Workload Management for Full-Time Professionals

I Was on the Brink of Burnout (Here’s How I Turned It Around.) Last year, I hit a wall. It was late 2024, and I was juggling three clients at once. Here’s how my plate looked: For two clients, I was responsible for documenting workpapers. For another, I was handling more than 30 IT application controls and managing budgets and actuals for their entire engagement. September came, and everything spiraled out of control. Three clients. Three managers. Three teams. Multiple deadlines. 45-hour weeks. I started working on ad hoc tasks just to survive. But the cracks were showing. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and ready to give up. Then, a thought struck me; a lesson I had heard from Ankur Warikoo, someone I admire deeply. He once said, “Your brain’s job isn’t to remember things; it’s to understand and execute them.” That changed everything for me. I realized my problem wasn’t just the workload. It was how I managed it. Here’s what I did. I stopped relying on my brain to track everything. Instead, I used OneNote to manage tasks for each client. Step 1: I created three pages—one for each client. Step 2: Each day, I added a new heading with the date and listed every task as a checkbox. Step 3: For each task, I estimated how long it would take and noted it in brackets. Step 4: At the start of the day, I planned my available hours. If I had 9 hours and 6 were already allocated, I knew I could only take on 3 more hours of work. This simple system changed everything. I met my deadlines. I stopped feeling overwhelmed. I didn’t need to remember tasks anymore. Everything was written down. By the end of the day, I knew exactly what was done and what needed to be carried forward. The biggest lesson? Your brain is for thinking, not for remembering. Let tools handle the memory part. You’ll save your energy for what really matters—getting the work done. #itaudit #risk #internalaudit #riskmanagement #timemanagement #job #career #success #productivity

I remember doing this when I was getting started in my career — With new job came new responsibilities. And I wanted to impress everyone around me. My boss, my manager, my colleagues, Even myself. And so I did everything I could to be the best — - Taking on every single work - Saying YES to every opportunity - Being available for work all the time - Always feeling like there’s a lot of left work And this barely left me little to no time for myself, my family and to prioritize my well-being. I was knee-deep in Burnout. And I knew I had caused this. By the time I understood my behavior, I was already suffering. But I knew it was time to change. So I created a system to get myself out of the Self-Inflicted Burnout — By following the S.E.L.F. approach. If this feels like you or someone you know, let them know about the SELF approach to prevent Burnout — ✅ S - Set Boundaries - Establish clear work hours and stick to them as much as possible. - Silence work notifications outside of work hours. - Communicate your boundaries clearly to colleagues and managers. ✅ E- Evaluate Expectations - Prioritize ruthlessly and delegate or eliminate non-essential tasks. - Set realistic deadlines that consider your workload and capacity. - Celebrate your accomplishments, big or small, to maintain motivation. ✅ L - Listen to Your Needs - Schedule time for self-care activities that promote relaxation and well-being. - Pay attention to your body's signals and prioritize rest when needed. - Recognize and address physical or emotional signs of stress promptly. ✅ F - Find Your Voice - Say no to requests that overload your schedule or don't align with your priorities. - Communicate your workload and needs clearly to colleagues and managers. - Collaborate on solutions to manage workload and expectations effectively. And don’t be afraid to ask for help! Have you ever experienced Burnout? Reshare this ♻️ to your network to help them out! _____ Hi, I'm Oliver, a CIO and career advisor from the trenches! I share tips on leadership, ultra-productivity, and career growth that help you to LEVEL UP without Burnout!

I was drafting work emails at 11:47 PM when it hit me: I wasn't being productive. I was being a productivity zombie. The scary part? I felt PROUD of myself for "staying ahead of the game." Here's what I've learned: We don't have a time management problem. We have an energy management problem. The productivity industry has sold us a lie... that if we just optimize harder, we'll finally get ahead of our workload. But what actually happens? We optimize ourselves into exhaustion. The data backs this up: The average knowledge worker checks email every 6 minutes, switches between apps 1,100+ times daily, and works 8.7 hours of overtime weekly... yet feels less productive than ever. Sound familiar? That's why I developed the PACE Framework: 🅟 - Protect Your Prime Hours (guard your natural energy peaks) 🅐 - Audit Your Energy Drains (track what actually depletes you) 🅒 - Create Non-Negotiable Boundaries (with real consequences) 🅔 - Establish Recovery Rituals (genuine energy restoration) This isn't about productivity hacks. It's about energy management over time management. In my latest newsletter, I share the full PACE system plus the exact moment I realized I'd become my own worst manager... demanding, unreasonable, and completely dismissive of work-life boundaries. I also created a Free Energy Audit Template that walks you through: ✅ 7-day energy tracking system ✅ Pattern analysis framework ✅ Drain elimination action plans ✅ 30-day implementation tracker Because here's the truth: Your energy is your most valuable professional asset. In a world of layoffs and uncertainty, the professionals who thrive aren't the ones who work the most hours... they're the ones who protect their energy and build sustainable systems. Read the full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/gc9_hGTM And if you're ready to stop optimizing yourself into exhaustion, subscribe to continue your journey in building layoff culture resilience by reclaiming your professional identity beyond job titles. What's your biggest energy drain right now? Let me know in the comments 👇 P.S. The Energy Audit Template alone has helped many professionals reclaim 5-10 hours per week of meaningful energy. It's completely free with the newsletter. ⸻ ➕ Follow Nathan Pearce for more on Layoff Culture resilience. 🖇️ Get detailed guides from our newsletter: rfsh.co/newsletter