How to use an ordinary diary to obliterate overwhelm.

Episode Transcription

 

Den Lennie (3s):
Good day, guys. It’s Den here with the How to Scale a Video Business podcast, episode number 230. And today I’m going to do a solo episode to talk about an important topic, and that is tackling overwhelm. I hear this a lot from people I talk to where they feel very overwhelmed and they struggled to balance time between managing the business marketing training, editing, doing research and managing any sub-contractors. And so it’s very easy to find yourself in a position where you’re just literally at the end of your tether, but overwhelm is actually just a symptom of a lack of systems to manage the workload that you have.

Den Lennie (60s):
And overwhelm typically comes from trying to do everything yourself as a catch 22 because when you do everything yourself, you feel like you don’t have any time to create systems, to help other people understand what you need the outcome to be, and therefore, you can hand it over and this can become a really vicious circle because you feel like you’re in a spin. Now, the first part to identify when you’re feeling overwhelmed is, is stepping back and looking at your priorities. I love new filmmakers say to me, oh, you know, I, I’ve got to do, you know, research.

Den Lennie (1m 42s):
I’ve got to do technical training. And, the thing is it’s very easy to migrate and find yourself going towards things that you justify to yourself as being important, but may not actually be the most important thing right now. You’re learning how to lighten into you better or learning how to use a particular plugin on a grade. It’s important, but it’s not necessarily as important as making sure your projects are being invoiced or you’re actually calling up a client to see if you can get a project over the lame and where I see a huge disparity between those who succeed at breaking the freelance curse and actually building a business that can sustain them and give them all the dreams and goals versus One that just stresses them out is this idea of overwhelm.

Den Lennie (2m 36s):
And it’s down to a lack of personal systems to execute and prioritize what is important. So let’s take an example, your email inbox. If you looked at your email inbox now, how many inbox emails are there? I currently have 54 and that’s too many. I need to tend to my inbox. I know some people have thousands and I used to have, I think my record was 18,000 emails. And it’s just one of those things that if you don’t clear out your inbox and work to a zero email inbox policy, you will feel overwhelmed because there’s just stuff coming at you all the time.

Den Lennie (3m 18s):
And the thing about an email inbox, okay, is it somebody else’s to-do list it’s somebody else trying to get your attention. And as soon as your attention is taken off, the thing that you are focusing on, you’ve got to find yourself falling behind and that’s going to lead to overwhelm. You know, that oftentimes overwhelm can happen because of a disconnect between business and creativity, and where I’ve seen common errors take place with overwhelm. And this situation is that people try and flip flop between the two things on the same day.

Den Lennie (3m 59s):
So there’ll be doing, you know, something strategic in the morning, and then they’ll move to something creative and back to something strategic you’re using different sides of your brain. So a tip that I share with my members, I’m going to share with you is to assign yourself certain tasks on certain days and split your days up into blocks so that you can focus on certain things. At certain times, you can probably focus for about 45 to 50 minutes uninterrupted on one task. If you turn everything off, I’m talking about no notifications on your form, none of the notifications on your computer turn off all social media do not be under the impression that you’ve got to be available 24/7 to meet your business work.

Den Lennie (4m 46s):
It’s simply not true. Focused work in short bursts will really help overcome any overwhelm. So the way I do that is we have a what we call default diary and the way that works is you would simply have certain tasks on certain days. So for me, Monday is always a content day. So I’m creating content on a Monday. Tuesday is always community day. That’s the day when I have my coaching calls with my VBA members. So on a Tuesday, I dedicate that entire day to coaching and dealing with coaching-related and community-related, responses.

Den Lennie (5m 31s):
Wednesday is my sales day. So that’s the day when I handle any sales inquiries. Thursday is a coaching day. So I have a full day dedicated to my clients so that I can work on new training, answer any questions you might have, do any one-to-one calls that are upcoming, do any audit reviews, and just be there to support my members, my, my highest paying clients. They get most of my attention, which is fair and right, and just, and then on a Friday, I have a kind of free day. Now, we’re developing some additional systemization aspects to our product offering just now we’re actually working with businesses. One-on-one to systemize everything they do in the business.

Den Lennie (6m 15s):
It’s a concierge service. And so we spend some time on Fridays doing that, and I tend not to work a Friday afternoon, tend not to work a Wednesday morning, and tend to start late work late on a Monday. So I have, you know, I have a three and a half-day weekend. Not always, sometimes I choose to work, but it’s, it’s a choice. So how do I get so much done when I’m only got, you know, 3, 4 days a week, let’s just see, well, I’m very, very systemized. I’m very, very disciplined. I have a team of four all together. It’s four of us altogether. So I have a team that looks after all the things that I don’t have time and capacity to do.

