List to Lift-Off
Dump it out, sort it by urgency, and work the plan. A simple What/Why/When/Duration list + Now/Soon/Later board turns overwhelm into momentum.
You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don’t decide, others will decide for you’ - Tony Morgan
Trying to hold every task in your head is why you feel behind even when you’re working. Your brain is busy trying not to forget, not helping you finish.
The fix is simple: write it down, then organise it. A list is a relief valve and a plan at the same time.
Claim your list (10 minutes)
WHAT: brain-dump everything - no order, no judgement.
WHEN: add deadlines/timeframes so urgency is visible.
WHY: write the purpose and what depends on it (what’s blocked).
DURATION: rough time estimate (is this a 10-minute job or a 2-hour one?).
Keep the list accessible and add to it as you remember things. Don’t push the rock uphill - take another 10 minutes later if you fade.
Prioritise with Now / Soon / Later
Score urgency (1 = today/48h, 2 = 2–4 days, 3 = 5+ days or no due date). Move 1s to Now, 2s to Soon, 3s to Later. Then reorder by:
Duration (knock out quick wins to build momentum), and
Importance (some jobs matter more than their duration).
Too many items in one column? Reassess, renegotiate, or push back.
Work the list daily
Triage new tasks immediately into Now/Soon/Later.
Anything landing in Now goes to the end of that column unless it’s truly urgent.
End-of-day: cross off completed items, sanity-check order, and roll Soon → Now, Later → Soon. That’s when you feel the “I’m winning” shift.
List to Lift-Off: take 10 minutes today to do a brain dump, then build a Now/Soon/Later board and move three items forward.
If you’d like the To-Do Toolkit (Brain Dump Worksheet, printable Now/Soon/Later board, Task Card template, and Daily Review & Rollover), just say the word and I’ll send it over.
This series, the content and any observations or suggestions made are based on my personal experience, anonymised to protect privacy. Nothing here is financial, legal, or medical advice - please seek professional guidance for your own situation.