3 steps to prioritise effectively when everything feels important and overwhelming

30 Jun

List as long as you arm, but every single thing on it feels equally urgent and equally important? I know this headspace well.

We all can feel like this, probably fairly regularly - the list just keeps getting longer, life admin and paid work bursting at the seams, and everything was due yesterday. Or is due any day now. So you dig in deeper, break tasks down even more, try to assign internal deadlines, rework everything from Trello to Asana, to Notion, to Todoist and back again - all in hope the tools will help you stay on track.

The result, however? Just an ever-growing feeling of failure, as each self-inflicted and missed deadline make you feel as effective as a chocolate teapot.

It’s the curse of the high-functioning overwhelm - you technically don’t miss major delivery dates and don’t let your clients down (apart from the occasional ‘can we push this down an hour/day’), but this skirting around the edges, doing just enough to stay afloat and appease everyone else, while never ACTUALLY feeling productive and like you’re accomplishing anything substantial comes with a crazy high cost to your mental health. And your long-term business health, naturally.

Next thing you know - you’re in bits.

Presenting: The Brain Dump method

A way to task-prioritise, when just "clearing the list" or the priority matrix (do-delegate-delete-schedule) doesn't quite cut it anymore. When everything seems equally important or urgent, not much is "delegate-able" and CERTAINLY nothing on the list can be just deleted. OH and not much seems like a quick win either. Fun head space to be in, right?

So when that deep overwhelm hits, and prioritisation feels too hard, follow these steps:

Step 1. Dump that brain.

Get a clear space to sit comfortably and write. Take 3 slow breaths - in through your nose, out through your mouth.
Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and write down EVERYTHING that's in your head. No organising, no judging, just get it all out.
If you get stuck, just write" I don't know what else", "I don't know what else"... keep your hand moving, let the timer run out.

Questions to prompt the brain dump:

What am I avoiding?
What's been on my mind lately?
What do I need to remember?
What am I excited about?
What feels unfinished?

Step 2. Categorise.

Only when your brain feels cleared, and the timer has gone off - you categorise. Look back on the list and group the remaining actions like this:

actions - things you can actually do
worries - things you can’t control right now
ideas - creative thoughts to explore later
time-sensitive - deadlines and appointments
mental clutter - random stuff that can wait, be delegated or let go

Step 3. Get a quick win.

Now look over each action and ask yourself: Can I do this in under 2 mins? if YES, do immediately.

This will be things like a quick call, a short email, a quick tidy away, Do all of those, and get that dopamine going. (Yes, some might end up taking 3 or 5 mins, but don’t stop halfway through! Go get that quick win!)

Get that "I've bloody done it!" satisfaction. The tick, tick, tick next to your list, or a green highlighter across it. Or better yet, a gold star on your forehead (my favourite ;).

What about the rest of the actions? Here’s where you get to broad-strokes categorise.

As someone who works with a lot of deadlines (tangible deadlines with pronounced consequences - not just my internal ‘I want to send a newsletter every week’ kind of deadline!), I tend to split up my brain dump actions like this:

Deadline soonest - DO TODAY
Deadline next - DO NEXT
‘Should’ Actions (things I personally don't need to do, they don’t move the needle, or I feel obligated to do them due to some principle or schedule I’ve set in the past) - CAN I DELEGATE? CAN I ASK FOR HELP?
If not (or you don’t have a straight answer right now), they just wait their turn, after the more urgent/deadline-looming tasks. Don’t waste time here working out who to delegate to, who to ask for help… just get on with the quick wins and the action with the looming deadline - this bit can REALLY wait!
Worries with no action to take or ways for me to control: USEFUL BUT NOT ACTIONABLE. This list helps me separate the intrusive worries from the real actions - I can journal about them / talk to a friend, but ultimately DELETE off my actions list. They don't get to drain me, not when they’re just distractions and feed my emotional overwhelm.

Why this works, and how to make it a habit

You’ll notice I have a very ‘one thing at a time’ approach. Once I’ve BrainDumped, I’ll be working in 2h deep work blasts, focusing on the most urgent (remember the definition: external deadline + there is a tangible consequence if I miss this), to least.

As I work down that list of 4 categories of actions, I’ll be making real moves - and after each client delivery action, I like to then look at my business growth actions, and make sure I follow through.

This Brain Dump method is a twist on the classic priority matrix, that gets you to truly clear your mind AND get some positive flow of achievement going. Riding that wave of accomplishment helps you better discern which actions actually matter (in point 3) - what ‘shoulds’ can you dump, what ‘shoulds’ you need to action. Clearing your brain like this, in flow, and without judgement, also allows you to lower your cognitive load for the day - you have 1 priority at a time, the rest is written down (so you know it won’t slip through your fingers) - your mind can now focus, on that one shining beacon of action. And BREATHE.

When to brain dump?

You likely won’t feel the need to Brain Dump eveeeery single day - but here’s some good signs that you need a real clear-out of your thoughts:

Daily: when you feel mentally scattered and need clarity to start the day

Weekly: when you’re overwhelmed, feel like you’re forgetting things, want to have an end-of-week plan

Emergency: when your mind is racing and you can’t focus - brain dump right there and then!

“To-do” lists are often oversimplified. What is meant to be helpful, can quickly turn against us, as a tangible reminder of all the ways we’re behind… But with this Brain Dump method, you’re look at a strategic approach to to-do’s, in a way that makes you feel: 1. accomplished, 2 . less emotionally overwhelmed.

Reach for it whenever you can’t see the wood for the trees.

Want more strategic direction, beyond your daily actions? Click below to book in my 60-minute intensive:

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This blog was inspired by the Brain Dump workbook by ReMarkable & Tiimo App, who in turn were inspired by the well-known spin on the Eisenhower Matrix (Priority Matrix). I use the framework, adapted to my approach, and added my own insights. Feel free to adjust as you need it too!