Den Lennie (6m 57s):
And that means that I can focus on high leveraged activities. So having a default diary is going to be one way to overcome overwhelm. Now I’ve got to just add to that. I understand that if you are still on the tools to some degree shoots, make him and come in and disrupt that is okay. You simply move it to the next available day. So if you’re doing a content day on a Monday and you’ve got to shoot on a Monday, then either, either move it to the Tuesday or just miss it until the next Monday. But it’s all about creating a system for success and setting yourself up for success. Another practical tool is called the Pomodoro timer.

Den Lennie (7m 40s):
Or be focused. You get it on the app store. And it’s basically a timer that will run for 45 or 50 minutes. And some things that run in 25-minute blocks for the five-minute break. And you can set up to do kind of pretty much anything you want. But the idea is that you decide clearly what you want to work on for the next 45 to 50 minutes. And you set the timer and it shuts off your phone from any interruptions. So for that 45 to 50 minutes, that’s all you do. You simply just focus on the task at hand. That’s another way to overcome overwhelm. The third issue with overwhelm comes from just too many distractions.

Den Lennie (8m 22s):
You know, people, when people tell me they’re overwhelmed, first of all, ask them how they met, how many inbox emails they’ve got. And then I ask them if they’ve got notifications on their phone and their computer. And the answer is usually yes, to both have usually gotten somewhere in the region of 10,000 plus emails and things beeping at them every 30 seconds. So what you have to understand is that you cannot multitask. It’s not possible. Your brain is not designed to switch from task to task. That’s something that computers are designed to do not the human brain. So it’s a fallacy to think that you can multitask, it’s complete and utter nonsense.

Den Lennie (9m 3s):
You cannot do it. So you must be focused on one thing at a time. Otherwise, you are literally draining your energy battery. So don’t multitask have one task at a time, complete it till it’s done, have a break. We want the next one. Let’s talk about energy for a second. Energy is, is not, is not infinite. Okay? Your energy feeds throughout the day, like a battery that’s been charged. There is more charge at beginning of the day and less charge at the end of the day. So your willpower acts like a battery. So if you get up early and drink some water and do some exercise, get clear on your days’ plans, and then execute, you will have a far more productive day than if you sort of far toss around swish washing from one seat site to another looking at one thing or the other before you get started into any meaningful work.

Den Lennie (9m 60s):
And by the afternoon, your energy is depleted. Your willpower is depleted. So please, please, please understand that willpower and energy deplete as the day goes on. The most productive time in the day and this is scientifically researched and proven is the first four hours of the day. If you get up at five in the morning and you work from five until nine, you will achieve more than if you start at nine and work three to five. I guarantee it no distractions, focus, and because it’s early, it’s quiet. You will just get boredom. Now for the last three or four months, I’ve been actually going to the gym quite consistently.

Den Lennie (10m 42s):
And I go to a 5:30 in the morning class. So the habit that I had to build around that took some time. But now I naturally wake up at quarter to five. I have a routine. I have a system, I get up, all my gym clothes are ready, and the lounge upstairs is near our bedroom. So I get up and don’t disturb Sam, I brushed my teeth. I go to the bathroom and then I put my clothes on in the lounge. I go downstairs. I make a coffee and I’m out the door by five o’clock my water’s ready. Everything is done the night before I’m at the gym by 20 past five, I’ve had my coffee. I’m ready to go.

Den Lennie (11m 22s):
I finished the gym by about 6:30. I drop home by at the coffee shop, pick up a cup of coffee and I’m home by 7:00 AM. Now by 7:00 AM. I’ve done a full workout. I’ll sit with Sam for an hour. We’ll chat, catch up with the dogs. And by eight o’clock I’ve had a shower I’m ready to go to work. And I will walk through to about four or five o’clock. Now that is a system to execute. So my body is primed because I’ve worked out in the morning and I have much more energy than now. I’m recording us at 4:20 PM in the afternoon. There’s just been a storm. I’m feeling a little tired now. This is the last day I’m going to do before I wrap up for the day.

Den Lennie (12m 2s):
Now that’s a system you want to be creating systems for execution because that in itself will help you avoid overwhelm. Another tip to avoid overwhelm is to be really organized and set yourself days, diary tasks. So when you’re really strategic in laying out what you want to achieve for your day, you write it down. And then what you do is you actually put it in slots in your diary in one-hour slots. And I put one-hour slots because you want to have a 10-minute break every 50 minutes. So what are slots for that? A half-hour break in between to allow things to run over. So you’ve got, what’s called White Space in your calendar.

