One of the most common things I hear from leaders and managers I coach is: “ I just feel overwhelmed. There’s too much to do and not enough time. How do I manage my workload?”
It’s a familiar story. Competing demands, endless to-do lists, constant interruptions – it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in urgent tasks and still not getting to the things that actually matter.
The truth is, most people haven’t had the chance to step back and properly look at what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. When you do, it’s often not as bad as it feels.
Here are a few simple tools I use with my clients to help them cut through the noise and focus on what’s important.
1. The Urgent/Important Matrix (Eisenhower Matrix)
This one’s a classic, and for good reason. It helps you sort out your workload by putting your tasks into four boxes:
- Urgent and Important – things that must be done today or tomorrow. Think crises, deadlines, last-minute problems.
- Important but Not Urgent – the gold standard. These are the tasks that move you closer to your goals. Strategic planning, team development, relationship building.
- Urgent but Not Important– tasks that are important to others but not to you. This is where delegation comes in.
- Not Urgent and Not Important – low-value tasks e.g. scrolling through social media. They can wait or be dropped altogether.
Most people assume they should be living in the Urgent/Important box. But that’s not sustainable – it’s firefighting. When I remind clients that this box is really for things that must be done within 24 hours, they start to realise: not everything is that urgent.
Once we map their workload into this matrix, it often becomes clear what can be delegated (Urgent/Not Important) and what needs better scheduling (Important/Not Urgent).
Side note: Delegation is its own skill, and a big part of managing workload effectively. I’ll be writing more on that soon – keep an eye out for that article.
2. The Power of Three
Another quick exercise I use to help manage workload and priorties is this:
- Write down your full to-do list.
- Pick one task that will have the biggest impact on your main work objective. In other words, what are you actually paid to do in your role?
- Then pick two more tasks that feel important to you.
- Next to each one, write down how long it will take and when you’ll do it.
This does two things:
- It helps you focus on what matters today.
- It usually shows you that those “big” tasks don’t take nearly as long as they feel like they will.
Just planning and scheduling those three tasks can shift your sense of control straight away.
3. Eat the Frog
Brian Tracy’s idea is simple. Whatever the biggest thing on your list is that you have been putting off or you are not looking forward to, then see it as the “frog” to eat first. Chances are that will be the worst thing you have to do all day – so get it done and then it’s over with. Don’t stare at it all day. Don’t move it from one day’s to-do list to the next. Just do it.
This is ideal for:
- Tasks you’ve been putting off.
- Conversations you’re dreading.
- Anything that’s become urgent because you’ve avoided it.
Doing that one thing early in the day clears your brain, builds momentum, and stops it hanging over you.
4. Brain Dump
When your head is full and you can’t think clearly, do a brain dump.
Get a piece of paper and write down everything on your mind. Big or small. Work or personal. Just get it out. Don’t organise it – just write.
This works because your brain stops trying to hold it all in. You’ve cleared space to think properly. It’s especially useful before a big meeting or when you’re feeling overwhelmed and can’t see straight.
5. “I Don’t Have Time” – A thought to challenge
The more we say “I don’t have time,” the more we believe it – and the less likely we are to make time. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. What differs is what we prioritise.
If you say, “I don’t have time to exercise,” you won’t go to the gym. If you say, “Getting fitter is a priority,” then you’ll find a way to fit it in.
Same goes for work. If you say, “I don’t have time to plan my week,” you won’t. But if you say, “It’s important I protect time for planning and prioritising,” then blocking out 30 minutes each Friday becomes a habit – and one that gives you more control over your week.
Block out 30 minutes on a Friday to look ahead. Plan and protect time for the things that matter most – not just the things shouting loudest.
You can’t control everything, but you can control something
Other people will always want things from you. Your calendar will keep filling up unless you start to take ownership of it. And yes, in some jobs, the sheer number of priorities can be overwhelming.
But it’s not all out of your control.
You get to choose where to start. That’s the bit that matters.
Take 15 minutes to pause and choose one of the tools above. It might be the small shift that helps you see more clearly and feel less buried.
Which tool will you try today to help manage your workload and focus on your priorities?
