When a Task Seems Overwhelming

I had a good chat with Andrew Winston at Parmasters HQ this evening. It was “good” in that I learned quite a bit and he really challenged me to think outside the box and get creative with certain challenges. On the other hand, the magnitude of this challenge, the sheer amount of work to be done to open Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo, on time and on budget, now seems really overwhelming.

I don’t mind admitting, entrepreneurship can be an emotional roller coaster. Don’t get me wrong; we’re absolutely focused on the task at hand. We’ll do whatever it takes to open this business and provide amazing service to our customers. It’s just that, at times, this entire process can become very stressful.

It’s at times like these, when a project seems completely overwhelming, that I try to employ a few tried and true strategies. For example:

1) Break the task down into smaller, more manageable, sub-tasks.

2) Do something. Get started. Just make some early progress. Build some momentum.

3) Leverage. Can some sub-tasks be handed off to other team members, friends, professionals, colleagues, etc.?

4) Don’t lose sight of the eventual outcome. Do some visioning. In this case, I picture the grand opening of Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo.

5) Challenge the feelings of being overwhelmed. Is the project really as daunting as it seems? Sometimes our minds play tricks on us, portraying something that is not reality.

6) Worst case scenario. Spend a little bit of time understanding the worst possible outcome. Once you do this, you generally realize that it’s not nearly as bad as you thought it was, before you really understood it.

7) Look to the wise words of others. (Please note this list is in no particular order.) Talk to a friend, a colleague, a confidante. Someone you trust. Someone that will tell it like it is. Someone with wisdom to share. I have done so recently and will do so again tomorrow.

8) Look to other wise words, such as those that follow.

“Never confuse activity with results.” -Lou Gerstner, former CEO, IBM

“Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs.” -Vaclav Havel

“Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.” -unknown

“Some succeed because they are destined to. Most succeed because they are determined to.” -unknown

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” -Mark Twain

“No matter how big and tough a problem may be, get rid of confusion by taking one little step toward solution. Do something.” -George F. Nordenholt