4 Steps to Stop Feeling Overwhelm and Set Yourself Up for Success in 2025
Stop feeling overwhelmed and set yourself up for success in 2025 with four proven strategies to streamline your workload and thrive as a tech leader.
The Overwhelm of Leadership
Picture this: you’re juggling back-to-back meetings, responding to Slack messages in the middle of meetings, and trying to make big-picture decisions while barely keeping up with the daily task list. It’s no wonder management often feels overwhelming. Many women in tech find themselves caught in this relentless cycle, wondering how to lead effectively without burning themselves out.
But what if 2025 could look different? The secret isn’t working harder or trying to master productivity and get more tasks done —it’s about working smarter by focusing on what moves the needle and realizing there’s always more on the todo list. By embracing four key strategies—Eliminate, Automate, Batch, and Delegate—you can create a way of leading that reduces effort, increases efficiency, and creates space for the impact you desire. Let’s explore how these principles help you have a much less stressful 2025.
1. Eliminate: Stop Feeling Overwhelmed by Clearing the Clutter
Leadership often feels like one of those jugglers who spins plates on top of sticks—navigating back to back meetings, keeping up with endless notifications, and tackling a to-do list that seems to keep growing. The first step to reclaiming your time and focus is eliminating what doesn’t serve you.
Breaking the Slack Habit
For years, I felt the need to check Slack during meetings, convinced it was the only way to stay on top of things. In reality, I wasn’t fully present in meetings and left others feeling like I wasn’t paying attention. Finally, I set up designated times to check messages and asked my team to text me when anything urgent came up. This simple boundary transformed how I worked—meetings became more productive, and I stopped feeling constantly distracted.
Actionable Tips for Eliminating Clutter:
- Quarterly Calendar Review: Audit your schedule. Identify recurring meetings that are no longer essential and have the courage to step back from them.
- Streamline Notifications: Turn off non-essential pings or create specific times to check communication tools like Slack or email.
- Set Boundaries: Be clear about your working hours and protect your time for high-priority tasks.
Eliminating what doesn’t serve you allows you to reclaim your mental bandwidth for the things that truly matter.
2. Automate: Set Yourself Up for Success with Effortless Efficiency
Repetitive tasks can quickly consume your entire day. Automation offers a way to reduce manual effort, minimize errors, and free up time for the strategic work that truly requires your expertise.
Automating Team Standups
When leading a global team, daily standups weren’t feasible due to time zone differences. The solution? A Slackbot that collected each team member’s updates asynchronously. It ensured visibility into everyone’s work without needing a live meeting. This automation saved hours each week and improved collaboration across the team.
Actionable Tips for Automating Tasks:
- Scheduling Made Easy: Use tools like Calendly to eliminate the back-and-forth of meeting scheduling.
- Streamline Reporting: Automate repetitive reports with tools that collect insights from your team members automatically each week.
- Templates for Common Tasks: Create email templates for FAQs or recurring communications.
Start small—choose one repetitive task to automate today. Automation not only saves time but also sets an example for your team to embrace efficiency and innovation.
3. Batch: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Leadership often involves wearing multiple hats, which can lead to constant context switching—a major productivity killer (it takes 20 minutes for our brains to focus after a distraction!). Batching, or grouping similar tasks together, helps you stay focused and accomplish more in less time. Sounds like a great way to stop feeling overwhelmed.
Office Hours for Questions
In the past, I often found my day fragmented by constant Slack pings from my team. To address this, I implemented office hours twice a week for non-urgent issues. This allowed me to focus on deep work during the rest of the week while giving my team clear, consistent opportunities to get the answers they needed. The result? More uninterrupted work time for me and more predictability for them. Read more about holding office hours in my post them here.
Actionable Tips for Batching:
- Batch Admin Tasks: Dedicate specific times to emails, approvals, or planning.
- Group Meetings: Schedule back-to-back meetings to preserve large chunks of focus time.
- Thematic Days: Designate days for deep work, strategy, or team collaboration.
Batching requires discipline to move things around and stick to your time blocks, but the rewards—greater focus and less mental fatigue—are well worth it.
4. Delegate: Empower Your Team and Reclaim Your Time
Effective delegation is the hallmark of great leadership. Yet many leaders hesitate, fearing mistakes or believing it’s faster to do things themselves. However, holding onto tasks you could delegate limits your capacity and deprives your team of growth opportunities.
Mindset Shift: Delegation as Growth
I used to worry about delegating tasks, convinced I could do them better or faster. Over time, I learned to view delegation as an investment in my team’s development. By clearly defining the desired outcome and letting them take ownership, I empowered them to grow while freeing myself to focus on strategic priorities.
Actionable Tips for Delegation:
- Start Small: Identify one task you can delegate this week and assign it with clear instructions.
- Set Clear Expectations: Provide detailed success criteria to reduce confusion and increase confidence.
- Trust and Empower: Resist micromanaging. Mistakes will happen, but they’re part of the learning process.
Delegation not only lightens your load but also builds a stronger, more capable team. It’s a useful action to stop feeling overwhelmed.
Strategic Vision and Self-Care: The Cornerstones of Sustainable Leadership
As a leader, your ability to inspire and innovate hinges on maintaining your own well-being. Sustainable leadership requires both a clear vision for the future and consistent self-care.
Personal Habit: Small Changes with Big Impact
One change I made was scheduling 25- or 50-minute meetings instead of the usual 30 or 60. This gave me a few extra minutes between calls to stretch, grab my favorite tea, or simply look out the window. These micro-breaks improved my focus and energy throughout the day, making me a more present and effective leader.
Actionable Tips for Sustainable Leadership:
- Set Flexible Goals: Create a roadmap for 2025 with built-in contingency plans to adapt to industry changes.
- Prioritize Self-Care: Make time for rest, exercise, and hobbies that recharge you.
- Model Balance: Show your team that well-being is a priority by living it yourself.
- Strategic thinking time: Set aside an hour a week to do strategic reflection.
Leadership is a marathon, not a sprint. Taking care of yourself ensures you’re equipped to lead for the long haul.
The 2025 Blueprint for Thriving Leadership
Let’s stop feeling overwhelmed and embrace a new way of leading. By focusing on the principles of Eliminate, Automate, Batch, and Delegate, you’ll gain clarity, reduce stress, and make room for meaningful impact. Combine these strategies with a commitment to self-care and strategic vision, and you’ll set yourself up for a successful and sustainable year ahead.
Now it’s your turn. What’s the first step you’ll take to streamline your leadership and stop feeling overwhelmed? Share your insights and join the conversation as we navigate 2025 with purpose and ease. Message me on LinkedIn to let me know.
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