From Organized to Overwhelmed: Lessons From My Relapse into Overwhelm

I recently had an incredibly overwhelming week.

Yes, me. The lover of all things time management and productivity.

Looking back, there wasn’t anything remarkably different about the week. I had an average level of work demands, personal life events, and the normal internal draw to want to put all my time toward passion projects. A typical juggling act to create balance between it all.

But, man, I was overwhelmed.

And an overwhelmed me is irritable. An overwhelmed me is unable to celebrate any wins or progress because it just doesn’t feel like enough. An overwhelmed me is…not a very good time (you can probably confirm this one with my husband). 

To be honest, this overwhelm kind of stopped me in my tracks. 

This is old me.  I thought I’d overcome a constant state of overwhelm. How could this be happening? 

After some temporary shock and being convinced I was a complete fraud, I got curious. I did some digging into what was going wrong. And with some much-needed compassion, reminded myself I have the tools to get things back on track. 

So, what went wrong? And how can you avoid these same pitfalls?

I overfilled my plate

To say it bluntly, I got cocky.

After a good stretch of solid productivity and cranking through projects left and right, I figured, I can add a bit more. No biggie. I always get it done. 

So, I crammed my schedule full of back-to-back tasks. No need for breaks or leaving space for the unexpected. I’d probably get things done faster than expected anyway. I’m just that good.

But, shocker, I couldn’t get to it all.

I ran into hiccups on one task so it took longer than scheduled. Which pushed off the next task. And, where do I fit in the last-minute meeting invite that just popped up?!

I fell behind and scrambled to try to fit in what I had let slip through the cracks. I worked rushed which removed my ability to objectively prioritize and focus and be efficient. And the days just felt like a total slog.

How can you avoid my mistakes?

1. Be realistic with how long a task will take and schedule accordingly. Push yourself to complete it in that time. But don’t set yourself up to have a mountain of incomplete actions with no time to wrap everything up. 

2. Don’t schedule 100% of your minutes. Leave open space that’s set aside for new projects, unexpected roadblocks, or even to just stretch your legs and take a breather. 

I handed out too many ‘yeses’

Lots of new projects and opportunities came my way.

And I can handle anything, right? So ‘yes’! Bring them on!

But…after the third or fourth ‘yes’ started making their way onto my calendar, I remembered a fundamental learning. I didn’t account for what my ‘yeses’ meant I was saying ‘no’ to. 

I inadvertently said ‘no’ to:

• Meeting deadline commitments on other projects

• Supporting team members with their questions

• Time to connect with family and friends

• A walk with my dog

• The commitment to myself to live a life I actually enjoy

How can you avoid my mistakes?

1. Pause before saying ‘yes’. Evaluate what you already have on your schedule. Decide if the new ask fits in or what you’re willing to “bump” to make it fit.

2. Ask for help if you want to take on something new but know that might put other projects in jeopardy. You can still help to get something across the finish line, but a coworker or spouse may be able to take on the heavy lifting if you just ask.

I didn’t oversimplify

To Do: Launch New Website.

Yeah, sure, I’ve got this. I’m capable of figuring out anything.

But, ooof, that seems like a lot. And I also need to complete a strategic roadmap for Q3. And I have no idea where to start.

So I stared at these big nebulous projects and…practiced my wheel spinning.

I sort of worked at them but with no clear objective. So I didn’t really get anywhere except disappointed in my lack of progress and unclear on what I was supposed to be doing. And, well,  completely overwhelmed.

I had forgotten to break it down. I kept it complicated instead of simplifying.

How can you avoid my mistakes?

1. Break down big projects into bite-sized chunks of tasks. Break them down until each individual task is no longer big and overwhelming. 

2. Keep working through each task of a bigger project until you start building momentum and, before you know it, the project’s complete.

I ignored deadlines

As I felt the week slipping further and further away from my control, I doubled down on just wanting to get it all done. Just like I’d been able to so many times before.

I ignored what my calendar was telling me and what my mood was telling me and completely disregarded what deadlines were even floating around out there. 

My original plan included getting a head start on a project that wasn’t due for another 2 weeks. Yet I let that project take the same space on my calendar as the project due in 2 days. 

I forgot to leverage deadlines to help guide new priorities and help save myself from my own overcommitment.

How can you avoid my mistakes?

1. Utilize deadlines to help you focus. Reschedule those tasks that you’ve got more wiggle room on. 

2. Reprioritize if your original plan isn’t working out. Don’t just try to do it all anyway. Make some tough, but conscious, decisions on what you’re just not going to get done. Create a new plan for when you will get them done.

When you practice habits for so long, they start to come naturally. So naturally that you can forget it’s actually a real skill. 

So when something that normally comes so easily starts to go all wrong, it can throw you into a panic. 

I had gotten good at eliminating overwhelm from my life. So it was especially surprising when that old familiar feeling crept back in. 

But taking a step back, it was clear to see I’d just gotten a little sloppy. And I could easily turn this unsettling feeling of failure into an opportunity to re-sharpen all my skills and habits to get back on track.

So do me a favor, let my mistakes be your lessons for the day!

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Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed? Do you feel like there are always important tasks left undone, hanging over your head? It's time to take control of your productivity and prove to yourself you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. 

Check out the 7 Days: Consider it Done! guide to transform the way you approach your to-do list. 

Say goodbye to procrastination and unfulfilled goals and hello to a sense of control and reignited passion for life. Consider it done!