What to do when you dont know what to do?

Hello, hello!

I'm dictating another email today. This time, I'm dictating it while cutting out the art therapy activity for my October Sparkles of Joy snail mail club. (sign ups are closing in a few days btw!)

For this particular activity, I've created a colouring sheet where you can just colour in, switch off your brain and use your hands. There's something quite cathartic about doing something creative without having to think too much.

Anyway, today I want to talk about something I experience quite often.

What do you do when you have absolutely no idea what to do?

I find myself in this situation from time to time.

I'll start going around in circles, downloading all sorts of podcasts, watching YouTube videos, reading books and eventually doom-scrolling on Instagram.

Then I'll go down all these different tangents, thinking about the various things I could potentially do.

I could do this. I could do that. Oh, that looks interesting too!

And before I know it, I'm feeling completely overwhelmed and burnt out because I'm thinking, "I could do ALL of these things, or I could do NONE of them!"

But the reality is that I can't do everything. I simply don't have the time or energy.

So I go around in circles, become increasingly overwhelmed, and eventually find myself right back where I started.

Stuck.

Can you relate?

I've noticed quite a few people experiencing something similar recently, particularly in the online business industry.

I think there's been a massive shift in the industry, especially with AI.

Some bloggers have doubled down on their businesses and are doing incredibly well. I know a few who've pivoted towards building really successful Facebook pages, growing their blogs through social media and focusing more heavily on affiliate marketing.

That's actually something I'm considering exploring myself in the future.

But I've also noticed that many bloggers have given up entirely.

Some have moved into different online businesses, while others have returned to traditional jobs.

And recently, I've noticed more and more people trying to find something new but not really knowing what that something should be.

They're feeling stuck.

And I completely understand that feeling because I experience it myself.

So today, I wanted to share five things that have genuinely helped me whenever I've felt this way.

And to be honest, this email is as much a reminder to myself as it is to you!

1. Stop Trying to Figure Out Your Entire Life

I think one of the biggest problems is that we treat every decision as though it's going to determine the rest of our lives.

For example, as I'm sitting here cutting out these art therapy sheets, I'm thinking about how much I'd love to write a book someday.

And then I think, "Oh, I'd also love to start a podcast!"

But instead of simply enjoying those ideas, my brain immediately starts going down a rabbit hole.

If I start a podcast, how am I going to get sponsors for my show? How will I grow an audience?

If I write a book, where am I going to sell it? How am I going to market it?

And suddenly, this lovely little idea has unravelled into a hundred different questions and problems that I haven't even encountered yet!

I haven't written a single page of the book or recorded a single podcast episode, but I'm already worrying about how I'm going to make everything work.

And I think that's where we sometimes go wrong.

You don't need to figure out your entire life. You just need to think about the next right small step.

You don't have to know exactly where something will lead before you start.

Sometimes it's enough to simply explore an idea and see where it takes you.

2. Stop Overthinking and Start Experimenting

This is something that's really helped me over the years.

Whenever I want to start something new, I tell myself that it's just an experiment.

I'm not bound to it forever.

I don't have to commit to doing it for the rest of my life, and it doesn't have to become my next big successful business.

I'm simply experimenting.

Start small, try something new, and see what happens.

For example, Sparkles of Joy was a pivot for me.

I'd been feeling really burnt out with blogging.

I mean, I still blog, and I'm still writing these newsletters, but I knew I didn't want to spend all my time doing just that.

I wanted something new.

So I thought, "Okay, let me experiment. Let me start small with something completely different."

And that's how my snail mail club came about.

I didn't know whether people would be interested in receiving physical letters and little paper goodies every month.

I didn't know whether I'd enjoy creating everything or whether the business would actually work.

But I decided to try it anyway.

And I told myself that if it didn't work out, that was okay too.

Because even if the business didn't succeed, it would still have been a really good experiment.

I'd have learned new skills, gained experience and discovered something new about myself.

And I think that's a much healthier way of approaching new opportunities.

Not everything you try has to become your forever thing.

Sometimes you just need to give yourself permission to experiment.

3. Pay Attention to What Gives You Energy

Another thing that's really helped me is paying attention to what genuinely gives me energy.

I think we spend so much time listening to what everybody else thinks we should be doing.

Especially when we're on Instagram or social media.

Someone tells you that you should start a YouTube channel. Someone else tells you that you should be doing affiliate marketing. Then another person comes along with some completely different business opportunity.

And suddenly, you're chasing all these ideas without really thinking about whether they're right for you.

So instead of asking what everybody else thinks I should do, I've started asking myself:

What actually gives me energy?

For me, I love teaching.

I love writing.

I love sharing lessons and teaching people new skills.

Those are things I've always enjoyed.

So when I started thinking about what I wanted to do next, I asked myself how I could combine those interests.

And that's one of the reasons I enjoy creating Sparkles of Joy.

Every month, I get to write a personal letter, share lessons I've learned and create activities that might help someone.

I'm still writing, and I'm still teaching, but I'm doing it in a completely different way.

And that gives me energy.

On the other hand, sitting in front of my laptop all day long really drains me.

It's one of the reasons I didn't want to start another blog.

I didn't want to spend even more time sitting at my computer.

I wanted to do something creative that allowed me to use my hands, write and connect with people in a different way.

So if you're feeling stuck, I think it's worth asking yourself what activities genuinely excite you.

What gives you energy?

And perhaps more importantly, what drains you?

Because just because something is a good opportunity doesn't necessarily mean it's the right opportunity for YOU.

