall business goals or not.

If you know where you are going, it’s easier to get there.

Want more?

Join Happy notes, a bi-weekly newsletter focusing on content for solopreneurs. Every year we do a full step-by-step business review and goal setting for the next year. Join today to be sure you are there for the next goal check in!

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