Managing the Volume

Read time: 3-4 minutes

It can feel completely impossible to keep our heads above water when the sheer volume of work is out of control. When even one area of life starts to overflow, it becomes difficult to maintain perspective or stay focused on what matters. Every minute of the day turns into a battle to do more—and still, we end the day with a sense of failure, convinced we didn’t do enough. That we aren’t enough.

But overcoming volume isn’t impossible. It starts with a decision: that working and living without peace of mind is no longer acceptable. That kind of resolve is the first step.

Still, resolve alone won’t dig you out of the hole. Not the dark hole of thousands of unread emails, long-overdue tasks, dropped threads, and broken promises to our partners, kids, and friends.

Some people find helpful tips or tools to start tackling the chaos. In my early days, I used Stephen Covey’s Quadrant II to reconnect with my priorities. It helped—but it wasn’t enough.

I explored GTD, which is powerful for many, but for me, it leaned too heavily on technical productivity.

I dabbled in Mission Control, a system a friend had mastered. But it felt too complex, too inaccessible for what I needed.

What I was searching for was something built for someone like me: entrepreneurial, highly driven, thoughtful—but not academic. I wanted a system I could weave into every part of my life. Something that felt natural, even if it required building new habits. I was never afraid of hard work—especially if it allowed me to execute without losing my presence of mind.

Tackling volume is like cleaning out a closet you haven’t opened in years. Stuff has piled up. It’s been easier to avoid than to face the stress of sorting through it. But it’s likely weighing you down more than you realize.

If you’ve onboarded onto Groundwork, chances are you’ve now got a clean inbox, clear priorities, a streamlined workflow, and a way to access clarity and ease when you need it.

And even then—you still need to safeguard against overload. You have to push back when your workload becomes unmanageable. That mindset takes ongoing practice.

If you’re still facing too much volume (or too many overstuffed closets), I recommend checking in with a coach. They’re trained to help you get grounded in both reality and your system for peace.

As a quick boost, here’s what you can do right now:

• Capture anything that’s weighing you down.
• Move those items through your system. Use parking lots if needed—but make a point of moving one overloaded area forward by booking a starter time block in your calendar.

For example, when I work with someone who’s backlogged on taxes or buried in an inbox, we don’t wait for the perfect time—we schedule a block (even if it’s six weekends from now). A commitment gets made, and relief begins immediately.

The volume of work isn’t going away. We live in a culture that constantly demands more.
But you can—and should—protect your peace of mind.