Multitasking and Multiple Projects: Prioritize Your Tasks Quickly (Even with ADHD)

🎯 When Multitasking Stops Being a Superpower

We’ve all been there. You open your laptop and immediately get hit with five tabs, three Slack pings, two email threads, and a vague sense of dread. Somewhere between checking your to-do list and your fifth cup of coffee, the overwhelm creeps in. Multitasking makes it feel like you’re being productive, but let’s be real — it usually just leaves you mentally fried, emotionally drained, and wondering where your day actually went.

When you’re managing multiple projects and priorities, the problem isn’t just the volume of tasks. It’s also that the context is switching constantly. Your brain jumps from writing a proposal to answering messages to reviewing slides to remembering you still haven’t sent that invoice.

That’s not just stressful — it’s unsustainable. And no, a new planner or another color-coded productivity hack won’t fix it (even if we’ve got you covered there if you want to and have time to plan big). But what you need now is a real strategy for when the chaos hits again and you are on the brink of losing control or getting paralyzed.

🚨 Step 1: The Emergency Triage

Forget trying to set up the perfect system when your brain is already in meltdown. You don’t need a 5-step productivity model when you’re two meetings behind and staring at three blinking deadlines. What you need is an emergency mental triage plan — something that gets you out of panic mode and back into motion, fast.

It’s triage mode after Pareto (20-80 principle) — not creating art, perfection or optimization.

The first move? Stop everything. Breathe. And do a rapid-fire brain dump — but only of what’s on fire. This isn’t a full to-do list. You’re only writing down tasks that will have real consequences if ignored in the next 24 hours. Calls you’ll get in trouble for not making. Deadlines that can’t move. Emails someone’s waiting on. Payments due. Approvals needed.

No overthinking — just capture the crisis items. That’s your Critical Task List — your first anchor point when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

Still overwhelmed? Then try this AI prompt:

Hey AI, I’m juggling multiple projects, and I’m overwhelmed. Can you help me identify just the tasks that will have real-world consequences if they’re not done in the next 24 hours?

Write down everything that comes to mind and let AI sort for you.

Gut-check tip:
If it helps your future self breathe easier tomorrow, it goes to the top.

Why it works: This simple exercise brings instant clarity, puts everything into perspective, and helps you create breathing room.

🤯 Step 3: Why Most Productivity Systems Don’t Work Under Pressure

Most productivity systems fail because they assume you have energy, time, and a quiet brain. But if you’re managing multiple projects, chances are you’re operating on interrupted focus, decision fatigue, and very little breathing space.

Don’t get me wrong. Knowing what strategic planning is and how it works will propel you forward at work and in life; however, if your client calls all morning, you are prepping for a product launch, replying to DMs, and fielding last-minute revisions, that perfect 5-step method isn’t the fitting method.

You need systems that adapt to your energy — not demand more of it. That’s where filters come in. Instead of trying to tackle every task with equal weight, ask smarter questions. What’s urgent for real? What is your responsibility versus someone else’s? What task, if done today, will make tomorrow easier?

Why it works: It helps you categorize everything without overcomplicating it — and gives your mind something solid to hold onto. It gives you emotional distance and turns the mountain into something climbable again.

🔁 What to Do When You Have to Multitask Anyway

Look — sometimes you can’t avoid multitasking. When projects overlap, timelines shift, or you’re in reactive mode, it’s going to happen. But you can reduce the chaos by doing it with intention. That’s okay — multitasking itself isn’t the enemy. Unstructured task switching is.

🧩 Special Note: Prioritizing Tasks with ADHD

If you live with ADHD — or even if you suspect your brain runs in similar patterns — you already know how cruel traditional productivity advice can feel. “Just plan better” doesn’t help when your working memory disappears mid-task. “Just pick one thing and focus” doesn’t land when your brain is on fire and your nervous system is in panic mode.

You don’t need more guilt or grind. You need external structure and systems that reduce friction. That’s why this method is flexible, fast, and forgiving.

Key Takeaways

• Multitasking across multiple projects can trick you into feeling productive — while draining your focus and delaying real progress.
• Brain dumping tasks and using a priority matrix helps you think more clearly.
• Protecting your focus blocks and energy flow is your competitive advantage.
• Systems > Willpower. Every. Single. Time.

🌱 Want to read more?

Then explore one of our other articles, like:

• Efficient Time Management Skills
• How to Set Strategic Goals: A Step-by-Step Guide
• BHAG – Big Hairy Audacious Goals: Conquer Success Outside Your Comfort Zone
• Crafting Your Best Year Yet: A Transformative Year in Review Method
• Trust in Leadership: 5 Powerful Habits to Strengthen Your Team’s Confidence

Or do you need a quick focus session with a set timer and background music to soothe your mind? Then start the 10-minute timer on YouTube and write down some action steps now!