An Intro to Our Newest Team Member: Kadera Scanlon

At EduCred Services, we believe every team needs at least one person who can manage chaos, wrangle timelines, juggle priorities, and still find a way to be charming with their email reminders. That person is Kadera Scanlon, our newest team member and official project management maestro.

Headshot of Kadera Scanlon

Kadera’s superpower is making order out of chaos—whether she’s corralling toddlers in a preschool classroom or streamlining operations for high-stakes corporate clients (and their big feelings) at a Fortune 500 company. She’s the ringleader, the cat-herder, the checklist-maker. And since no one can explain her approach to project management better than she can, we thought it only fitting that her first blog with us be about exactly that: how to move forward when everything feels like it’s too much.

Managing the Unmanageable: How to Move Forward When You’re Overwhelmed

Two large stacks of papers and folders with a hand reaching for help emerging from behind them.

We’ve all been there—the start of a new day, the sun is shining, the coffee is flowing, you are radiating positivity about your to-do list. You are ready to dominate your day!

Cut to an hour later: your inbox is exploding, the caffeine is wearing off, and you feel the weight of the expectations, deadlines, and chaos pressing from every angle. What felt manageable at 8 o’clock feels completely out of control by noon. That shift from “I’ve got this” to “I’m drowning” can happen fast, and it happens to everyone. Chaos is part of life, but staying stuck in it doesn’t have to be. Let’s talk about how to start moving again, even when everything feels like too much.

Acknowledge the Mess: We’ve All Been There

Work is a part of life, and it can get messy! The first step to managing the chaos is to admit that you’re in it. Maybe it snuck up on you. Maybe you said yes to too many things. Maybe you’re dealing with circumstances completely out of your control. However you got here, beating yourself up won’t help. It’s just a sign you’re maxed out and need more support or resources.

Pausing to say, “I’m overwhelmed” isn’t weakness, it’s strategy. Naming it helps you slow the mental spiral, reduce the pressure, and start thinking clearly again. It gives you just enough space to ask, “What now?” instead of “Why can’t I handle this?”

Acknowledging the mess doesn’t fix it, but it puts you back in the driver’s seat. And sometimes, that’s enough to start turning things around.

Start Small: Break Big Tasks into the Next Right Steps

When everything feels urgent, we tend to do one of two things: freeze and do nothing, or panic and try to do everything at once. Both lead to the same place: more chaos and more anxiety. Don’t run around the whole house cleaning half a room at a time, just do the dishes. Don’t rewrite your entire Academic Catalog in a day, just update the transfer credit policy.

Avoid adding to the chaos by getting one thing off the list. That one email you’ve been avoiding? Do it. That document you’ve been side-eyeing for two days? Start there. Generate some momentum so that you can reclaim some of that positivity you had at the start of your day.

For a quick win, start your day by making a list—yes, making the list can be the first thing on the list (and then you get to immediately cross it off, which is its own tiny thrill). Don’t worry about tomorrow; that’s tomorrow-you’s problem. Just write out four or five tasks you want to tackle today, in no particular order. As you complete each task, cross it off (or, if you’re like us, mark it as “Done” on your Monday.com board)! The satisfaction of being able to mark an item as ‘done’ can be mentally energizing for the next thing you can cross off your list.

Prioritize Clarity Over Control

Feeling overwhelmed often stems from a need to control everything—every variable, every detail, every possible scenario. But more often than not, this level of control is an illusion. When you're juggling a dozen projects and trying to anticipate every possible “what if,” it’s easy to lose sight of what actually matters. What you really need is clarity. Clarity asks: What needs attention right now? What can wait? What doesn’t belong to me at all? Focus on understanding the landscape instead of trying to micromanage it. Clarity brings calm.

When you approach your to-do list from a calm state, you can think more clearly about when and how to tackle each task. Clarity reduces the risk of rework (because the last thing you want is to uncheck something you rushed through and now have to redo). It also helps slim down your list by making it easier to spot tasks you can delegate. When we prioritize control over clarity, we tend to hold on to things that were never really ours to do. Taking a moment to review your list with a clear head keeps you focused, efficient, and moving forward with purpose.

Ask for Help and Set Boundaries (You’re Not a Superhero)

Even Earth’s mightiest heroes don’t go it alone. The Hulk can only smash so much before he needs backup from Thor or Captain Marvel. Your energy isn’t infinite either, and recognizing when you need support is wisdom, not weakness.

Trying to do everything yourself doesn’t make you a high performer. It just makes you tired. Can you ask a coworker to take one thing off your plate? Can you loop in your team’s Excel wizard to help build that terrifying spreadsheet. Either way, collaboration makes chaos more manageable.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget the other side of the equation: setting boundaries. Learn to communicate when your plate is full. We live in a culture that celebrates doing it all—but the reality is, no one can do it all without burning out. Drawing the line is actually a form of efficiency. It protects your time, your energy, and your ability to prioritize the things that matter most.

You Don’t Have to Resolve Everything Today; Just Start

You won’t resolve everything today. Resolving everything today is not the goal. The goal is to simply start because, ultimately, the only way forward is…forward. So, pick one thing. That first small action is what propels you into motion. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be impressive. It just has to happen. Over time, those little steps become big ones. What felt overwhelming in the haze of your post-lunch anxiety spiral will start to feel manageable again.

In Case You Need the Cliff Notes

When the chaos starts to feel like it’s winning, remember these key steps to regain control:

  1. Acknowledge the mess. You’re not alone, and naming the overwhelm is the first step toward clarity.

  2. Start small. One tiny task at a time can help build momentum and reduce anxiety.

  3. Prioritize clarity over control. Let go of perfection and focus on what actually needs your attention.

  4. Ask for help and set boundaries. Even superheroes need support (and breaks).

  5. Just start. Don’t try to do it all today. Just do one thing. That’s progress.

And if you need a little reminder tomorrow? Bookmark this, grab a snack, and start again. We’re here for you. You got this!

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