1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,680 What is that next smallest step, and then as you start to take each 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:07,240 step, they start to reveal themselves. You don't need to know all of 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:11,759 the steps that happen after step B. All you need to do is complete 4 00:00:11,759 --> 00:00:15,839 step B and then the next step will reveal itself, and then you tackle 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,399 that next step when it reveals itself. And if you've been waiting to have 6 00:00:20,559 --> 00:00:25,440 all of those steps figured out before you start that big project, you're never 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,800 going to figure all those steps out before you start. So this is your 8 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,159 commission from me to just start moving forward and trust that you will figure it 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:37,039 out as you get to each step. Welcome to Imperfect Action. I'm Steph 10 00:00:37,039 --> 00:00:41,000 Taylor. For years, I read all the books, downloaded all the freebies, 11 00:00:41,039 --> 00:00:45,280 and did all the courses, but it wasn't until I started taking imperfect 12 00:00:45,359 --> 00:00:50,960 action that my business had its first million dollar year. Imperfect Action is about 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:57,159 doing things before you're ready, prioritizing consistent action over perfect action, and moving 14 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,600 forward even when you're not sure you're doing it right. On this show, 15 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:06,560 you can expect mindset advice, actionable marketing tips and strategies to build a business 16 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,560 that brings you more profit, more freedom, and even more joy. Are 17 00:01:11,599 --> 00:01:15,920 you on the list to get my daily businesses? Every day, I'll send 18 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,319 you a bite sized prompt designed to help you grow your business in a more 19 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,239 intentional way. Sign up at Steph Taylor dot co, forward slash dbb are 20 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:30,840 at the link in the show notes. Hey, welcome back to Perfect Action. 21 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:36,200 This is episode seven hundred and twelve. Today I'm sharing the practical things 22 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:42,480 that I do in my business to avoid overwhelm because when I know, when 23 00:01:42,519 --> 00:01:47,840 I talk to my audience, when I survey my subscribers and you listeners, 24 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,400 I know that one of the big struggles that comes up over and over again 25 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,879 is that you're feeling overwhelmed by all of the different things that you could be 26 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,280 doing in your business, all of the things that you should be doing, 27 00:01:59,599 --> 00:02:02,239 all of the things that everybody is telling you you need to be doing this, 28 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:07,159 and you're getting pulled in a million different directions. And I know this 29 00:02:07,239 --> 00:02:09,479 isn't just something that comes up at the very start of your business. It 30 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:14,280 is something that you can be struggling with years down the track. It's still 31 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:19,919 something that I in my business have to work to actively prevent because otherwise I 32 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,479 can very easily find myself with so many things on my to do list and 33 00:02:23,599 --> 00:02:28,319 no real direction, or all the things are on my to do list and 34 00:02:28,319 --> 00:02:30,520 I'm so busy, but I'm not moving any closer to where i want my 35 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:35,199 business to be or to the goals that I'm trying to achieve with my business. 36 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,639 And then I end up just doing nothing, or I end up doing 37 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:43,759 nothing of any kind of real value. Right I'll either be so overwhelmed that 38 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,439 I'll just go and bury my head in the sand and read a book and 39 00:02:46,479 --> 00:02:50,719 pretend that there's nothing on my to do list, or I will pile my 40 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,479 day full of things that don't move me forward, the stuff that makes me 41 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,520 feel busy, the stuff that makes me feel like I'm being productive, but 42 00:02:57,759 --> 00:03:00,000 that really isn't the best use of my life time, and that isn't going 43 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,879 to move the needle. So today I'm going to share six practical things that 44 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,680 I do to avoid that feeling of overwhelm or to prevent it in the first 45 00:03:08,719 --> 00:03:13,599 place. And the very first one is really simple. Cook brain dumping. 