4. Accept That You Can't Have Everything All at Once

This is another lesson I constantly have to remind myself of.

There are SO many things I want to do!

I'd love to write a book.

I'd love to start a podcast.

I'd love to do more YouTube videos.

And there are plenty of other business ideas I'd love to explore.

But I've realised that I simply can't do everything at once.

And I've started approaching this in a way that I call "putting it on the shelf."

Imagine you have a shelf filled with all the different ideas and dreams you'd love to pursue.

You don't have to throw any of them away.

You don't have to abandon them forever.

You can simply put them on the shelf and pick them up again when you're ready.

For example, right now, I've decided that I want to give Sparkles of Joy my attention.

I want to see this business through and find out where it goes.

I want to spend time creating the monthly envelopes, building relationships with my subscribers and figuring out how to make the business better.

And that means my podcast idea and my book idea are going on the shelf for now.

But that doesn't mean I've abandoned them.

They're still there.

And when the time is right, I can pick them up again.

I think this has really helped me because it removes the pressure of feeling like I have to pursue every single idea immediately.

You don't have to give up on your dreams. You just have to accept that you can't pursue all of them at the same time.

Sometimes you need to give one thing your attention before moving on to something else.

5. Ask Yourself: Are You Actually Stuck, or Are You Just Exhausted?

Finally, I think it's really important to ask yourself whether you're genuinely stuck or whether you're simply exhausted and burnt out.

Because I think there's a difference.

Sometimes we convince ourselves that we need to change our entire lives.

We think we need a new career, a new business, a new project or something completely different to make us feel excited again.

But what if we're just really tired?

What if we've spent so long juggling responsibilities, making decisions, working and looking after other people that we've simply run out of energy?

And because we're exhausted, everything starts to feel overwhelming.

Even the things we once enjoyed.

Sometimes we think we need to change our entire lives when actually what we need is some rest, a little breathing room or perhaps a different approach to what we're already doing.

And speaking of burnout, that's actually the theme of my October Sparkles of Joy envelope!

It's called Beating the Burnout Blues.

I've created a burnout checklist to help you recognise whether you might be experiencing burnout, along with practical strategies to help you manage it and find more energy.

There's also my Rainbow Recovery Kit, fun stickers, a 15-minute exercise to boost your brain and energy, and an art therapy activity to help you switch off and relax.

I've put so much thought into this month's envelope, and I'm genuinely excited for my subscribers to receive it.

So if you've been feeling a little overwhelmed or burnt out lately, I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

You can join Sparkles of Joy here.

But back to my original point: before you decide you need to completely reinvent your life, ask yourself whether you need a new direction or simply some time to recover.

One Final Thought

If there's one thing I want you to take away from this email, it's this:

You can't think your way out of feeling stuck. You have to experiment your way out.

You have to take action.

And sometimes the thing you're doing right now might actually be the key that unlocks your next opportunity.

This is something I've experienced throughout my own entrepreneurial journey.

When I left my corporate job, I didn't immediately become a blogger.

I started with online proofreading.

That led me to freelance writing.

Freelance writing led me to social media management and Pinterest management.

And those experiences eventually led me to starting my blog.

And now, years later, my blogging journey has led me to creating a snail mail club.

It's funny when I think about it because I certainly didn't plan any of this when I first started proofreading.

I had no idea that one opportunity would eventually lead to another, and another, and another.

And even now, I don't know whether Sparkles of Joy is going to be my forever calling.

Maybe it will be.Maybe it won't.

Perhaps it'll lead me to writing a book, starting a podcast or discovering something completely different that I haven't even thought about yet.

But that's what I find so exciting about experimenting.

You don't always know where something is going to lead.

Sometimes the thing you're doing right now isn't your final destination. It's simply the stepping stone that unlocks the next chapter of your life.

And you might never discover that next chapter if you spend all your time thinking about what you should do instead of actually trying something.

So if you're feeling stuck right now, please don't put too much pressure on yourself to figure everything out.

Pick something that interests you.

Start small. Experiment. And see where it takes you.

You never know which little experiment might eventually lead you to finding your calling.

Anyway, I'd love to hear from you.

How are you feeling right now? Are you feeling stuck? Are you going around in circles trying to figure out what to do next?

Or perhaps you've been through something similar and managed to find your way out?

Please hit reply and tell me.

I genuinely love hearing your stories, and I personally reply to every email I receive, even if it sometimes takes me a little longer than I'd like!

Until next time,

Thanks for reading

Aisha Preece from Outandbeyond.com

P.S. Feeling a little burnt out lately?

This month's Sparkles of Joy envelope is all about Beating the Burnout Blues, and I've packed it with little things to help you slow down, recharge, and find your spark again!

Inside, you'll find a Rainbow Recovery Kit, a burnout checklist to help you recognize the signs, fun stickers, a 15-minute exercise to boost your brain and energy, a relaxing art therapy activity, and a personal letter from me sharing practical strategies to help you navigate burnout.

I've poured so much thought and love into this one, and I genuinely can't wait for you to receive it!

If you've been feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or simply in need of a little joy, this one's for you. 🌈

Join Sparkles of Joy and get October's envelope!

PPS: I share my bare minimum low-effort strategy to grow my businesses on my Instagram stories — if you want more behind-the-scenes like this, come hang out: @aishapreece

Some pics from the week:

My Courses

made egg fried rice from konjac rice which is super low calorie and it was actually tasty!

managed to finally use curry leaves from the back

i am on a 21 day clean eating plan, its day 18/21, cant wait for it to end O_O

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Out And Beyond | Blogging & Side Hustle Tips