The easy way to conquer overwhelm and procrastination with one simple process

Back in my graphic designer days, it wasn’t unusual to have a client who would change the parameters and directions of their projects multiple times, wholly overwhelmed and distracted by the options available to them. One day they would insist on one type of layout, only to change it the next day.

Designers had a name for this kind of activity: Brain Swirl.

Unfortunately, this is not just something that only affects design clients. It affects all of us at some time or another.

Brain Swirl causes procrastination, no matter what the task or project. With the incredible amount of ideas out there, about almost anything, it’s easy to get distracted and veer, sometimes drastically, off course.

For design clients, there were always a lot of decisions to be made, any of which could be distracting. Did they want a two-color logo or a five-color one? Did they want a colorful six-panel brochure that highlighted their accomplishments or a simple two-sided card that focused in on one product with a call to action and promo code? What specific colors did they want to use? What typeface? What photos? The number of available choices was astronomical. Sorting it all out was essential to getting the design right so they would have a final product they were proud of.

Because I knew how Brain Swirl could impact the design process and its timeline, I began to share a simple swirl-ending process with all my clients that required only three things: a piece of paper, a manila envelope, and one week of time.

The Swirl-ending process at work

I would have the client tape the piece of paper on the top of their desk in an area where they could always see it. Then I would have them tape the manila envelope to the edge of their desk where they had easy access to it.

Then I would give them their instructions: “For the next week, write down any thoughts you have about logos you currently like and what you like about them. Write down the company names, websites, and blogs where you see the logos. Watch what you see in print; if you see something your like, tear it out, and put it in the envelope. See a typeface in an ad that you like? Tear it out and put it in the envelope or print it out. See a color used in a direct mail piece that appeals to you? Put it in the envelope. See a brochure design that you like? In the envelope, please!”

[If they weren’t analog kind of people, they could also do something like this online using a document and an app like Evernote].

As they started to look at the infinite universe of design elements they could use, they just collected ideas without judging them. Which effectively eliminated the potential for Brain Swirl.

If they saw something that caught their eye on Monday, it went in the envelope. If they saw something completely different on Wednesday, it went into the envelope where it got to hang out with Monday’s idea. Ideas went in, but they didn’t come out. At least not yet.

When the week was up, I would sit down with the client, and we would go through what they had gathered. Together we looked at all of the things that had caught their eyes during the week.

Having them all in one place made it easy to pick and choose what made sense and what didn’t.

When we eliminated the ideas that were really just bright shiny distracting objects, we could look at the best ideas instead of all of the ideas. This made it easier to focus and plan together for the client. It shortened the design process as they were less likely to be distracted by a new font or design idea. They’d already defined what they liked.

So what does picking a color or a typeface have to do with accomplishing projects in your life? More than you think. Especially if you find yourself procrastinating because you have too many distracting options.

You know that feeling you get when you start to work on a new project, and suddenly, you see all kinds of examples of how you could be doing it differently?

You see someone who has an alternative take on the process, or you hear from an “expert” who has some new insight that could help you out. You read an article with one point of view, then see another with the opposite viewpoint. With all the information, opinions, and chatter that’s out there, in real life and online, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and procrastinate because you’re suddenly unsure what direction you should follow.

You are caught in a Brain Swirl.

Chances are, you don’t need to change what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. You just need to slow the swirl down so you can find your way out of the overwhelm and eliminate any potential for procrastination. This is where this simple process is so effective.?

When you find yourself in Brain Swirl, no matter what its cause, grab a piece of paper (or open a new digital document), tape an envelope to your desk and start gathering ideas, options, and examples.

Collect them for the next five to seven days. Write down everything that shows up, like the new idea that a friend gave you, the tactic you read about in a blog post, or the system you heard on a podcast that someone else was successfully using. Just write them down. Get them out of your head.

Each one of those ideas is not only causing doubt in your head, but it’s also paralyzing you. You will find an answer, but you can’t do it with everything swirling around in your head. You and you alone can stop the swirl by collecting the ideas (for now) but not acting on them.

When your collection time is up, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or beverage of choice), make yourself comfortable, take a couple of deep breaths and then, with a critical eye, take a look at what you’ve collected.

Look at all the ideas and examples. Discard the bright shiny objects that caught your eye but really have nothing to do with the project at hand. There are probably some things that seemed like great ideas a few days ago but aren’t appealing now. Cross them off the list. Eliminate anything that doesn’t feel helpful or authentic.?

Now, with your project firmly in mind, review what’s remaining. Which examples make the most sense? Analyze what ideas you could combine or tweak in a way that would work for you? What feels like it would help you the most?

Once you’ve been able to quiet the noise of the available options, it’s time to put together a Brain-Swirl-Ending-Plan for what you’re going to do and how you will do it. Use the best options and examples to formulate a plan that will make you immune to the distractions of the bright shiny things that might show up.

Use your plan to move forward on your project confidently without procrastinating or second-guessing yourself. You’ve captured and analyzed the thoughts and options that cause Brain Swirl. You’ve systematically chosen the path that will enable you to calm your brain down and get things done.