4 Ways To Manage Competing Priorities at Work

Ever return to work after a few days and feel like your to-do list multiplied exponentially while you were gone? You open your email, and suddenly you’re staring at fifteen client messages, a handful of half-finished projects waiting impatiently, and one big deadline breathing down your neck.

These competing priorities at work can feel overwhelming, especially when you don’t know what to tackle first.

Listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app. Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for a summary of the key takeaways.

In episode 322 we’re discussing:

• How to identify your “high-interest” projects and prioritize them strategically.
• The value of making “minimum payments” on certain tasks.
• Which “payment method” is best for completing your projects based on your unique situation and energy levels.

Episode 322: 4 Ways To Manage Competing Priorities at Work (Transcript)

One of my clients from We’re Busy Being Awesome, my small group coaching program, asked this question the other day, and I loved it so much I had to share it with you.

The question she asked me opened my eyes to a brilliant new way to manage competing priorities at work: If projects were credit cards… which one would you pay off first?

It’s such a clever analogy, and not just because it’s memorable.

Thinking of our projects like credit cards, each with its own “interest rate,” gives us a whole new lens for deciding where to start when everything feels urgent.

Here’s the situation:

She had been out of work unexpectedly for a couple of days. When she got back, she realized her to-do list had essentially multiplied exponentially – as to-do lists tend to do without permission.

And suddenly, ten clients needed a call, there were several mid-size projects waiting for her attention, and she had one big project that was bumping up against its deadline.

She explained that she’d already clarified the non-urgent items that could technically wait, and now she was grappling with what was left on the list: the billable hours, the client-facing priorities, and deadline-driven projects. So she had a choice to make and said,

But now I’m faced with a choice:

• Tackle the quick wins first and delay my big project/client…
• Or tackle that first and say sorry-I’m-late-again to all others.

What is the best way to clear debt?

I just love this question. Not only because the credit card analogy is so clever, but because it gives us such a helpful perspective for thinking about competing priorities — especially when we’ve been away from our work and the pile-up feels especially overwhelming.

How to Manage Priorities With This Powerful Metaphor in 4 Steps

As I mentioned aabove, my client began her question with: “If projects were credit cards, which one would you pay off first?”

If we run with this idea, treating each project on our list as a different credit card, that would also mean each card (or project) would have a different “interest rate.” So let’s talk about what this means.

Step 1: Identify Your High-Interest Project

When I think about a “high-interest” project, the one that has the biggest impact — positive or negative — the longer it sits untouched.

Sometimes the “interest” is about real consequences:

• Maybe it’s a project for an important client where delays could affect future work.
• Maybe it’s a piece of work that’s holding up someone else, and finishing it would unlock progress for them.
• Or maybe it’s an opportunity — like sending a proposal — where the sooner you act, the more momentum and excitement you build.

Other times, the “interest” is less about external pressure and more about what it’s costing you. This might be:

• The way our brains spins on “what ifs” and worst-case scenarios.
• That hum of anxiety or rejection sensitivity that pops up every time you remember your boss is waiting for your quarterly review.
• The mental load of a project you keep thinking about but then get completely overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.

Reflection questions to help:

• If I don’t touch this until Thursday or Friday, what changes? What if it waits until next week?
• Which project would make the biggest positive impact if I made progress on it today?
• Which client or team member would be most relieved if I moved this forward?
• Is there something on my list with relatively low interest that I could leave for now without much consequence?

Step 2: Make ‘Minimum Payments’ on Other Projects

Once you’ve identified your high-interest “card,” you can start thinking about how you want to approach it — and whether it makes sense to go straight into that work or first make what I call the “minimum payments” on other projects.

Think about minimum payments as lower-energy steps that help you:

• Maintain trust with clients and colleagues.
• Reduce the background hum of “I really need to get back to them…”
• Clear just enough space in your head so you can dive into bigger work without distraction.

Minimum Payment Project Examples:

• Sending a short check-in email: “Hey, I’ve been out a couple of days — I’ll follow up with details by X date.”
• Letting someone know you’ve seen their request and it’s on your radar.
• Sharing a partial draft or a bullet list of next steps so they can see where you’re at and they know what’s coming up next OR – if they’re on you team – where they might pick up the baton from there

Step 3: Figure Out Your Payoff Style

There are two approaches that we’ll explore today, which – not coincidentally – come from the world of personal finance: the Avalanche method and the Snowball method.

These terms originally describe two approaches to how people pay off debt.

With the Avalanche method, you start by paying off the debt with the highest interest rate first, because that’s the one costing you the most money over time.

With the Snowball method, you start with the smallest balance first — because every quick win builds momentum and motivation to keep going. Both methods work, and like most situations, the best method depends on the person and their unique circumstances.

We can use the exact same thinking when it comes to projects.

The Avalanche method for Projects

Start with the highest-interest project first — the one that has the biggest impact, whether that’s because it’s urgent, time-sensitive, or draining the most mental energy.

