Did you ever feel like you're running on a treadmill that's just a tad too fast?

The to-do list seems endless, and no matter how fast you run, you can't catch up.

This is a story I hear often, and truth be told, it was my own narrative for a long time...

The Impact of Overwhelm

Feeling overwhelmed and behind isn't just stressful. It's a significant barrier to living a fulfilling and balanced life.

This constant negative state leads to burnout, decreased productivity, and, most importantly, affects our happiness.

Studies have shown that prolonged stress can have significant effects on our mental and physical health. It impacts everything from sleep quality to our relationships.

The age of endless possibilities

We live in an age of limitless information and possibilities. This leads to constantly adding more without eliminating the unimportant.

Decision fatigue is real. Our brains have limited bandwidth, so willpower alone won't cut it.

To make everything worse, we are pressured to make everything perfect. The fear of not doing it 'perfectly' often leads to doing nothing at all.

It sucks but there is a solution!

Overcoming the overwhelm

Over the years of feeling overwhelmed, I came up with this simple 3 step system:

1. Brain dump

2. Prioritize

3. Focus

To be honest with you it sounds too simple. But bear with me, it works like this:

1. Brain Dump

Stop what you are doing and write down what you need to do.

Make it clear.

Don't stop until you are finished.

Our brains can work with 1-7 pieces of information at one time. Writing everyhting down will clear your mind like nothing else.

Your mental capacity is free now.

2. Prioritize

Before you get down to business you need to understand that your time is limited. You won't be able to do everything you want.

Learn to say NO.

And use it often.

1-3 Priority tasks for one day are enough. More will lead you back to overwhelm quickly.

Make a list for the next day with the top 3 things you need to do. Forget everything else until the next day - You wrote it down and you will deal with it when it becomes relevant.

Because all you need now is to FOCUS.

3. Focus

Work on the task at hand. Nothing else.

Sounds simple right?

Well, now that you cleaned up in your brain and prioritized, it should be much easier.

Set aproximately 90 minutes for a task. No distractions.

Then have a good rest and continue.

When you are in this focus mode (Flow) act like nothing else exists. No multitasking. One task at a time.

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You're not alone in this struggle, and feeling in control is possible. It takes some rewiring, but the payoff is immense.

Start small. Today, try one 90-minute focus block for one task. See what you can accomplish with a deep focus on a high-priority task with an empty brain.

Let me know how that first focus block goes!

P.S.: If you liked this letter, you are going to love my daily posts on Threads and Instagram.