How to Stop Spreading Yourself Too Thin When You Have Multiple Business Ideas
Are you always coming up with new business ideas? Before you start multiple side-hustles and try to juggle everything at once, here are my top tips on how to focus and gain clarity on what you really want so that you don’t experience overwhelm and burnout from spreading yourself too thin. Here are my top tips on how to organize your business ideas and creative projects in order to be productive and successful rather than just busy!
I first realized I was spreading myself too thin when I reached the point of burnout. I wasn’t enjoying any of my projects anymore. Each one, on its own, could have been something I was truly passionate about, but juggling all of them at once left me overwhelmed and disconnected. Even with a team supporting me, I found myself constantly switching between different businesses, teams, emails, and strategies. My method of assigning one project to each day of the week failed quickly. Tasks would spill over, delays would happen, and I’d fall behind. Instead of feeling like I was surrounded by opportunities, I felt directionless and depleted.
The Rush of a New Idea (and the Crash That Follows)
Every time I come up with a new business idea, I get a rush of excitement. I want to buy the domain, set up the website, create a logo, launch social media accounts – the full works. But once the setup begins, the reality hits. Especially when I’m doing it all myself, the time, energy, and complexity of building something from scratch quickly begins to drain the excitement. And even if I push through, I often discover that the model or industry doesn’t really align with my long-term vision or lifestyle goals. Still, I believe in testing things quickly. Sometimes just starting a new idea, building the basic version of it, and realizing it’s not for me helps get it out of my system so I can stop obsessing over it.
3 Books to Read When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed and Want to Find Your Passion
No matter whether it’s your true passion, your purpose or your why you’re looking for, these 3 books are must-reads for lessening that feeling of overwhelm.
This book will help you to discover your true passion and your reasons for doing what you do.
This book will help you to understand whether or not you were meant to focus on just one business idea or combine multiple ideas into one career.
And this book will completely change your life, the way you think in order to see what’s really possible. This is one of my favorite books of all time (I’ve read it 3 times already). It will help you to take action on your dreams and create the life you’ve always wanted.
Understanding the Why Behind the Pattern
When I reflect, I see that part of what drives me to start new things is FOMO (fear of missing out) – especially influenced by social media. Platforms are filled with examples of successful business models, and it’s tempting to try them all. Years ago, I didn’t even use social media for my business. My first brand grew through emails, letters, and flyers. But once I entered the world of visual, creative businesses, social media became part of the job. That brought more inspiration – but also more distraction.
Add to that external events like Brexit or the pandemic, and I found myself constantly pivoting, seeking ways to adapt and survive. Sometimes, that meant generating new ideas out of necessity rather than inspiration. The valley of despair – that middle phase after initial excitement fades – can push anyone to want to jump ship. But I’ve learned that unless you push through that dip, you’ll keep repeating the same cycle in every new business.
Your Long-Term Vision Should Be the Filter
Now, I’m crystal clear on my life and business vision. I don’t act on every new idea. I write it down, sometimes create a mood board, and use it as a journaling prompt. I might plan out what my day-to-day would look like running that business, how I’d feel earning income from it, and how that fits into my long-term goals. Doing this helps satisfy my creativity and imagination without risking time or money.
I’ve also had success merging ideas into one cohesive business. My teenage dream was to run both an editorial platform and a fashion brand. Today, that’s exactly what I do. My audience overlaps perfectly between the two, and I’ve built a more engaged community by bringing them together. It differentiates my brand and keeps me creatively fulfilled.
Practical Challenges of Focusing on One Thing
The hardest part of focusing on just one project? Having multiple interests. I’ve always juggled between corporate-style businesses and more personal, creative brands. But now, I channel new ideas into my main brand instead of launching entirely separate ventures. I’ve learned that the excitement always fades once something becomes real work. And I’ve rarely ever pushed through the difficult phase in a side hustle that wasn’t directly related to my main business. Success has only come when I stuck with one thing long enough to make it work.
Advice for the Overwhelmed Idea Machine
If you’re constantly full of ideas but never making progress, ask yourself: What do I really want long-term? What kind of life and business do I want to build? What will I regret not doing? Once you know that, work backward.
Don’t start new businesses to escape problems in your current one. If you haven’t made one business work yet, focus your time, energy, and money on that before launching new projects. Keep your ideas safe, use them as creative fuel, but don’t chase them all. The freedom and momentum that comes from finally getting one business off the ground is far more rewarding than the constant chaos of juggling startups that never get finished.
What to Do When You Have Multiple Business Ideas
Being multi-passionate is a gift – but only if you learn how to manage it. Create a personal brand if you can. It gives you space to explore different passions under one umbrella. Use journaling to log your ideas. And above all, remember that starting is easy, finishing is rare, and true success lives on the other side of focus.
