If you’ve been wondering how to tackle overwhelm when you’re facing a big project like writing an eBook, let’s talk about that…

Overwhelm (and fear) are the two biggest reasons why people don’t tackle a big project like writing an ebook.  I know, cause I’ve been asking you and I get flooded with emails each week which are like carbon copies of each other which slight twists.  It’s crazy, I tell ya.

So today I wanna talk about overwhelm, specifically, what you can do to overcome it. Because we all face overwhelm at one point or another. And I notice this in my clients and students of my course – Create Passive Income with eBooks, a lot because, it’s true, writing an eBook is a big task. And big tasks tend to lead to a little overwhelm when getting started.

How to overcome overwhelm in 1 simple step

The best way to overcome overwhelm is to keep your “why” as your guiding star. What do I mean by that? Well, WHY are you writing an eBook? As I like to say, an eBook is an asset, not a job.

“An eBook is an asset, not a job”.

Sure, it’s kind of a big project but it’s gonna be a gift that keeps on giving. Because once you create this stellar eBook, it’s gonna create passive income for you, for your family, and for your business.

Having that “why” front and center as you work on this project, whether that’s a post-it on your computer, a sign in your office, or a beautifully engraved bracelet will help you remember why you’re doing this.

A few bonus tips:

Have a deadline

How many people do you know that have “write a book” on their bucket list?  Perhaps they even add it every year to their list of New Year’s resolutions, right along with “lose 20 pounds” and “learn Spanish”. But, years and years go by and nothing happens.  

If you don’t have a deadline by which you plan on completing this project, the default deadline becomes “never”.  Aka, it ain’t gonna happen.

Give yourself a due date and add in some accountability by checking in with a biz buddy who is just as crazy as you are and also tackling a big project.  That will help propel you towards the finish line.

 

Get some help

That almost sounds like I’m sending you to see a shrink and hey, that could help too 😉 but what I mean is, what can you take off your to do list? What can you delete from your to do list entirely and what can you delegate. Because you need to create a little bit of space and time for this project. Can you hire some help or get some help from your family?

You know I’m all about that outsourcing life. Whether it’s hiring a housekeeper, or hiring an assistant to help with some admin on your business, those are all things that are going to create some extra time for you to work on your big project.  You can also hire help directly for your eBook project. In my course “Create Passive Income with Ebooks”, I teach my students exactly how to outsource the majority of the process. That way you’re left with the 20% that is the really, really important stuff. And the stuff that only you can do.

Chunk it down

What’s the best way to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

How can you create mini milestones along the way?  If this is a project you want to complete in 6 months, what can you complete in 1 month? Have smaller mini goals that will feel less overwhelming.  Month by month or even week by week, you’ll be making progress towards your bigger goal.

Keep an eye on your mindset

Any time you’re tackling a big project, it’s going to require a deep breath and a rolling up of the sleeves.  

It’s sort of like building a house. The truth is, you can lay a foundation, you can put up a couple of walls, but unless the house is finished, it’s really not that useful to you.  You can’t live in it. Your ebook is pretty much the same thing. Whether you’ve got it 20% done or 90% done, and it’s on your hard drive, it’s 0% done as far as your readers and customers are concerned.  You’ve got to get it done, dude.

And the funny thing is, where I see the most procrastination kick in with my students is when it’s 90% done and all the mindset stuff comes up all over again.  You, know those little voices we’ve talked about before that go something like “who am I to write an ebook”.   Tell those voices to take a hike, and get back to work!

Batch your work

Now that I’m a full time entrepreneur it’s easier to batch my time than it was when I was building my business 15 minutes at a time, but even then, I managed to carve out at least 90 minutes where I could write without interruption.  Writing is one of those tasks, at least for me, that require a bit of “being in the zone”.

If you can carve out even just a couple of hours of dedicated uninterrupted writing time each week, even if that means getting up before the kids do, do it.  Sometimes that’s the only way it gets done.

 

What tips would you add?  How do you overcome overwhelm?  Please leave a comment below!