You don't solve overwhelm with a To Do list

Why You Can’t “To-Do List” Your Way Out of Overwhelm

Leadership is hard, both self leadership and leading others.
Not because you don’t know what to do,
but because you’re pulled in a hundred directions. 

Your calendar is overcrowded.
Your board or boss is inconsistent.
You have a conflict with an employee. 
Your clients don't honor boundaries.
There’s tension on your team.
You haven’t had a real break in months.
You’re not even sure if you’re doing a good job,
and your brain keeps whispering you should be doing more. (#meangirlbrain)

It feels like an action problem:
if only you could find the right time-blocking method,
resolve that conflict,
delegate better,
clarify strategy,
get one full day without meetings ...
you could breathe again.

But here’s the truth:
Overwhelm is not an action problem.
It’s a thought problem.
Read that again... 

The chaos outside you—
the cluttered calendar,
the unclear priorities,
the needy board,
the underperforming team ...
can trigger stress.

But it’s the way you think about those triggers that creates sustained overwhelm.  I know... sounds crazy, but it's true. 

When you believe:

• “I should be able to do all of this.”

• “I can’t say no or I’ll seem weak or not professional.”

• “They’re depending on me to fix everything.”

• “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

• “I don’t have time to rest.”

…your nervous system doesn’t stand a chance.

You could delegate perfectly and still feel like you're failing.
You could take a vacation and come back just as stressed.
Heck, you could spend your vacation stressed.
(ask me how I know.)

The shift happens when you stop trying to solve overwhelm by doing more and start changing how you think about what you’re doing.

Ask yourself:

1. What story am I telling about this problem? Yes, you are creating stories, not referring to facts most likely.

2. What am I making it mean about me?

3. Who would I be without this belief?

This is mindset work—not magic, not denial
intentional leadership from the inside out.
You don't need a new planner.
You need a new lens.

Overwhelm loses power when you stop energizing it with unhelpful thoughts. 

And from that this intentional place you’ll make clearer decisions, lead more effectively, and finally find some space to breathe at minimum, and rest at a maximum. (But let's rework that so rest is the minimum and something like joy is the maximum...)

Want help shifting your mindset so you can lead from clairty instead of chaos? Let's chat. 

Recovered planner addict, turned masterful thought producer, 
Kristin