The Overwhelm Trap: When More Becomes Too Much

Hey friend, last week, I received a message that hit me right between the eyes. It came from a fellow entrepreneur in one of my business groups:

"I've been feeling like I want to quit. Very scattered, spread thin, and exhausted. Some things I'm under contract and have to continue working towards. I guess like if you had a full-time job. This new venture I really want to work, but I'm feeling scattered. I'm not trying to have a pity party, but I guess I'm having a pity party. I need to reset, and I'm trying to figure out where to start. I have all these courses, but I'm feeling scattered. Any help appreciated."

Y'all, how many of us have been exactly there?

That feeling of drowning in commitments, courses, and contracts. The exhaustion that comes from trying to do it all. The guilt that creeps in when you realize you might have taken on too much.

This isn't just one entrepreneur's struggle. It's an epidemic in the business world that nobody seems to want to talk about.

The Overcommitment Mistake We All Make

One of the biggest mistakes I see entrepreneurs make (and let's be honest, I've made it too) is believing that more is better:

• More courses will lead to more knowledge

• More ventures will lead to more income streams

• More commitments will lead to more opportunities

• More hours working will lead to more success

But here's the truth that took me years to learn: More often leads to less.

More commitments lead to less focus. More courses lead to less implementation. More ventures lead to less excellence in any one area. More hours working lead to less creativity and clarity.

The person who messaged me has fallen into what I call "The Overwhelm Trap." They've invested in multiple courses, committed to contracts they now feel burdened by, and started a new venture they care about – all while trying to maintain their existing responsibilities.

The result? Feeling scattered, exhausted, and ready to quit.

How We Fall Into the Overwhelm Trap

This trap doesn't happen overnight. It's usually a gradual accumulation:

1. The Opportunity Addiction

We say yes to opportunities because we're afraid of missing out. Each one seems promising on its own, but collectively, they become overwhelming.

2. The Course Collection Habit

We buy courses because each one promises to solve a specific problem. Before long, we have a digital library of unwatched videos and unimplemented strategies.

3. The Commitment Creep

We take on "just one more" client, project, or initiative, not realizing how it will compound our already full plate.

4. The Shiny Object Syndrome

A new business idea or venture captures our attention, and we dive in before completing or optimizing what we've already started.

What makes this particularly challenging is that none of these behaviors feel wrong in the moment. In fact, they often feel productive, ambitious, and forward-thinking. It's only when we find ourselves unable to move forward on any front that we realize we've fallen into the trap.

The Hidden Cost of Doing Too Much

The entrepreneur who messaged me is experiencing the obvious symptoms: exhaustion, scattered focus, and the desire to quit. But there are deeper costs that many don't recognize until it's too late:

Diminished Quality

When we spread ourselves too thin, the quality of everything we do declines. We deliver B-level work across the board rather than A+ work in one focused area.

Relationship Strain

Overcommitment doesn't just affect our business – it impacts our relationships. Family and friends get our leftover energy, which is often not much.

Financial Inefficiency

Investing in multiple courses, tools, and ventures without fully implementing any of them is like buying gym memberships to three different facilities but never having time to work out.

Identity Crisis

Perhaps most significantly, constant overwhelm can lead us to question our abilities and whether entrepreneurship is right for us – when the real issue isn't our capability but our capacity.

Signs You're In The Overwhelm Trap

Are you teetering on the edge of this trap yourself? Here are the warning signs:

1. You've purchased multiple courses but haven't completed any

2. Your to-do list feels impossible rather than challenging

3. You regularly work evenings and weekends but never feel caught up

4. You struggle to articulate your main focus when people ask about your business

5. You feel guilty about how you're spending your time, no matter what you're doing

6. You fantasize about quitting everything and starting fresh

7. You can't remember the last time you felt excited about your work

If three or more of these resonate with you, it's time for an intervention – the same one I recommended to the entrepreneur who reached out.

The Reset Protocol: Finding Your Way Back

When I responded to this entrepreneur, I didn't offer more strategies or tactics. The last thing they needed was one more thing to do. Instead, I suggested a reset protocol that I've used myself during seasons of overwhelm:

Step 1: Permission to Pause

Give yourself 24-48 hours where you don't work on any business tasks. Don't watch courses, don't check email, don't strategize. Do things that replenish you physically and mentally.

Step 2: The Brain Dump

Get everything out of your head and onto paper:

• All your current commitments

• All your course investments

• All your business ideas and ventures

• All your unfinished projects

Step 3: The Brutal Priority Sort

Divide everything into three categories:

• Must Do (contractual obligations, revenue-generating activities)

• Should Do (important for growth but can be scheduled)

• Could Do (interesting but not essential right now)

Step 4: The 90-Day Focus Plan

Choose ONE primary focus for the next 90 days. This doesn't mean you abandon everything else, but it does mean you designate one priority that gets your best time and energy.

Step 5: The Resource Audit

Look at all those courses you've purchased. Which ONE aligns most directly with your 90-day focus? That's the only one you're allowed to work through right now. The others get temporarily shelved.

Step 6: The Calendar Cleanse

Block time in your calendar for your primary focus first, then add in your "Must Do" commitments. Be realistic about time – most tasks take longer than we think. What doesn't fit doesn't get done this quarter.

Step 7: The Support Squad

Identify who can help you maintain boundaries and focus. This might be a coach, accountability partner, or business friend who checks in regularly.

What Happened Next

A week after sharing this protocol, I got an update from the entrepreneur. They had taken the pause, done the brain dump, and were shocked to realize they had committed to 14 different projects across three different business ventures – while still maintaining client work.

No wonder they felt scattered! No human could effectively manage that many priorities simultaneously.

After implementing the protocol, they chose to focus on launching one specific service in their new venture over the next 90 days. They put some projects on an official "pause" list, communicated new timelines to relevant partners, and selected just one course to work through that directly supported their 90-day focus.

The relief in their follow-up message was palpable. They still had plenty to do, but now it felt manageable rather than overwhelming.

The Less But Better Philosophy

What this entrepreneur discovered (and what I've had to learn repeatedly) is that success doesn't come from doing more. It comes from doing fewer things better.

This doesn't mean lowering your ambitions. It means channeling them more effectively.

Consider these reframes:

• Instead of 5 half-implemented income streams, what if you had 1 fully optimized one?

• Instead of 10 partially watched courses, what if you fully implemented the strategies from 1?

• Instead of 3 business ventures, what if you made 1 truly exceptional?

One of my favorite quotes comes from Greg McKeown: "If you don't prioritize your life, someone else will."

In business terms, if you don't ruthlessly prioritize your focus, the urgency of others, the allure of new opportunities, and the siren call of "more" will determine your path – usually leading straight into the Overwhelm Trap.

Your Action Plan

If you're feeling scattered and overwhelmed like the entrepreneur who reached out, here's your plan:

1. This Week: Implement the Reset Protocol, especially the pause and brain dump

2. This Month: Choose your 90-day focus and restructure your calendar around it

3. This Quarter: Resist adding anything new, no matter how tempting

Remember that doing less doesn't mean achieving less. Often, it means achieving more of what truly matters.

Drop a comment below: What's one commitment or project you could pause right now to create more space for your highest priority? Let's start a conversation about doing less, but better.

xx, Heather

P.S. If you're drowning in online courses and feeling guilty about not implementing them all, give yourself grace. Those courses aren't going anywhere. Choose one that serves your current focus, and give yourself permission to put the rest on a shelf for now. The best investment in your business isn't another course – it's implementing what you already know.