By clearing this one first, you stop the “interest” from building and create more space for everything else.

Real-life scenarios where the Avalanche method makes sense:

• Client deadline is today (or soon) — You’ve got a deliverable due for your biggest client, and delaying could risk future work for your company.
• Bottleneck project — Your team can’t move forward until you finish your section of the project, so completing it unlocks progress for everyone else.
• Time-sensitive opportunity — Maybe there’s a grant application or call for proposals that could lead to major funding or presenting at your field’s primary conference that year, but the submission window is closing fast.
• High-impact decision — A vendor can’t start until you approve the contract, and the sooner you make it, the more likely they’ll stay on track with the timeline
• The heavy mental load — Or maybe there’s just one big project that’s been weighing on you for weeks, and allowing yourself to fully dive in without distractions for a large span of time so you can finally finish it would free up huge mental bandwidth.

Any of these scenarios would be good examples of when to use the avalanche method.

The Snowball method for Projects

The Snowball method flips it. You start with the smallest “balances” — the quick wins — and work your way up to bigger projects. This approach is great for building momentum and confidence, especially if you’re feeling stuck or running low on energy.

Reflection prompts to help you choose your approach:

• Is my energy better suited for deep focus, or would I benefit from a warm-up round with smaller wins?
• What kind of progress would feel the most satisfying by the end of the day?
• Which choice: Avalanche or Snowball, would clear the most mental clutter for me in this moment?
• Which project, if I made progress on it today, would have the biggest ripple effect?

There’s no “right” choice here. The goal is to pick the approach that supports the kind of energy, focus, and progress you need most right now — whether that’s the relief of clearing the heaviest thing off your plate or the momentum of a few quick wins.

Snowball method examples:

• Low energy or brain fog day — You don’t have the focus for deep work yet, but a few smal, familiar tasks helps clear the cobwebs as your coffee kicks in.
• The literal or figurative “messy desk” — Clearing quick, nagging tasks (like short emails or follow-up calls or literally tidying your desk) frees up mental space.
• Multiple small commitments due soon — Maybe you’re a doctor and have several patient notes you need to submit before charts are due on Tuesday, and batching them gets you caught up quickly.
• Short work window — You’ve got 30 minutes before your next meeting — not enough time for a big project, but perfect for two or three quick completions.
• Confidence boost needed — Rather than the classic “eat the frog” approach, where you do the hardest task first thing, you know your brain does better with small wins first. Some people talk about this as eating the tadpoles or swatting mosquitoes first. Honestly, all of these analogies are kind of gross, but essentially, you’re intentionally focusing first on early wins, which helps provide that onramp into flow.

Step 4: Commit for the day

Once you’ve chosen, stick with that plan for the day.

Remind your brain that you’re all in for this container of time. You can re-decide tomorrow, but for now, this is what you’re doing.

Taking action is the thing that matters most, not whether you do the avalanche or the snowball – because both methods work.

So go all in for the day and give the method a chance to work for you so you can see the payoff.

Putting This Prioritization Plan Into Action: Example

You’ve been on vacation for the week & you come back to the following list:

• 12 client calls to return
• Your quarter 4 report that’s technically already late
• Several medium-sized deliverables in progress

Here’s how you can manage these priorities using the 4 step method above…

• Step 1: You identify your high-interest project as the quarterly report. It’s overdue, and it’s needed by leadership to make budget decisions and their meeting is next week.
• Step 2: Make your minumum payments.
  • You send a quick “I’m back from vacation. Thanks for your message! Here’s when I’ll follow up” email to your clients.
• Step 3: The report is the thing weighing on you most and it will make the biggest ripple effects on the team with budget planning, so you choose the Avalanche Method.
• Step 4: You dedicate your best focus block to getting it done, and by the end of the day, you feel a huge sense of relief and momentum to move on to the next task.

Final Thoughts

Next time you’re staring down a packed to-do list and wondering where to even start, I invite you to think about your projects like credit cards…

• Which “project account” has the highest interest rate — the one costing you the most to leave undone?
• Which ones just need a quick minimum payment so you can free up some mental space?
• And what’s your best payoff style for today — Avalanche or Snowball?

Remember, this isn’t about perfection or getting it all done at once. It’s about keeping your accounts in good standing while you focus on the work that will give you the biggest return — whether that’s relief, clarity, or momentum.

I’d love to hear whether this analogy lands with you, and if so, how you use it with your current projects. Send me a DM on Instagram, I’m @imbusybeingawesome, or leave a comment on one of the posts for this episode. I can’t wait to hear about it!

👉 Want to take these concepts further and apply them to your life? Learn more about how we can work together with my small group coaching program, “We’re Busy Being Awesome,” and one-on-one coaching.

Until next time — keep being awesome.

I’ll talk with you soon.

Resources From This Episode:

• Free Quiz: Discover your Overwhelm Response Type

More ADHD Resources:

• Discover my favorite ADHD resources
• Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain
• Access the I’m Busy Being Awesome Planning System
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
• Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp

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