Taming Urgency: Align Your Tasks, Align Your Business

As a soulpreneur, juggling multiple roles—business owner, visionary, creative, and sometimes, an entire team—can often lead to feelings of overwhelm. You might wake up each day (or middle of the night) with an endless to-do list, feeling the weight of running every aspect of your business. It’s not just the tasks themselves that create pressure, but the deeper emotions behind them—fear of letting clients down, anxiety about missing opportunities, and the constant worry that if you don’t keep up, your business might not thrive. Does this resonate with you the way it does me as a soulpreneur?

Understanding the Source of Urgency

Here’s what I know, many soulpreneurs operate with a strong sense of purpose, driven by the need to serve their clients and communities in meaningful ways. But when everything feels urgent, it can create an internal storm of self-doubt and exhaustion. You may find yourself asking: Am I doing enough? Will my business succeed? What if I fall behind? This internal pressure can make even the smallest tasks feel like emergencies. Ask me how I know? 🙋‍♀️

External demands compound this internal struggle. Clients need answers, emails pile up, and social media requires constant attention. It’s easy to feel like you’re putting out fires, jumping from one task to the next, without ever really getting ahead.

But here’s a truth: Not everything is urgent. Much of the urgency we feel comes from the stories we tell ourselves—stories of needing to be everything for everyone, of equating productivity with worth, and of fearing that if we pause, everything will fall apart. These stories create an internal pressure cooker, making every task feel like it’s critical for your business's survival. Oye ve, as I write this, I can feel the tightness in my chest and whirling thoughts in my head. So, before you read any further, let’s stop right here and just take a deep breath in and slowly let it out. No, really, take a deep breath before we go further. And even if you don’t read any further, you’ll feel better because of it.

Shifting from Urgency to Clarity

The first step to navigating this overwhelm is recognizing that urgency is often a signal of misalignment. When every task feels urgent, it’s a sign that we’re reacting rather than responding. The real challenge isn’t completing every task on your list—it’s discerning which tasks genuinely require your attention and energy, and which can be delegated, delayed, or let go entirely. Yes, there are some that can be let go. 😉 

But if you’re like me, you’re already saying, “Yes, I agree. I get that, but just how do I determine what’s most important? How do I find the time to even determine what’s the most important?” The answer: Take a step back to assess your priorities and ask, What truly needs my attention right now? Yes, it’s truly that simple. This can help you break free from the reactive mindset. This moment of pause offers clarity and reminds you that not everything needs to be done at once. And to be honest, you already know that not everything can be done at once anyway. By evaluating your priorities through a mindful lens, you can begin to differentiate between tasks that are urgent and important, and those that simply feel urgent only because of internal or external pressures. “Ok, great, Diane, I get it. Take a step back and truly assess what needs done right now. Got it. But where’s the practical application in that?” 

How to Prioritize Tasks with Mindfulness

Stepping back to gain clarity is essential, but how do you do it effectively? That’s where holistic practices like mindfulness come in.

1. Start with Mindfulness

Before diving into your day, take a few moments for mindfulness. A brief meditation or breathing exercise can clear mental clutter and help you focus. Simply close your eyes, take deep breaths, and ask yourself: What is the most important task I can accomplish today?

This grounding practice helps you approach your day with clarity, allowing you to prioritize tasks without feeling overwhelmed. Yes, it can be that simple. 

2. Apply the Aligned Action Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a popular tool for prioritization, dividing tasks into four categories: Urgent & Important, Important but Not Urgent, Urgent but Not Important, and Neither Urgent nor Important. In my version— the Aligned Action Matrix—I recommend adding a layer of intuition to this system.

After categorizing your tasks, pause to reflect on which ones align with your energy today. Ask yourself: Which task feels most aligned with my purpose and will have the greatest impact? Trust your intuition, as it’s a key part of making aligned decisions in your business. Click here to access an Aligned Action Matrix I created. You’ll be prompted to create a copy of the template in your own Canva account. This way, you can customize it for your personal use!

3. Set Energetic Boundaries

Urgency often stems from being too available—constantly checking emails, responding to messages, and multitasking. This reaction mode drains your energy and disrupts focus. Setting clear boundaries around your time can help you regain control. 

Designate specific hours for deep work, email management, and self-care. You can do this with simple changes: Let clients know when they can expect a response to create a structure that reduces interruptions and fosters a healthier work-life balance, turn off all notifications (desktop and mobile) to not disrupt your task at hand, time block on your calendar according to your energy levels throughout the day.

4. Embrace Task Batching

Task batching is another powerful way to reduce urgency. Group similar tasks together to stay in flow. For instance, reserve specific times for email management, client work, and creative projects. This reduces mental strain and increases efficiency while helping you avoid the trap of trying to do everything at once.

By batching your tasks, you’ll find that you feel more in control and focused, which helps reduce the constant feeling of urgency.

5. Practice Gratitude and Reflection

At the end of each day, take a moment to reflect on your accomplishments and practice gratitude. This simple act shifts your focus from what still needs to be done to acknowledging the progress you've made. Even small wins matter, and recognizing them helps build momentum and a positive mindset.

Or, like me, you could end your workday the way you began it—with mindful breathing. As you close your eyes and take a few deep, grounding breaths, let yourself appreciate the effort you put in, even if not everything was checked off your to-do list.

True growth takes time, and it's the consistent, intentional actions that move you forward. As best-selling author James Clear said in Atomic Habits, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” By creating a daily habit of gratitude and reflection, you’re nurturing a system that supports steady progress over time, aligning with both your productivity and well-being. 

Navigating Urgency with Ease

Urgency often feels overwhelming, but it’s important to recognize that it is just that—a feeling, not a fact. It’s an emotional response, often driven by internal pressures or external demands. When we become aware of this distinction, we can start to shift from reacting impulsively to responding intentionally.

By integrating mindfulness, boundaries, and holistic prioritization practices, you can transform how you handle urgency. It becomes less about racing to the finish line and more about pacing yourself with purpose. Instead of allowing the feeling of urgency to dictate your actions, you can pause, reflect, and ask: Is this truly urgent, or am I just feeling pressured?

When you approach your tasks with clarity and intention, you’re not simply crossing items off your to-do list—you’re making conscious choices that align with your values and well-being. This shift in mindset helps you move from chaos to calm, from reaction to deliberate action.

As you continue to implement these practices, remember: not everything is urgent, and not everything requires your immediate attention. Your time and energy are your most valuable resources, and when you learn to navigate urgency with ease, you’ll find that you’re not just getting things done—you’re doing them in a way that supports sustainable growth, both in your business and in your life.

Take a deep breath, prioritize with purpose, and know that you have the power to create a more balanced, intentional path forward.

Join the Soulpreneur Mindfulness Hub

If you’re ready to dive deeper into mindful productivity and holistic business practices, join our Soulpreneur Mindfulness Hub. In our community, we explore ways to streamline your workflow, reduce stress, and maintain balance—without sacrificing your purpose.