The go to way to get your to do list under control
If you’re heading towards a new year already feeling behind, overwhelmed, or unsure where to focus first, take a breath. You aren’t alone, and you aren’t doing anything wrong. Life and business are just a lot sometimes!
My household has been gifted with several back-to-back illnesses in the past few months, and along with the regular pressures of family life, volunteering, running a business, and creating all the holiday magic too…. oooof. You feeling it too?
When I start feeling overwhelmed with the sheer amount of to do’s, I bust out my favorite task sorting tool. (I know, I’m a nerd.)
The Task Sorter I Come Back to Again and Again
“Everything feels urgent. I don’t know where to start.”
I used to feel this way constantly back in my corporate days. Everything was on fire. Every email felt urgent. Every task seemed critical (spoiler alert, nothing I was doing was that critical in reality).
That’s when I discovered the Eisenhower Matrix, and it completely changed how I prioritize when my nervous system is going off the rails.
2. Create Value-Driven Content
It’s a simple framework that helps you sort tasks based on urgency and importance. Here’s how it breaks down:
Urgent + Important → Do these first
- Responding to a new lead
- Handling a tech issue affecting client experience
- Working on deliverables due today or tomorrow
- Managing a team emergency that’s blocking progress
These protect momentum, client trust, or deadlines.
Important but Not Urgent → Schedule these
- Setting up onboarding systems
- Updating SOPs and workflows
- Creating social content and email marketing
- Planning for the next quarter
This is where strategy, planning, and long-term growth live.
Urgent but Not Important → Delegate
- Replying to non urgent DMs or emails
- Attending calls you don’t need to be in
- Fixing small tech glitches that don’t affect revenue
- Tasks someone else could easily own
These still need to happen, but they don’t need you.
Not Urgent + Not Important → Eliminate
- Reworking your website layout (again)
- Signing up for free trainings you won’t use
- Scrolling “for inspiration”
- Responding to random sales emails
This is noise. And letting it go is often the biggest relief.
I still use this tool regularly and guide my clients through it too. It helps us focus, protects our energy, and reminds us that not everything deserves our immediate attention (or our attention at all, ever, in some cases!)
My Hope for You This Holiday Season
My hope for you is that you’re able to spend the next week completely unplugged if you want to! Step away, and know that when you return in 2026, your list will still be there, but with this handy tool to help you make it feel so much more manageable. provide real value.