Feeling Overwhelmed? Go Back To The Basics.

Would you like my secret for managing project overwhelm?

As with many secrets in life, it’s pretty obvious, but we all need obvious reminders from time to time.

Here’s my trick: when I’m starting a new project, and I feel all the to-do’s start to rush toward me at 200mph, and I start to wonder if or how I can do this, I remind myself to start at the beginning, and go back to the basics.

Your business should have some fundamental, repeatable processes to deliver your product or service. Regardless of how much you customize your work for the client’s needs, if you don’t have a framework, you’re just existing in chaos.

These processes are home base, the basics, the beginning.

In our business, that’s generally a creative brief, a BrandScript worksheet, a wireframe outline, or a plan outline shell. When I start to wonder how it will all come together, I stop the wondering, and I do the work.

This practice of going back to the basics stems from my days as a competitive golfer in high school and college. When the shots started squeaking off into the trees, and I couldn’t quite figure out where things were going wrong, I would always be reminded to check the basics like my grip, stance, or posture.

Our minds can run wild with the possibilities and all the work that must be done, but when we go back to the basics, we can quickly calm our minds and anxieties to get where we’re trying to go.

What are the basics in your life? Do you have a similar practice? Drop a comment!