46 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,919 If you haven't if you haven't done this before, it's such a great tool 47 00:03:17,039 --> 00:03:22,000 for anything where you just have so much in your head. It's probably the 48 00:03:22,039 --> 00:03:25,680 simplest one on the list. And when I have any kind of big project 49 00:03:25,759 --> 00:03:30,560 with hundreds of tasks floating around in my head, all I do is I 50 00:03:30,599 --> 00:03:32,719 grab a piece of paper, I grab a pen, and I write it 51 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,120 all down. Every single thing that is in my head floating around. I 52 00:03:37,159 --> 00:03:38,599 need to do this, I need to do that, everything, even the 53 00:03:38,639 --> 00:03:43,560 tiny ones like feed the dog, bath the dog, like all of the 54 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,240 personal tasks as well as all of the business tasks. If I can get 55 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:52,120 them out of my head and onto paper, it feels like it's now it's 56 00:03:52,159 --> 00:03:54,439 a little bit more in control, and it's not just using up that brain 57 00:03:54,479 --> 00:03:59,719 space now. I also find it helpful then to also break each one of 58 00:03:59,759 --> 00:04:04,199 these tasks down into smaller tasks. So instead of create module one of my 59 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:10,159 online course, I would have outline module one, create slides for module one, 60 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,439 record module one, or I could make it even more granular, outline 61 00:04:14,479 --> 00:04:17,000 module one, lesson one, create slides for module one, lesson one, 62 00:04:17,439 --> 00:04:20,800 so that I've got in front of me everything that needs to be done. 63 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:26,759 And there's just something so calming about getting them out of my head and having 64 00:04:26,759 --> 00:04:30,160 them on paper, seeing them there in front of me. And then for 65 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,680 some reason. I don't know why, but once I see the tasks in 66 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:39,319 front of me, the pretty much always seems to be fewer tasks than I 67 00:04:39,319 --> 00:04:42,480 imagined when they were spinning around in my head, And it feels a lot 68 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,720 less daunting because now I can see what exactly needs to be done, and 69 00:04:46,759 --> 00:04:48,399 I can prioritize them, and I can tick them off as I go, 70 00:04:48,439 --> 00:04:54,079 which also feels really nice ticking off tasks as I go. The second little 71 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:59,920 tool or strategy is called the ab Z framework on ABZ if you're American, 72 00:05:00,319 --> 00:05:04,800 and I heard this one through Shaanpuri. Now, while we don't need to 73 00:05:04,959 --> 00:05:10,800 know all of the steps in achieving some kind of big project, we like 74 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,839 to try and fill in the gaps. Our brain is like, oh, 75 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:15,279 I need to know all of these steps, and I don't know all of 76 00:05:15,319 --> 00:05:18,720 the steps, so I'm just gonna imagine what they all could be. And 77 00:05:18,759 --> 00:05:23,639 it ends up being like this big floating thing, big thing floating around in 78 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,800 our brain, all these imaginary tasks that we've never done before, and all 79 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:30,639 of these steps that we don't actually need to We don't know what we need 80 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:36,160 to do. So the ab Z framework focuses on three things. A is 81 00:05:36,199 --> 00:05:42,120 where you are today point eight B. Point B is the very next smallest 82 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,279 step, so the next step that you need to do towards that end goal, 83 00:05:46,759 --> 00:05:50,040 and Z or Z is that end goal where you're headed with this. 84 00:05:50,759 --> 00:05:56,399 So let's say that you're creating an online course. Point Z is you've created 85 00:05:56,399 --> 00:06:00,279 the course. Point A is where you are at today, where you haven't 86 00:06:00,319 --> 00:06:04,720 done anything. Maybe the next smallest step is starting to outline it or starting 87 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,720 to get really clear on who the ideal client is and what problem this course 88 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,480 is solving for them? What is that next smallest step? And then as 89 00:06:12,519 --> 00:06:15,879 you start to take each step, they start to reveal themselves. You don't 90 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,720 need to know all of the steps that happen after step B. All you 91 00:06:18,759 --> 00:06:24,720 need to do is complete step B and then the next step will reveal itself, 92 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,519 and then you tackle that next step when it reveals itself. And if 93 00:06:28,519 --> 00:06:32,079 you've been waiting to have all of those steps figured out before you start that 94 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:36,160 big project, you're never going to figure all those steps out before you start. 