The Simplest Method to Prevent Overwhelm

Most solopreneurs I talk to exist in one of two states:

1 Overwhelmed because they're generating enough business, and too much busyness or

2 Stressed because they're not making enough.

They're busy doing what they are good at rather than what is required.

The thing that will get them out of the rut they are in.

There is a way out.

It works no matter what stage of business you are at.

It works no matter what size of business.

It works across your entire business engine - from ideation to service design, marketing, sales, delivery and scaling.

It's one of my favourite methods for growing my business and avoiding mistakes without feeling overwhelmed.

It's called the Theory of Constraints.

It is also simple.

Here is it in language my 11-year-old would understand:

1. Identify the key thing that's preventing productivity or growth.

2. Fix or optimise it, e.g. improve efficiency, reallocate resources or remove obstacles.?

3. Repeat iteratively with the next constraint to increase performance.

I came across it when managing a massive project many years ago—over 150 people with 3 months to go live and no chance of being successful.

We reviewed the workload across the entire team and identified the bottleneck.

We solved it and moved to the next one.

Rinse and repeat.

We removed every piece of work that was not critical.

Every new COULD DO was assessed against the MUST DOs.

Rejected mostly, sometimes accepted.

We made it to live on time.

So what does it mean for your business?

Your business engine has the five key stages below with their associated outcomes:

1. Service Design: Validated Compelling Services

2. Marketing: Ideal clients are aware.

3. Selling: Ideal clients are buying.

4. Delivering: Clients are delighted.

5. Growth: Your system is optimised to scale.

If you have a broken system, ask 'Why'??

Keep asking until you find the No.1 Constraint.?

Fix it and move on.

If your marketing is not working, then it can only be your process or the stage before it - your service. Find where and fix it.

That particular example hits hard for me. I've spent a lot of time trying to market offers that were not urgently needed or compelling. I focussed on Stage One and fixed it. Only then can you successfully market it.

You can use this in life in general.

Jot down your projects. For each, ask any of these questions:

What's my biggest issue here?

What is the single thing that, if done, would make everything else easier?

What pisses me off the most?

Forget everything else and fix that thing first.

Repeat.

Tick.

TOC.

Over time, you will get there.

Inexorably.

Inevitably.

You got this.