3 System Mistakes That Make Your To-Do List Overwhelming (And How to Fix It in Notion)
Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts
Your to-do list is stressing you out—but here's the plot twist: it's not because you have too much to do. It's because of how you've set it up.
Most high-achieving solopreneurs I work with don't actually have a productivity problem. They have a setup problem. A systems problem. And today, I'm breaking down the three most common mistakes that turn your helpful to-do list into a source of daily anxiety—with real examples of how to fix them in Notion.
If you've ever stared at your task list, felt completely paralyzed, and thought "I don't even know where to start," this one's for you.
Your To-Do List Isn't Broken—Your System Is
Here's what most solopreneurs don't realize: your to-do list isn't the problem. How you've set it up is what's creating the chaos.
When your to-do list becomes overwhelming, it's not because you're lazy, disorganized, or even because of your neurodivergent brain (though we love to blame that, don't we?). The real issue is that you're missing three key pieces of structure that help your to-do list work for you instead of against you.
Think about it: if you opened your email inbox right now and every single email you've ever received was sitting there—unorganized, all marked as unread—you'd lose your mind, right?
That's exactly what most entrepreneurs are doing with their to-do lists. And then we wonder why we feel paralyzed by overwhelm.
Today, I'm walking you through the three biggest setup mistakes I see (one of which literally came up in my Skool community this week) and more importantly, how to fix them so your to-do list becomes a tool for clarity, not chaos.
Mistake #1: Treating Your To-Do List Like a Scorecard
The Problem: You're using your to-do list as a measure of your self-worth.
When tasks don't get checked off, you feel like a failure. When you complete everything, you feel successful. But here's the truth that will set you free: your to-do list isn't a judgment tool—it's an organizational tool.
You might've heard people say that your inbox is a convenient organizing place for other people's priorities. Well, your to-do list works the same way. It's a collection place for the potential ways you could be spending your time. It's not some end-all-be-all measure of your worth. It's a menu of options—a buffet, if you will.
And this really, really matters for solopreneurs and entrepreneurs dealing with burnout.
Why? Because when you're running your own business, you have massive autonomy over what actually has to get done today versus next week. Client deliverables aside, most things don't have hard deadlines. Sure, I like to be consistent with my podcast and YouTube video drops. But if I didn't release this content today, the world wouldn't end. My business wouldn't collapse.
The Shift: When you change your mindset from "scorecard" to "menu," it removes so much of that guilt and judgment.
You're not failing when tasks roll over to tomorrow—you're choosing how to spend your finite energy. I never expect to finish my to-do list, and that's a really powerful mindset shift for preventing entrepreneur burnout.
Instead of asking "Did I get everything done?" start asking: "What are the most valuable ways I could spend my time today?"
Mistake #2: Using Your Master To-Do List as Your Daily Reference
The Problem: You're looking at every single task you've ever captured, all at once.
If there's no separation between "today," "this week," "someday," or "maybe never," every task looks equally urgent. The result—especially if you're neurodivergent—is decision paralysis and constant anxiety. This is a recipe for solopreneur burnout.
Imagine trying to cook dinner while staring at your entire pantry inventory, your grocery receipts from last year, and a running list of every meal you've ever thought about making (plus every Pinterest recipe you've ever saved). Chaotic, right?
You can't even find tonight's ingredients because they're buried under everything else. That's what happens when you don't filter your view.
The Fix: Use Filtered Views in Notion to Create Focus
This is where Notion becomes your best friend for building sustainable systems for solopreneurs. You need separate views that show you only what's relevant right now.
Inside my productivity hub in Notion, I have multiple filtered views:
"Today" view: Shows only tasks due today
"This Week" view: Displays everything coming up in the next seven days
"Top Priorities" view: My absolute must-dos for the day
"Blocked Tasks" view: Things I'm waiting on
"Completed" view: For that satisfying pat on the back
But here's the key: I take it even further. When I look at my "Today" tasks, I have a view that shows me only my absolute top priorities. I keep this main priority view super lean because that's what I'm staring at day in and day out, and I don't want decision fatigue or overwhelm to kick in and keep me from being productive.
When you operate off a dashboard that shows ONLY today's highest-priority tasks, suddenly your brain isn't drowning in decision fatigue anymore. You know exactly what needs your attention right now.
Everything else? It's still there, organized and waiting. But importantly, it's not screaming at you.
Mistake #3: Putting Projects on Your To-Do List Instead of Tasks
The Problem: You're writing vague entries that require you to figure out what they mean every single time you look at them.
Things like:
"Update content calendar"
"Follow up"
"Review doc"
Every time you encounter these tasks, you have to figure out what they actually mean. There's no clarity on what the next physical action is, so you just... stare at them. And procrastinate. This is one of the biggest contributors to feeling overwhelmed as a solopreneur.
The Fix: Write the Next Physical Action with a Clear Outcome
Never write a project name on your to-do list. Write the specific next action with a clear outcome.
Ask yourself: "What is the very next physical action I need to take, and how will I know it's completed?"
If you can't clearly identify what needs to be done or where you left off with a task, you're not being specific enough. I always err on the side of more specific rather than less, even if it makes my task names super long.
Example transformation:
❌ "Update content calendar"
✅ "Assign podcast topics to weeks 1-12 in content calendar"
✅ "Schedule blog articles for November-December (1/month)"
See the difference? The second version tells you exactly what to do. No thinking required. Just action.
And here's a pro tip for Notion users: Add due dates to each specific action. Even as an entrepreneur with flexible deadlines, having approximate target dates helps you manage your time, not just your list. I don't treat these dates as concrete—they're just a ballpark for when I'm aiming to complete that task.
Your Action Plan: The 3 Fixes for a Burnout-Proof To-Do List System
Let's bring this all together:
Fix #1: Change Your Mindset. Your to-do list is a menu, not a scorecard. Completion of tasks does not define your worth as a solopreneur. Stop letting it.
Fix #2: Use Filtered Views in Notion. Create focus by operating off a "Today" view that shows only what's relevant right now. Hide everything else to eliminate decision fatigue and reduce entrepreneur burnout.
Fix #3: Write Specific Next Actions. Never put project names on your to-do list. Make it immediately clear what you need to do, or you're setting yourself up for procrastination.
Your to-do list isn't the enemy—we villainize it way too much. The way you've set it up (or the way you're thinking about it) is what's causing the overwhelm. Fix these three system mistakes, and I promise you'll watch your productivity—and your sanity—improve dramatically.
Ready to Build Systems That Actually Support Your Energy?
If you're thinking, "Okay, this makes sense, but I need help actually building this out in Notion," I've got you.
I run a free community on Skool called the Burnout-Proof Community—and we just broke 100 members in two weeks, which is incredible. This is where your nervous system meets your Notion systems.
It's a place where we create sustainable, ADHD-friendly systems for high achievers and solopreneurs who want to grow without burning themselves out. Inside, you'll find:
A community of ambitious high achievers who get it
First access to new resources, templates, and frameworks
Real-time support as you build your burnout-proof business
Weekly deep dives into systems and productivity strategies
The community is completely free to join, with paid upgrades available when you want more access to me, more content, and more done-with-you support.
Join the Burnout-Proof Community here and let's fix these systems together.
You don't have to keep spinning your wheels alone. Let's transform your chaos into clarity—one filtered view at a time.
Stay relentless, achieveR.
Ready to dive deeper into Notion for solopreneurs? Check out my Notion templates designed specifically for burnout prevention and sustainable productivity. And if you're struggling with overwhelm, take the Burnout Quiz to discover your burnout type and get personalized strategies for recovery.
