Overwhelm-Busting Tips for Your Career Journey

"Overwhelm" is probably one of the words I use most often. It describes so many of my days and moods perfectly.

I see it all the time in my clients, too—during career transitions, while working in a job they don’t enjoy, when their workplace drains all their energy, or even after a layoff when their calendar suddenly feels too empty.

Since I often experience overwhelm myself, I’ve collected a few practical tools that really help me—and I want to share them with you.

No matter where you are in your career, to-do lists can feel never-ending. So, here are a couple of ways to take control of them and bring back a sense of calm.

1. Sunday Night Brain Dump & Daily 3

Start by dumping everything you need or want to do on a piece of paper—ideally on Sunday night.

Then begin to categorize. I usually start by separating personal tasks from work-related ones. It’s easy to let weekend and evening responsibilities blend with important work projects, which can make it all feel like one big pile of overwhelm.

From there, you can organize your work tasks in a way that makes the most sense to you:

• By project

• By deadline

• By priority

• By outcome

• Or, if you’re a business owner, by “money-generating activities”—something I used to ignore, which didn’t help my financial well-being.

Once things are categorized, pick just three things from your list to focus on the next day. Only three.(Confession: I used to list 20 things per day. Guess how often I ended the day disappointed?)

Pick 3, and if you have extra time, you can always add more. Don’t set yourself up for failure—set yourself up to succeed.

At the end of each day, take a moment to write down one thing you’re proud of—even if it’s a small step or task. We are often too hard on ourselves. Let’s make it a habit to end the day on a positive note.

Repeat this mini-planning session every evening using your Sunday brain dump list.

2. The Visual Sticky Note System (My Favorite!)

This is such a fun and satisfying method! Here's how to set it up:

Take a big 3M sticky sheet or use a whiteboard or wall space. Make six columns with these titles:

• Later

• This Month

• This Week

• Today

• Doing

• Done

Then, do a full brain dump—one task per sticky note—and place each one in the appropriate column.Don’t place something in “Today” if it doesn’t truly belong there. I usually begin by putting most tasks in “This Month,” then each morning I move a few into “This Week” and “Today.”

Watching tasks move into the “Done” column is deeply satisfying! I use colorful sticky notes—it looks creative, visual, and even a little bit fun.

Why does this work so well?It helps you break down the mental clutter and distinguish between the urgent and non-urgent. Instead of seeing a long, daunting to-do list, you see tasks broken down into manageable timeframes.

Mix and Match What Works for You

I tend to alternate between these two systems depending on what I need, but I always do at least one of them to stay organized and focused.

And for those who are between jobs—yes, the overwhelm is still real. You still have a lot to do, and having a system like this in place can ease the pressure and help you stay grounded.

Want help creating a system that works for your style and schedule? Reach out—I'd love to help you find your flow. If you have another system that works for you please share!