The stressful analysis paralysis
What happens when I set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal
This morning, Long and I were deep in conversation about the steps one takes when travelling towards a goal. We discussed how often, we set our sights on these grand, shiny objectives. It's not to say dreaming big is bad; after all, we've always been told to aim high because only by believing in the grandeur of our dreams can we achieve them. However, for someone like me, an overthinker, such lofty goals can quickly spiral into anxiety and self-doubt.
When faced with a big goal, I begin to overanalyse every detail, pondering all the tasks required to reach it. This overwhelming process often leaves me stressed and questioning my capabilities. Then, a revelation struck me while listening to Mel Robbins' book Take Control of Your Life. She spoke about the power of taking smaller steps, using the analogy of Lego blocks.
Imagine your goal as a structure built from Lego pieces. You have a general idea of what you want to create but focus only on finding the next block—the next manageable step that fits within your current financial and temporal constraints. Each small action you take is a Lego block, gradually building towards your ultimate vision without causing undue stress.
Reflecting on this analogy, I realised that every job I've held, every project I've undertaken, and even every failed venture has been like assembling Lego blocks. Some pieces fit perfectly into my life's construction; others didn't quite match but still guided me towards what I wanted next. Nothing was wasted—everything was part of an ongoing trial-and-error process that resulted in a unique, colourful tower representing my life.
To shift my mindset and focus on the next steps, I turned to an AI chatbot for a breakdown of an immediate roadmap. It presented four steps:
1. Create Assets: This involves building templates, systems, products, eBooks, and marketing materials that our business can leverage.
2. Document Processes: Our business operations are currently chaotic and manual. Streamlining these processes will save time and resources.
3. Acquire Clients: Establishing a sustainable stream of work is crucial. We don't need to be fully there before moving on; reaching halfway towards our client acquisition goal will suffice.
4. Hire a Full-Time Designer: My ultimate personal business goal for next year is to bring on a full-time designer. This person would handle at least half of the hands-on work, allowing us more free time to focus on other essential aspects of running the business.
Breaking down these goals into smaller steps makes them far less daunting. Now, instead of feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of my ambitions, I can focus on each manageable Lego block along the way. Or, just focus on building actual lego towers with my son right now :).
Footnotes: Image created using Mystic 2.5 in Freepik. Prompt: Building an interesting, surreal colourful creative lego tower with lego, a hand holding a piece of lego block, green tones #illustratedpop