Den Lennie (12m 44s):
And that white space allows you to have a bit of wiggle room. If something comes into your inbox that you’re unexpected or a phone call comes in, you know, it’s about having some space for other tasks to pop in and not derail you. So, having a default diary, having that diary populated with hours in the day, so that you’ve got clarity. Now, another thing I strongly recommend, and this is something that oftentimes filmmakers can struggle a bit with initially, is you do not have to be available 24 7 on your mobile form for a client to want to work with you.

Den Lennie (13m 24s):
You can. And most of my clients in the accelerator, do. They have a call, clients a calendar schedule that they’re available at certain times of the day for clients to book in a call, they do not have clients and the ability to ring them up on their mobile. Now, perhaps repeat clients do, but new clients can’t do that. New clients go through the process of applying to have a discovery call and fill out a survey. This is people get freaked out by this clear thing. Oh, I know people, people want to fill out a survey and I might miss out on the work. And here’s my argument for that. If they’re not willing to fill out a survey that asks pertinent questions to find out more detailed information about the shoe they want to tie you for.

Den Lennie (14m 15s):
If someone’s not serious about filling out that form, then they’re not serious about paying money to you to shoot it. This is part of the professional preeminent process where you know, someone who is serious and is looking for a solution will not have an issue filling out a form and booking in a call with you. It shows that you’re organized. It shows you you’re systemized. You can have multiple call times available every day if you want to. But then what that means is, you know that on a Tuesday morning, between nine and 12, you have calls booked in. So, you know, you have certain days where you don’t have calls. I know there are certain days of my week where I typically don’t take calls Mondays and Wednesdays.

Den Lennie (14m 57s):
I typically don’t take calls. And that means that I know those days are uninterrupted. Now, if I’ve got one of my main clients who need to talk to me, I can fit them in because I’ve built in some leeway into my week. So I just wiped the microphone there. I built in some leeway into my week so that I can fit, you know, factor in time for my best clients if needs be. But most importantly, is about making sure that my time is protected. You’ve got to get out of your head that you need to be available at all times. That is very much a freelancer mentality.

Den Lennie (15m 40s):
You cannot be on the Beck and call of clients, twenty-four seven. It’s a terrible business model. So that’s another area where I think it’s really important to consider tackling that overwhelm. And it’s gonna be a short episode this week, but finally, overwhelm is something you choose, okay? You choose to let overwhelm happen to you. You are in control of your business. As Jocko Willink says, you know, be disciplined and you will have your freedom. The reason people get overwhelmed is they’re not disciplined. They’re flaky.

Den Lennie (16m 20s):
They’re not serious about wanting to solve a problem in their life. And, if you have to sit down in the discomfort and do the hard work. It’s not easy. You know, I’ve been going to the gym for 17, 18 weeks. Now. I’ve been, been documenting as a video diary. The first few weeks were really, really hard. It would have been very, very easy to give up, but 16, 17 weeks in, I actually love going to the gym. Now it’s actually a drug. I find myself wanting to go. I can’t wait to go. And so if you’re really serious about avoiding overwhelm, you have to learn discipline.

Den Lennie (17m 1s):
And, that is something that is black and white, there’s no gray area. So have a think about where in your life you might be lacking some of these. And if you want some help then, let’s have a chat. Ask yourself, this. Has owning your own video business, been everything you dreamed it would be when you first got started? It might be hard to admit, but think about whether you’re genuinely achieving everything you set out to when you made that decision to grab the camera and go it alone. Are you really working less? Are you really earning more? And are you really in control? Chances are you’re bloody good at what you do, but you’re having to work like a dog 70 plus hours a week, whether it’s filming, editing, marketing, or any of the other jobs that come with being the big boss of your own video company.

Den Lennie (17m 51s):
When you’re managing projects constantly searching out for new clients and worrying about cash flow, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture or make real progress. Let’s face it. That stress is the last thing you need when you’re trying to run a profitable company that supports you and the people you care about. Truth is a business that provides financial professional and personal freedom really is achievable, but maybe you’ve got that nagging feeling that you’re overworked, lacking stability, and struggling to get to where you really want to be right now. It could be that you just don’t know how to make a positive change on your own. So I created the video business accelerator coaching programs to really supercharge your video business.

Den Lennie (18m 31s):
With these unique coaching programs, you’ll learn all the tools you need to get complete confidence in the success of your video business. You can take the first step on your journey to a successful business that doesn’t control your life. Let me show you how. Head over to denlennie.com and click on accelerator.