“What Comes Next?” - The Answer to Overwhelm

In a previous blog post, I talked about what to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the big picture. But what about when you’re feeling overwhelmed from day-to-day? When even doing the smallest thing feels like you’re trying to push a giant dookie boulder up a hill?

Recently, I’ve been speaking with a lot of entrepreneurs who feel overwhelmed and overloaded on a regular basis. They’re swimming in a never-ending list of tasks that only a business owner can understand - moving between must-dos, should-dos, and want-to-dos - never being fully able to catch up with any of their lists. Throw in a creative mind, a life outside of work, and even the smallest dose of what’s on the news - and you have a recipe for a total meltdown.

While I’m a big proponent of planning ahead and I love a good list (my fiancé says I’m made of 3% water and 97% lists), there are times when that cute little floral notepad of “Today’s To-Dos” feel like too much.

When I’m in super duper overwhelm mode (spoiler alert: it’s usually because I’m over-thinking and under-doing), I like to turn to an improv game called “What Comes Next?” 

The whole premise of this game is teaching students to take small, actionable steps forward (and find joy in the details) as opposed to taking giant leaps, which oftentimes lead to confusion… and ultimately overwhelm. 

To play: one student stands in front of the rest of the class and asks “What comes next?” Then they perform that task without adding any embellishment. (Think back to elementary school and your teacher asking you for instructions on making a PB&J - it’s basically the same idea. You need to tell them to take the cap off the peanut butter before they spread it on the bread.) 

This ultimately helps you to stay present, avoid thinking ahead, gain confidence in your choices, and most importantly - take steps forward. So, whenever I find myself procrastinating (like on sending out this newsletter for example. Ahem. Cough. How is it June already?), I play “What Comes Next?” with myself. It looks a little like this:

“What comes next?”

“Brainstorm 5 topics you might want to write about.” (Then do it.)

“What comes next?”

“Choose the one that feels most exciting.” (Then do it.)

“What comes next?”

“Write down the points you want to include.” (Then do it.)

“What comes next?”

“Set a timer for 30 minutes and write a vomit draft.” (Then do it.)

“What comes next?”

“Take a break.” (Then do it.)

Etc.

The most important thing is to not think ahead to what the next task will need to be. It’s just to do the task first and then ask yourself what comes next afterward. This helps you connect to what you truly want and need vs. what you think you should be doing. This game also works brilliantly with non-work related things. Feeling depressed? Let it help you get out of bed, make some coffee, take a shower, and turn on “The Pitt.” Some days that’s all we can do (plus - it’s a great show). No judgement here!

So… what comes next for you?