For busy moms who want to start an online business that gives you more time to enjoy your life.
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How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

Do you feel rushed and overwhelmed in your everyday life? It's hard to make decisions and solve problems when you're always hurrying.

When you feel like everyday is a race it's often because you're:

• unsure of your priorities 
• saying yes to things that aren't your #1 priority
• trying to "take action" on too many tasks
• trying to meet unreasonable expectations (often it's your own expectations that are unreasonable)

Overwhelm quickly sets in and you start operating in hair-on-fire mode. That trains your brain to hurry, even when you don't need to. Feeling rushed, overwhelmed, and frustrated steals the joy from your day to day life and quickly leads to burnout. 

I know because I did that... for years. 

I was severely burned out and couldn't figure out how to stop feeling overwhelmed. Chronic headaches, insomnia, exhaustion, and panic attacks were an everyday thing. I had to choose another way of life to make it stop because the habits were too ingrained. I decided to walk away from a successful business so I could recover from burnout and reconnect with my priority - my husband and 3 daughters.  

There is a way to feel calm, together, and present every day. You don't have to default to hustle mode if you have a strategy and a plan.

A strategy gives you the clarity you need.

A plan gives you the steps to move forward and reduces decision fatigue.

An Anti-Hustle Life & Business Strategy

1. Design your life first.
   - How do you want to feel?
   I know that sounds weird. But, hear me out. When I redesigned my life I decided that I want it to feel cozy and calm. It's the best thing I've ever done for my mental health and my relationship with my family. 
   
   I added a fire pit outside and enough cozy chairs for all. We use it 2-3 times a week, even in the winter. My family enjoys s'mores at the end of the week or we all grab a book and relax with coffee or hot chocolate on weekend mornings. I invite neighbors and friends to join us for wine and snacks. It's our happy place.

1. (How you want to feel, continued...) We used to go in search of family adventures every weekend. But now, when we aren't taking the kids to activities, we have a game night, take a relaxing walk on the local trails, ride bikes together, cuddle on the couch with blankets to watch a movie, bring bean bag chairs to the living room for movie marathons. Even the way I dress makes me feel cozy (it's not a left-over from COVID times. It's intentional). I rarely feel like I need a break from my life anymore. 
   - What's your #1 priority? What boundaries can you put around your priority to make it easier to prioritize? 
   - What does an ideal day look like? How about a week? How much flexibility do you want? What are you doing, when? What are you not doing anymore?
   - Where do you want to vacation? Who do you like to visit? How often?
   - What do you need that you don't have right now? (it could be help, more support, more time to yourself, or it could be things)
   - What do you want that you don't have right now (it could be more time, and doesn't have to be things... but don't feel guilty if it is things. I have a mix of both too)? 
   

2. Design a business that supports the lifestyle you want.  
   - What does success mean to you at this stage of your life? What is enough for you?
   - Who do you love to work with? (think of specific people you enjoy being around)
   - How can you help people like them? (your skill, knowledge, expertise, experience, interests, passions, etc.)
   - What do you want to spend your work time doing? - What don't you like doing? - How much money do you need to create the life you want?

 
An Anti-Hustle Life & Business Plan

1. List what you need to do or change to create the life you designed. Creating this plan will help you learn how to stop feeling overwhelmed.

2. Choose your first income stream and create it, automate it, and market it. 
   If you aren't sure which income streams would support the life you designed, here's how I can help:
   - Here's a free quiz to help you figure out which income stream would be best for you. 
   - If need some more help, send me an email ([email protected]) and let me know what questions you have. I'm happy to help. 

say it with me...

I will create a strategy and a plan that supports the life I want.
I'll push through self-doubt and reject the hustle mentality.
I believe in myself and trust that I can do this. 
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You only fail when you stop trying. Approach business like you do parenting. As a parent, you're in "learning and doing" mode. Try something, learn from it, and repeat or tweak it next time. If something doesn't feel authentically you, change it and try again. 

Be a problem solver:

• "That didn't work, yet. What can I try next?"
• "I don't like this approach. What would be more authentically me and lead to the same outcome?"

It's book recommendation day!

Books are my favorite, but they can sometimes put you in learning-only mode. They're meant to help you get new ideas and grow as an entrepreneur and a person. So, don't wait to get started while you read all the books.

The answer you're looking for is within you, not in any book.

Brene Brown is one of my favorite speakers and authors. I love her because she says the quiet parts out loud.

If you could only read one of her books, I'd recommend Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone.

It's not a book about entrepreneurship. It's about believing in yourself and your ideas, and sharing your most authentic self, even when you feel alone (as many introverted entrepreneurs do).

It's about pushing through the fear of what other people might think, being open to other perspectives, and fostering a sense of empathy, connection, and belonging. 

Choose to stand alone, but still feel connected. 

"I am the wilderness."

"I AM the wilderness"

I love that book so much! 

* The book link is an affiliate link, and I get a small commission, at no cost to you. I never share anything I haven't used and loved.  

When you're ready, here's how I can help:

1. Start an Online Business 5-Day Challenge is the first step. This is where you'll choose your niche and ideal customer, and then get to know them. 
2. From Plan to Profit is my online learning and doing experience where you'll use the information you collected during the challenge to create your brand and customer journey, build an online audience, and create and automate your first online income stream. 
3. Accelerator (coming soon) I know it's hard to start a business, even with guidance. My Accelerator will help you get started faster with accountability and hands-on help. That's right, this is where I take some things off your plate and show you how to stop feeling overwhelmed for the long haul.

All the best,

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