How I Go From Overwhelmed to Laser Focused
The Triple D Method: A Simple Way to Get Unstuck When You’re Overwhelmed
If you’re anything like me, juggling home life, work life, creative projects, and everything in between, feeling overwhelmed is pretty much a given.
Some days it feels like my brain has a thousand tabs open — all competing for attention. One minute I’m trying to focus on real work, and the next my brain is convinced that changing the batteries in the TV remote is the most urgent task on the planet… because obviously future-me doesn’t deserve to struggle three days from now when the TV won’t turn on.
With that much mental noise, it’s really hard to stay focused on what actually matters.
if you’re a musician or artist, this tension gets even heavier. Between needing to survive, handle responsibilities, and show up for life, we’re also trying to create meaningful art and put it into the world. Protecting our energy and focus isn’t optional — it’s essential.
I want to share a simple framework I use whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just need a strong reset at the start of the week. It helps me focus on what truly matters and take real steps toward progress.
I call it The Triple D Method.
(And yes — I know what you’re thinking. It’s not that kind of Triple D… or maybe it is. We’re definitely borrowing ideas from a lot of smart people here.)
Step 1: Dump
The first step is exactly what it sounds like: get everything out of your head.
When your mind is overloaded with thoughts, tasks, worries, and half-formed ideas, the goal is to dump all of it into one place. Nothing is too small or too messy. This isn’t about organizing yet — it’s about freeing your brain.
This can look different depending on what you need.
Journaling
A bullet list
Free-form writing
Typing into a notes app, Word doc, or Notion
If I need to slow myself down, I’ll physically write things out. If I feel like my brain needs to sprint, I’ll type everything out quickly. The method matters less than getting it all out.
Things you might dump include
Tasks around the house
Client conversations or follow-ups
Appointments you’ve been avoiding (yes, even calling the doctor)
Creative ideas
Emotional patterns or things you’ve noticed about yourself
Anything that feels heavy, distracting, or unresolved
The key idea here is this:
Everything feels urgent until it’s out of your head and on paper.
Once it’s external, you can actually evaluate it instead of letting it bounce around endlessly in your brain.
Step 2: Distill
Next comes distill.
After you’ve dumped everything out, go back and read through it. This is where you start separating what feels important from what actually is important.
Think of it like triage in a hospital.
What needs attention right now?
What is important but not urgent?
What can wait — or maybe doesn’t need to happen at all?
This step is powerful because it lets you check in with your stress and anxiety and ask:
“Is this actually worth being anxious about, or is this something I’m just having a feeling about?”
Often, we realize that some things can wait — and giving yourself permission to wait can instantly lower the emotional weight.
At this stage, I usually start reorganizing things:
Rewriting them into clearer task lists
Grouping them into categories or buckets
Turning vague thoughts into more actionable language
This can naturally bleed into the next step.
Step 3: Decide
Now that you’ve distilled everything down, it’s time to decide.
This is where you choose what you’re actually going to do with what’s left.
That decision might be:
“I’m doing this next.”
“I’m scheduling this for later.”
“I’m shelving this and revisiting it next week.”
The most important rule here:
👉 Choose a next step that is small and easy to execute.
You’re not trying to solve the entire problem — just deciding the next move
For example:
If a relationship conversation is weighing on you, the next step might simply be texting:
“Hey, can we grab coffee soon? I’d love to talk.”
If a project feels overwhelming, the next step might be opening the session or outlining the first section.
A question I always ask myself here is:
“Is this creating real progress — or is it just keeping me busy?”
Keeping the action small makes it easier to do today or within the next couple of days, which prevents the overwhelm from building right back up
Sometimes, just taking that first step completely dissolves the anxiety. You realize:
It’s easier than you thought
It won’t take as long as you imagined
Or you’re more ready than you believed
Putting It All Together
The Triple D Method is simple:
Dump — Get everything out of your head
Distill — Sort, prioritize, and make sense of it
Decide — Choose one small, meaningful next action
It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right next thing — with intention and clarity.
If you have your own ways of dealing with overwhelm, I’d love to hear them. And if you want more thoughts like this — about creativity, work, and building a sustainable life as an artist — stick around. Let’s be friends.
