---
title: "118: How I Get Organized When I’m Overwhelmed"
id: "5766"
type: "post"
slug: "get-organized-overwhelmed-118"
published_at: "2022-12-06T22:48:27+00:00"
modified_at: "2022-12-06T22:51:01+00:00"
url: "https://johnpoelstra.com/get-organized-overwhelmed-118/"
markdown_url: "https://johnpoelstra.com/get-organized-overwhelmed-118.md"
excerpt: "The other day I was overwhelmed with all the things I needed to. This is how I got organized and less overwhelmed."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Podcast"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "commitment"
---

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[John Poelstra](https://johnpoelstra.com)

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# [118: How I Get Organized When I’m Overwhelmed](https://johnpoelstra.com/get-organized-overwhelmed-118/)

The other day I was overwhelmed with all the things I needed to. This is how I got organized and less overwhelmed.

[https://media.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/content.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/JPS118-Get-Organized-Overwhelmed.mp3](https://media.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/content.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/JPS118-Get-Organized-Overwhelmed.mp3)

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 | [Android](https://subscribeonandroid.com/johnpoelstra.com/feed/podcast/)

## Highlights

- Getting email and Trello under control
- Where are the places you store things that need to get done?
  - Trello
  - Post-it Notes
  - Email
  - Slack
  - 3×5 Cards
  - Notebook

- Offline email client–[Thunderbird](https://www.thunderbird.net)
  - Used in conjunction with GMail and other email providers
  - All of my email is stored locally where it can’t be hacked or lost

- [Recomendo](https://archive.recomendo.com/) (my favorite newsletter of all)
- Getting to [Inbox Zero](https://www.43folders.com/43-folders-series-inbox-zero) at least once during a given day
- [Sharpies](https://www.amazon.com/Sharpie-Permanent-Markers-Point-Black/dp/B0089PBTV2/) & 3×5 cards are an easy way to capture and organize all the things overwhelming you
  - Easy to move around
  - Don’t stick to surface
  - Collapsable into a single pile so you don’t have to see all the cards (and get overwhelmed)

- Trello
  - Columns
    - Today
    - This Week
    - Next Week
    - Backlog

  - Set due dates and alerts for specific cards (generates email)

- Overall triage process
  - Go through all the email in Thunderbird and get the main Inbox to zero
    - Move to folder
    - Delete
    - Forward tasks to Trello via email
    - Book mark related webpage/information via [Pinboard](https://pinboard.in)

  - Organize and move cards in Trello
    - Move all the cards (not in Backlog) to “Next Week” column (as often as you need to)
    - Triage from there

  - Look for patterns in the cards/tasks if there’s another

- Projects vs. tasks
- How to do this process with 3×5 cards

## Credits

- [Original photo source](https://unsplash.com/photos/YuQEEaNOgBA)

#### John Poelstra

[Author archive](https://johnpoelstra.com/author/john-poelstra/)

December 6, 2022

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