Too many ideas.

Too many directions.

Too many thoughts and dreams.

When we are faced with an abundance of possibilities, we can quickly become overwhelmed.

It feels as if the world is moving too fast for us to keep up.

Jon Kabat-Zinn writes about it this way: “Overwhelm is the all too common feeling that our lives are somehow unfolding faster than the human nervous system and psyche are able to manage.”

It's normal for creative entrepreneurs to feel overwhelmed by too many ideas and directions.

Overwhelm manifests in many ways -- like stress, exhaustion, worry and anxiety, and inaction.

It rarely manifests in progress or calm until we take action to reduce it.

I have discovered a lot of tools to help myself and my clients with overwhelm over the years.

A 3-Step Strategy to Move from Overwhelmed to Overjoyed:

START WITH AWARENESS -- Set a timer for a 5-minute, fast-as-you-can braindump of everything you need and want to do. If you can't fit the ideas into 5 minutes, let them go for now.

MOVE INTO CLARITY -- Cross off anything not essential for right now. Put a star next to anything urgent. Don't let your inner taskmaster take over.

STEP INTO JOY -- Finally, find the idea, project or task that brings you the most joy to take action on. Start there. Let your joy create momentum and impact to move forward from overwhelm.

Evidence shows that we will always do what is needed and expected of us. So those urgent must-dos on your list? They will get done.

It's the JOY projects and ideas that often get put off to the side.

Prioritize your passion and you'll go from overwhelmed to overjoyed.

-- SHAWN