95 00:06:36,199 --> 00:06:41,000 So this is your permission from me to just start moving forward and trust 96 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:45,160 that you will figure it out as you get to each step. Okay, 97 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:50,639 Strategy number three calendar blocking. I am very guilty of thinking that I can 98 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:56,759 get fifteen hours worth of work done in a five hour day. And while 99 00:06:56,759 --> 00:07:00,920 I can get more done in five hours than most people can in a day, 100 00:07:00,639 --> 00:07:04,680 I probably can't get fifteen hours worth of work done in five hours. 101 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:10,279 Like I'm not superhuman. So calendar blocking means that I'm taking the tasks I 102 00:07:10,279 --> 00:07:14,319 want to get done today, and I'm mapping them into my calendar based on 103 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:16,879 how long I think they will take. And on days when I have calls 104 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,160 and meetings, I'm obviously going to get a lot less done or I'm going 105 00:07:20,199 --> 00:07:24,920 to have the capacity to get less done. So it shows me where I 106 00:07:24,959 --> 00:07:28,519 can fit these tasks in in between what's already in my calendar as well. 107 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,399 I use the task management tool sun Sama s u nsama for this one, 108 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:38,160 and I map all of my work and my personal tasks into the same calendar. 109 00:07:38,639 --> 00:07:40,720 And that way, you know, I know what I need to be 110 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:45,279 working on at any given point in the day, and if I finish quicker, 111 00:07:45,399 --> 00:07:47,920 it means that I can start that next task sooner. And if I 112 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,279 finish that next task quicker, and I finish all of my tasks for that 113 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:55,040 day quicker. It means I can finish my date earlier, and that is 114 00:07:55,199 --> 00:07:58,800 really motivating, especially when it's sunny outside and I want to go and do 115 00:07:58,879 --> 00:08:01,800 something fun. I can finish my day a little bit earlier. So if 116 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,000 you want to try some Sama free for thirty days, you can head to 117 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,279 Steph Taylor dot co slash Sun Sama s U n Sama. Will pop the 118 00:08:09,319 --> 00:08:11,600 link to that one in the show notes as well. The other reason why 119 00:08:11,639 --> 00:08:16,759 I like calendar blocking is it means that I can actually complete my to do 120 00:08:16,839 --> 00:08:20,800 list for the day. It means that I'm not just piling all these tasks 121 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:26,319 onto a list and continually rolling them over from day to day to day. 122 00:08:26,639 --> 00:08:28,839 At least I can get to the end of my to do list for that 123 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,480 day and get that sense of satisfaction rather than that feeling of guilt that I 124 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,120 just haven't managed to get enough done today. Okay, number four, this 125 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:41,399 one's really simple. Actually, this one's simpler than brain dumping deleting tasks. 126 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,200 So you know those tasks that have been on your to do list forever that 127 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:50,759 you just keep carrying forward. They've been there for months and months and months, 128 00:08:50,759 --> 00:08:52,720 and every day you're like next Thursday is going to be the right day 129 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,159 for me to do that task. And then next Thursday rolls around and you're 130 00:08:56,159 --> 00:08:56,919 like, oh, no, I'm going to do that one tomorrow. Then 131 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,840 tomorrow rolls around and you're like, oh, maybe Wednesday, and it just 132 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:05,279 keeps moving forward. I have come to accept that some of these things I 133 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:09,320 will never actually get to, so I delete them, or in some summer 134 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:15,720 I can archive them into my backlog list, so I'm not permanently deleting them. 135 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,600 But they're sitting there in this list of backlog tasks that one day, 136 00:09:18,639 --> 00:09:22,320 if I want to, I can go and pull the task out and do 137 00:09:22,399 --> 00:09:24,840 it. But it's not sitting on my to do list getting carried forward forever, 138 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:31,120 and I'm not continually guilting myself for not doing this one thing. And 139 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,399 sometimes I'll actually ask myself, do I need to do this task? So 140 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,120 if there's a task that I don't want to do or that's getting carried forward 141 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,559 