218: How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Urgent (Stop the Doing-It-All Trap)

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How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Urgent (Stop the Doing-It-All Trap)

Drowning in a to-do list where everything feels urgent? You're not behind - you're caught in the doing-it-all trap. In this episode of The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, business coach Cindy Gordon reveals how to prioritize when everything feels urgent and escape the cycle of reactive busyness that's sabotaging your business success.

Learn why your brain can't tell the difference between true urgency and manufactured urgency, the psychology behind why everything feels equally important, and a simple Priority Reality Check system to stop doing everything yourself and start focusing on what actually matters.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why "everything feels urgent" is really a boundary problem, not a time management problem
• The Three-List Reality Check to separate truly urgent from someone else's priorities
• How to apply the One-Thing Rule when you're used to juggling everything
• The "Stop, Drop, and Reality Check" method for handling "urgent" interruptions

Episode Highlights: "When everything feels urgent, you're not actually behind on urgent things. You're caught in the doing-it-all trap."

"Your brain treats unfinished tasks like open browser tabs running in the background, consuming mental energy even when you're not working on them."

"You're not paid to be busy - you're paid to create results. And results come from sustained focus on what matters most."

Resources mentioned:

• The Reality Check Method
• Priority Reality Check system
• Weekly planning tips for overwhelmed entrepreneurs

Perfect for: Female entrepreneurs, solo business owners, small business owners with 1-4 contractors, and anyone who feels like everything in their business is equally urgent.

Stop doing everything yourself. Start prioritizing like the strategic business owner you are.

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

💌 Get exclusive overwhelm solutions and productivity strategies for entrepreneurs straight to your inbox - sign up now! https://cindygordon.myflodesk.com/countmein

Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
it's 3:00 PM on a Tuesday, andyou're staring at your to-do
list, feeling like your headmight explode.
The client proposal is duetomorrow.
You haven't posted on socialmedia in three days, and your
inbox has at least 47 unreademails.
Oh, and wait, didn't you promiseto call that potential partner
back yesterday?
Yes.

(00:20):
Everything feels urgent.
Everything feels important, andyou are drowning right in the
middle of all of it.
Here's the truth that no one istalking about.
When everything feels urgent,you are not actually behind on
urgent things.
You are caught in the trap ofdoing it all, and your brain has
lost the ability to tell thedifference between what's truly

(00:43):
urgent and what just feels thatway because it's on your list.
Hi.
I'm Cindy Gordon, the creator ofthe Reality Check Method, and a
business coach for overwhelmedentrepreneurs.
I built and sold several digitalbusinesses.
So when it comes to learning howto prioritize, when everything
feels urgent, instead of gettingtrapped in that cycle of doing
everything, I get it.

(01:04):
I'm about to show you how tostop the doing it all trap and
prioritize what actuallymatters.
In Tips and tools like this isjust what I talk about on my
weekly email newsletter.
I only send these tips to myemail subscribers and they're
not available anywhere else.
To join my email list, visit thelink in the show notes.
The women I work with constantlystruggle with this exact

(01:27):
scenario.
You've built the businessbecause you wanted freedom and
control, but instead you feellike you're spinning plates 24
7.
You can't tell what deservesyour attention first because
your brain is telling you thatliterally.
Everything is urgent.
Maybe you're a solo businessowner trying to wear every hat,
marketing, sales, operations,customer service, or perhaps you

(01:50):
have a small team, but you stillfeel like you need to personally
handle every decision you'vefallen into the trap of thinking
that being a good entrepreneurmeans doing everything yourself
and doing it perfectly.
Here's what's actuallyhappening.
You're not lazy or unfocused orbad at business.
You are just operating from aplace where you're urgent and

(02:11):
important.
Tasks have gotten completelytangled up research shows what's
going on here is that your braintreats unfinished tasks like
open browser tabs running in thebackground.
Each item on your to-do list isconsuming mental energy, even
when you're not actively workingon it.
So when everything feels equallyimportant, your nervous system

(02:32):
stays in a constant low stressmode.
So here's what happens.
You start your day intending tofocus on the most important
work, but then an email comes inthat feels urgent, so you
respond, then you remember youhaven't posted on social media,
so you do that.
Then a client calls with a quickquestion.
And before you know it, you havespent the entire day being

(02:55):
reactive instead of proactiveand truly important.
Work doesn't get done.
Your brain is wired to noticeand respond to anything that
feels urgent, but it's terribleat distinguishing between true
urgency and manufacture urgency.
Most of the things that feelurgent are just other people's
priorities demanding yourimmediate attention.

(03:16):
So here's how to escape thedoing it all trap and start
prioritizing like the strategicbusiness owner you are.
So first we're gonna start witha three list reality check.
You are going to take everythingon your overwhelming to-do list
and sort it into threecategories.
We have truly urgent.

(03:36):
Important but not urgent andsomeone else's priority.
I want you to be ruthless aboutthis.
If it doesn't directly impactyour business revenue or
operations this week, it'sprobably not truly urgent.
Then we are going to apply theone thing rule from your truly
urgent list.
Pick the single most importanttask that only you can do.

(04:01):
Everything else gets scheduledfor later.
Delegated or deleted.
I know that this can feelimpossible when you're used to
juggling everything, but here'sthe reality check.
You can only do one meaningfulthing at a time anyway.
When something new comes up thatfeels urgent, stop what you're
doing.
Drop the assumption that youneed to handle it immediately,

(04:21):
and reality check whether it'sactually urgent or just feels
that way because someone elsewants it done.
Now, most of the time, urgentrequests can wait until your
priority work is finished.
Now, here's how to put this intopractice today.
Choose one task from your trulyurgent list and protect it with
90 minutes of work.

(04:42):
So this is 90 minutes of work.
Without interruption, everythingelse can wait.
The biggest obstacle toprioritizing when everything
feels urgent is that you feellike you're letting people down
or missing opportunities.
Your brain is trying to convinceyou that everything is really
urgent and you're beingirresponsible by focusing on
just one thing.

(05:03):
When that resistance shows up,remind yourself that being a
successful entrepreneur meansbeing strategic about your time
and energy.
You're not being paid to bebusy.
You are paid to create results,and results come from sustained.
Focus on what matters most.
Not frantically jumping betweenevery task that feels urgent.

(05:23):
Build this into your existingroutine by doing the three list
reality check every morningbefore you check your email or
social media.
When you start with clarityabout your real priorities, you
are less likely to get pulledinto other people's urgent
requests.
The goal isn't to never helpothers or respond to their
requests.
It's to respond from a place ofchoice rather than panic.

(05:47):
When you're clear about yourpriorities, you can decide
whether someone else's urgentrequest deserves to interrupt
your important work.
So here's what I want you toremember from today.
Feeling like everything isurgent is a sign that you need
better boundaries around yourtime and attention.
Not that you need to work fasteror harder.
You started your business tohave control over your time and

(06:10):
your life.
So don't let this doing it alltrap, steal that from you.
When everything feels urgent,nothing really is.
And that's your cue to step backand reality check what actually
deserves your precious time andenergy.
Now go reality.
Check your priorities andreclaim control of your day.
And remember, you've got this,Thanks for spending these few

(06:32):
minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If this was helpful, you'll lovemy weekly email tips where I
share the systems that keep meand hundreds of other
entrepreneurs on Track Link inthe show notes.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with

(06:52):
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively cindy.com.
Until next time, remember you'vegot this.