The Real Reason You Struggle to Stay on Top of Your Tasks

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Table of Contents

Podcast Description

Ever set up a task management system with high hopes, only to abandon it a few weeks later because it felt like more work than help? You’re not alone!

In this episode, I’m breaking down why most task management systems don’t stick and what actually works instead, even if you’re juggling a million things at once.

Links Referenced in Episode:

▶ Taskflow Magic

Connect with me:

Website | Instagram

Episode Transcript

(Note: This is a formatted AI-generated transcript to make it easier for you to read through, but is not an optimized blog post. Please excuse any spelling or grammar errors and filler words – it’s just how I speak LOL)

Hey, I’m Lucy Reyes, your host of the Cheerful Productive Chats Podcast, where I’m on a mission to help online entrepreneurs like you focus on all the right things and say goodbye to overwhelm. Here, you’re going to learn strategies that will boost your productivity so that you can scale your online biz and impact lives sooner. It’s your time to shine. So let’s get started.

Hey, welcome back to the Cheerful Productive Chats Podcast. Today is going to be a short one because I really just want to dive into this one struggle that I know so many of us face, which is feeling like you just can’t stay on top of your tasks, no matter which system you try. Have you ever felt that way? Yeah. Me too.

I’m raising my hand, too. I have felt this way as well. So if you’ve ever set up a task management system—whether you’re using Trello, Asana, ClickUp, Airtable, or even just a good old notebook or planner—but then you find yourself just abandoning it because you don’t know what to do with it, you’re not alone.

You feel overwhelmed by it. You feel stressed; it feels like something else that you have to learn. So even after just a few weeks of giving it a try, you give it up. If this is you, I want you to know this: it’s not you; it’s the system. So today we’re going to dive into why most systems don’t stick and what actually works instead. Here’s where the problem actually arises.

When new members have joined Taskflow Magic, I’ve asked them what they struggle with the most when it comes to task management. And maybe some of this actually sounds like what you were thinking or is similar to what you’re experiencing as well. So I’m going to read through a few of them, because these are some real, honest answers that I’ve received.

And maybe you can relate to what you struggle with when it comes to task management. So, “I spent so much time perfecting my list instead of doing the tasks.” Have you been there? Yeah. You know, I am definitely one of those who struggles with perfectionism. I’m trying to overcome this myself. I’ve learned a lot over the years, but of course, the tendencies are still there.

So yeah, I can totally relate to wanting to spend more time than I should perfecting my list, especially when I’m trying to avoid doing something. So that’s one. Another person said, “I get lost in different directions and waste time just trying to find my lists.” This happens whenever you have everything all over the place. There’s no clear structure, no clear naming conventions, and you’re just using your system in a way that it becomes a dumping ground where you don’t know where you dumped everything. So now you’re wasting even more time just trying to find the system that you thought you created.

Another person said, “I’ve been running my business from a pile of post-its and half-finished planners.” I think this was the start of my transition into the digital space. I used to use a paper planner. It was what I used for everything back when I first started. I was that person in high school and college who had a planner; I would write everything out because otherwise I would forget if I didn’t write it somewhere. It was not getting done. So I went from that to, you know, starting my own business.

I continued to use my planners, eventually trying to add in some sticky notes here and there, and then it was just too much. There’s so much that you have to do as a business owner that it is really, really hard to manage everything from a paper planner—not to say that it can’t be done, especially if you are using multiple planners or very strategic planners that are specifically for business owners. But it is a little bit easier—probably a lot easier—to manage it from a specific task management tool.

And the last one I have here that someone said was, “I need a system that actually saves time, not one that takes longer to use.” And oh, okay, this is one that I hear a lot. And if this sounds like something that you have thought or have said—back to what I said just a few minutes ago in the very beginning—it’s not you; it’s the system.

Systems should absolutely be saving you time and not taking you longer to use. And if that’s the case, something’s wrong with the system. Regardless of whether you created a system from scratch or got it as a template, something is wrong with the system and the way that your brain is connecting with that system, and it needs to be customized. Something needs to change.

So if any of these made you feel like, “Ah, yeah, I’ve actually thought about some of these—I totally get it. I have been there.” These are not isolated struggles. These are real-life obstacles that hold you back from getting things done, especially the things that actually matter.

And the truth is, it’s not about how much time you have. It’s not even about the size of your to-do list. It’s about how easy or not it is to use your system when things get busy, when your brain feels foggy, when you’re overwhelmed, or when life just isn’t cooperating—which seems to be a big, common theme lately, especially for me.

So here’s the solution. Here’s what we can do about it. A task management system shouldn’t feel like another task. Sometimes it does, especially when it’s brand new to you or when you’re barely getting used to it, but ultimately it shouldn’t feel like another task. It should really feel like a safety net, like something that supports you and not the other way around. You know, it shouldn’t feel like something that’s dragging you down or something that you’re not excited to open every day. It shouldn’t make you think, “Oh, do I really need to use this task management system? I’m much better off with my pile of messy sticky notes.”

Because if that’s the case, then this is exactly why I created Taskflow Magic. This is not how your system is supposed to be. It’s not how it’s supposed to make you feel. Taskflow Magic is not just another overwhelming, over-engineered system. It’s a simple, repeatable, and flexible framework designed for solopreneurs, digital creators, and busy business owners like you who need a system that actually saves you time instead of wasting more time than you have available.

If you need a system that’s easy to follow and stick with, even if you’re in the middle of chaos—because, honestly, when are we not in chaos?—if you need a structure that helps you prioritize, focus, and finish your tasks faster (because, yes, can we get tasks done in 10-minute pockets of time sometimes, like that’s all I have?), and if you need a way to stop feeling scattered so you can stay on top of what matters—if your sticky notes are all over the place and you’re feeling scattered, my friend—then the best part is that once you set up a task flow, you can duplicate it again and again for every project or task that comes your way.

And here’s the tricky part: you can do this with any system that you have already built. But if you’re duplicating that messy system, you’re just adding more messy systems that you’re not going to use. So with the power of an actually good system, it’s going to keep you focused, save you time, and reduce that overwhelmed feeling every time you sit down to work.

We want you to duplicate good, simple, strategic, and flexible systems—not the messy ones that have you feeling like many of my other members who joined Taskflow Magic before they started diving in. So if you’ve tried systems before and they didn’t work for you, I want you to know that this time can be different.

Taskflow Magic is built to help you work the way you specifically work. You are unique. So we’re not adding any fluff to this. There’s no fluff. There are no over-complicated steps. It’s just a clear, repeatable process following my done framework that makes managing your tasks feel so much easier and more manageable.

So if this sounds like what you need, go ahead and head to cheers2productivity.com/tesla to join and get started with simplifying all of the chaos so that you can actually get tasks done with ease. And, of course, the link is in the show notes.

I hope to see you inside, and until next time, I’ll talk to you soon.

Thank you so much for listening to the Cheerful Productive Chats Podcast with me, Lucy Reyes. To view the full transcript and all the links mentioned in today’s episode, visit cheerstoproductivity.com/podcast. And before you go, make sure you follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening so that you know once the next productive chat is released. Talk soon, and cheers to your productivity and success.