When Chaos Hits: How to Get Back on Track and Stick to Your Plan

Life throws chaos at us sometimes, right? You’re cruising along, working towards your goals, and then—boom! Suddenly, the plans you carefully crafted feel exhausting. Goals shift, responsibilities pile up, and you find yourself juggling a thousand things at once. Sound familiar?

In my experience, when everything feels like it’s spinning out of control, taking a step back is crucial. And yes, sometimes that means letting a few things wait. Not everything can or should be done at once or perfectly. That’s the part we often forget: when you try to do everything at the highest level, you end up making sacrifices. So, you have three choices:

• Don’t do everything.

• Don’t do everything at the same time.

• Or don’t do everything perfectly.

I usually choose the second option—I don’t try to do everything at once. Instead, I focus on doing each task as well as possible. If you’re in a similar situation, here’s a guide to finding clarity and sticking to your plan even when the chaos is real.

Set the Right Goals

Take a hard look at your goals. Are they all necessary? Trim them down if needed. The simpler your goals, the easier it is to prioritize. Choose one major goal to work toward at a time. Trying to hit multiple big goals at once is a sure way to burn out.

Use Time-Blocking to Stay Organized

Chaos loves a disorganized schedule. Time-blocking (where you assign specific tasks to set time blocks) helps manage the mess. Spread your goals over broader timeframes so you’re not scrambling. When you know what to focus on and when, everything feels more achievable.

Prioritize Your Peak Hours

We all have our golden hours, those times of the day when we’re in peak productivity mode. Save those hours for your most important tasks. Let the smaller stuff fill in the gaps, and you’ll get more done without feeling overwhelmed.

Allow Yourself to Defer Some Tasks

Not every task needs to be tackled immediately. Learn to say, “This can wait.” Letting go of the pressure to do everything now will bring a surprising sense of relief. And remember, it’s not about doing less forever—just creating space to focus on what really matters in the moment.

When chaos hits, remember, it’s about balance. You can’t do everything at once and that’s okay. Choose to focus on what really matters, create a structure that works, and make peace with a little bit of imperfection.

So, take a breath, prioritize, and keep moving forward.