I’ve had countless Monday mornings, staring down a to-do list from the previous week that felt like a scroll unravelling endlessly onto the floor. Notes from customer calls, inbox chaos, a half-complete planning document – it can easily all get too much. The more I looked at the list, the less I felt like doing any of it.

I have attended several productivity and mindset workshops over the past few years, I’ve learned a few practical strategies that I now use daily. They’ve helped me feel more in control, less overwhelmed, and ultimately more aligned with what matters most. Today, I want to share some of those lessons with you.

Start with long-term planning

The foundation of staying calm under pressure, I’ve learned, is having a clear long-term plan.

At the start of every quarter, I take time to map out what I want to achieve over the next three months. I find this gives me a strong anchor; a reference point I can return to when the week feels chaotic or the inbox is pulling me in ten different directions. It’s especially crucial in a sales or cross-functional role, where many people might be asking for your attention.

I’ve found that with a quarterly plan in place, it becomes easier for me to sift through the noise and ask: What really matters right now?

Choose 3 Tasks a Day

Before I even open my inbox, I start my day by reviewing my calendar and quarterly goals. Then I ask myself two simple but powerful questions:

• What are the three most important things I can complete today that will make this week feel like a win?
• What outcomes do I want by Friday?

Your daily priorities don’t always need to be big or glamorous. They might include finishing a presentation, prepping for a conversation you’re nervous about, or even carving out time to think strategically. What matters is that they’re intentional.

Once I’ve chosen my top 3, I write them down (usually at the top of my to-do list or on a sticky note on my monitor). Keeping them visible is absolutely key. It reminds me where my focus should be, even when the day starts pulling me in other directions.

And a gentle reminder: someone else’s urgent task isn’t always your urgent task.

Let Go of ‘Inbox Zero’

For a long time, I was obsessed with keeping my inbox empty. I’d file, sort, and colour-code everything, trying to keep it all tidy. But over time, I realised that I was spending more time and energy managing the inbox than doing the actual work.

These days, I’ve learned to be more pragmatic. My inbox is no longer a showpiece of perfect order—it’s more like my Monica cupboard (if you know, you know). It might look messy to someone else, but I know exactly where things are and what needs my attention.

Here are a few inbox tricks that work for me:

• Sort by subject to group related conversations together.
• Review by “Received” regularly to catch anything new or urgent.
• Use Conditional Formatting (e.g. emails from my boss show up in purple so I can’t miss them).
• Keyboard shortcut ‘Ctrl + Y’ to quickly jump to folders—this changed the game for me, making filing actually useful instead of a black hole!

There are of course also newer tools like Copilot that are helping me refine my email habits even more—but at the end of the day, it’s about finding what works for you.

Keep the big picture in sight

When everything feels urgent, not everything actually is. That’s the trap. Without a clear view of the big picture, we can end up spending our time reacting instead of progressing.

That’s why I come back to those three daily tasks – they’re small steps, but they’re always chosen with the bigger outcomes in mind. If you stay focused on where you want to be by the end of the week, month, or quarter, you’ll be less likely to get lost in busywork.

Here’s something simple you can do to try this approach for yourself to start to find what system works for you:

At the start of next week, write down:

• Your top 3 outcomes for the week
• Your 3 daily priorities (for at least Monday to Wednesday)
• Where you’ll keep them visible (sticky note, planner, whiteboard—whatever works for you)

Since I’ve started using this method consistently, I’ve noticed a huge difference in how I approach busy weeks. Instead of feeling like I’m drowning in tasks, I’m choosing where to place my energy. There’s a sense of calm in knowing what matters most, and trusting that progress doesn’t have to be frantic.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What helps you stay focused when things get hectic? And if you’d find it helpful, I can create a downloadable “Top 3 Weekly Sheet” to help you plan each week – just let me know!