It was a little too hard
I’m not usually into jigsaw puzzles.
But on a recent family trip to the mountains, my 6 year-old niece wanted to do a puzzle we found in the closet. Likely drawn to the fun picture of cats with sunglasses, and lots of vibrant colors, she had her heart set on doing this puzzle.
So when she asked if I would work on it with her, of course I said yes.
No stranger to puzzles, she’s recently completed several with 100 pieces. She decided she was ready to tackle this one with the enthusiasm of an expert.
What she didn’t expect, though, was how much harder a 550 piece puzzle would be.
Pretty soon, it became overwhelming.
Has this ever happened to you?
With time, and a few helpful assistants, she found a way to achieve her goal - a completed puzzle.
To start, she recruited her dad to put together the outside edge, which helped us know how big the puzzle would be and where the key areas would be.
She quickly found and set aside the pieces with the bright pink and yellow for the words at the top of the picture.
Pretty soon, there were four of us working on the puzzle together (Nana was quickly recruited to join the effort), each of us working on a separate section. Every time someone found a piece that fit, she celebrated.
We took breaks, switched sections, and after working on it on and off all day, we were in the home stretch.
And you better believe we celebrated when the puzzle was completed!
Have you ever set yourself an ambitious goal, and then felt overwhelmed when you tried to achieve it?
Perhaps it’s the home project that starts simple and then gets more complicated as you realize just how many decisions need to be made, tools acquired, and new techniques to be learned.
Or the work project that just hits delay after delay.
Or the personal goal that you’d love to achieve but just don’t know where to start.
If you find yourself facing a goal that starts feeling overwhelming, here are a few things you can do to work through the overwhelm:
Figure out the high level plan
Starting with a general overview of the steps we need to take or the milestones we need to hit can help make a big project seem a bit more manageable.
Perhaps that basement remodel can be divided into find a contractor, finalize a design, and execute the plans. Or the leadership offsite plan might include picking the dates and location, hiring an external facilitator, and finalizing the goals and agenda.
Break things into smaller chunks
Often our overwhelm comes from thinking about all the things all at once. When we break down our goals into smaller pieces, each one becomes more manageable.
Maybe figuring out how to find a new job feels really overwhelming, but you can start with interviewing a few people who know you well to get a better sense of your superpowers. Perhaps moving into your new house feels like a really big project, but you can start by taking an inventory of your furniture and start listing out where different pieces might go.
Celebrate as you go
So often, we’re so focused on the end goal that we forget how far we’ve come along the way. Taking time to celebrate the smaller milestones can help us feel less overwhelmed.
Perhaps you have a goal to write a book this year. Can you plan something rewarding for the conclusion of each chapter? Or maybe you’re training for a marathon. How can you celebrate the completion of all planned workouts each week?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when we’re facing a big goal or project. But when we start with a high level plan, break the work into smaller chunks, and find ways to celebrate our progress, we soon find ourselves making the progress we need to achieve the goals we’ve set for ourselves.
As you think about this, what big goal is overwhelming you right now?
You’re here, you want to be there. Sometimes it can help to have a coach in your corner - a thought partner who’s there to help you achieve your goals and dreams.
Want to know if coaching might be helpful for you? Let’s talk. Book time, and we’ll figure out how to get you unstuck and get going.
How will you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
March 27, 2025
About the author:
Christina Von Stroh is a leadership coach who helps her clients become wildly successful by applying iterative software development practices to achieve their dreams. Want to work with Christina to help you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
Book your free strategy session.
