How to stop overwhelm paralysis and start creating content
Alrighty.
Let’s talk about that old friend overwhelm paralysis, shall we?
It’s the brain fizz and fog that rears it’s head when you lose ALLLLL motivation to write/post/record any damn thing because you are at peak information overload.
(a little like when I reach peak human after a day with lots of people #introvertproblems).
To my mind, there are 5 main reasons for overwhelm paralysis when it comes to content creation.
Over consumption of content.
Yep. I see this one time and time again in clients.
It’s important to have your finger on the pulse of what’s going on in your industry, and to have a gauge of the general conversation.
BUT - when digging into other people’s stuff is causing you to get into the weeds and the overwhelm kicks in, GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE.
Like, now.
The hard truth is that none of us will ever know all the things that are being produced.
We don’t need to.
It’s about being aware, but not bogged down,.
Also, when you are so ingrained with other people’s stuff, it becomes so hard to find your voice and to create anything for yourself.
Find yourself some head space, trust that you already know enough, and find the balance.
2. Working against your strengths
If you hate writing, guess what? It’s going to feel like a slog to get anything produced.
Maybe you find it easier to think aloud, in which case audio notes and transcriptions are your friend here.
Or maybe you come out with gold dust in interviews - in which case, set up some conversations, allow your genius to shine, and you will find your flow far easier.
By contrast, if you LOVE to sit and write, work out how to make it work for you.
Do you go off-line and go freehand, then take it online?
Or do you crank up the tunes, sit by your laptop and work in a Pomodoro slice?
However you work best, working to your own strengths makes a huge difference.
3. Not seeing results or knowing WHY you are creating content
Knowing WHY you are doing this, what the ROI is, how your KPI’s are measuring up, and how it’s helping you to reach your business goals is a great motivator.
When you can keep your goals front and centre, the overwhelm isn’t so hard to overcome.
4. Lack of consistency and creating habits
Creating a habit for output makes it far, far easier.
However that habit works for you - whether you batch content creation on the first Monday of the month, whether you create small amounts of output daily, or you smash out come ideas in the car every morning and record as you go, creating a change in your behaviour, even for a small amount of time, will really help.5. Trying to do all the things and achieving nada
Look, I get it.
There is SO much advice out there. Should you be podcasting? Live streaming to Instagram? Running a funnel? Streaming Facebook Lives? Creating long-form content?
So. Many. Things.
But, like anything in life that feels overwhelming, starting somewhere, and starting small, will get you started.
From there, you can start to see results.
It takes time to create new habits that stick. It might also mean you need to play around with experimenting with what works for you and what doesn’t.
But, when you realise that overwhelm paralysis is stopping you from reaching those new clients who need you - it;’s worth reversing that old behaviour, isn’t it?
Conversation starter:
Have you experienced overwhelm paralysis when it comes to content creation?
Let me know in the comments below!
P.S I am building my very own DIY Content Strat Pack.
Be the first to hear more by putting your digital hand up right here.