a lot, do I need to do this? And if I don't need 142 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,039 to do this, and I can't delegate it to somebody on my team, 143 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,480 and I can't simplify the task or streamline it in some way, and it 144 00:09:48,519 --> 00:09:52,279 doesn't have to be done, then I just delete it. I've made peace 145 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:58,919 with deleting it, Okay. Number five not doing everything all at once, 146 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:03,440 or you know, in other word words prioritizing, which is easier said than 147 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,879 done. I think, like you know, I've really had to come to 148 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,159 terms with the fact that yes, I can do anything. No, I 149 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:13,600 can't do everything, and I definitely can't do it all today. Like I 150 00:10:13,639 --> 00:10:16,080 want to everything that you are saying yes too, you are having to say 151 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,679 no to something else. And it really comes back to what actually matters, 152 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,559 What is actually important, What is moving you closer to your vision versus what 153 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:31,320 are you making important that isn't important at all? What are you prioritizing that's 154 00:10:31,399 --> 00:10:37,080 not moving the needle. And unless you know what your priorities are at any 155 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,840 given point in your business, it's really easy to find yourself feeling overwhelmed because 156 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,159 you just have no direction. You're really scattered. Unless you don't know what 157 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,440 vision you are working towards, you're going to find it really hard to know 158 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:52,320 what priorities you need to prioritize. And I actually created a free work book 159 00:10:52,399 --> 00:10:56,480 called Escape the Messy Middle, where in part of it, I take you 160 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,559 through a vision setting exercise so you can figure out where your business is and 161 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:03,360 what you need to prioritize to get there. You can grab that at stephtaylor 162 00:11:03,399 --> 00:11:07,120 dot co slash EMM. You can send me a DM on Instagram. I'm 163 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,120 there at stephtaylor dot co. Send me the word EMM and I'll send you 164 00:11:11,159 --> 00:11:13,759 the link to download it, and we'll also pop the link for that in 165 00:11:13,799 --> 00:11:18,639 the show notes below. And then number six, the last one on my 166 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,559 list is planning strategic planning for the year, for the quarter and for the 167 00:11:22,879 --> 00:11:26,519 you know, the month, essentially breaking it down into goals. As a 168 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:30,840 team, we do quarterly planning now and we do annual planning. And in 169 00:11:30,879 --> 00:11:33,799 the quarterly planning, we review the last quarter and we set goals for the 170 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,600 next quarter, and then we turn those goals into action steps. And even 171 00:11:37,639 --> 00:11:41,679 though we've been doing it for a little while now, I'm still guilty of 172 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,159 putting way too many things in our goals list for the quarter. And then 173 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:48,720 we realize when we start to do it, like, oh, we might 174 00:11:48,759 --> 00:11:50,639 not be able to get all of this done. But the main thing is 175 00:11:50,639 --> 00:11:54,799 that it's giving us direction, right, we know as a team what to 176 00:11:54,879 --> 00:11:58,480 focus on, and then when things get busy or I get a little bit 177 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:03,159 distracted by a shiny object, I still know what needs to happen to reach 178 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,679 those quarterly goals, and then that helps me with prioritizing and where I'm spending 179 00:12:07,879 --> 00:12:11,039 my time. So there you have it. Six practical tools brain dumping, 180 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:18,639 ABZ framework, calendar blocking, deleting tasks, prioritizing and then planning for the 181 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:22,120 year and for the quarter at once. All Right, that is it for 182 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,840 today's episode. Make sure you hit subscribes you don't miss any new episodes every 183 00:12:24,919 --> 00:12:28,320 Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And if you haven't already left a review, 184 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,919 please take thirty seconds to do so. In Apple podcasts, I read every 185 00:12:31,919 --> 00:12:35,960 single one of them and it means a lot to me. Thanks so much 186 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:37,240 for listening. Catch you next time.