Conquering Overwhelm with the Power of Planning: Insights from the Franklin Planner Podcast

Conquering Overwhelm with the Power of Planning: Insights from the Franklin Planner Podcast

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Welcome back to The Daily Mastermind—George Wright III here with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. And today, I want to share with you a special episode that I recorded on the Franklin Planner Podcast alongside my co-host, John Harding.

The Franklin Planner Podcast is an incredible resource for those looking to lead both their teams and their lives with intention. We focus on timeless principles, many drawn from Stephen Covey’s classic book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and tools from the Franklin Planner system—which has helped over 15 million people over the last 40 years.

In this episode, we’re talking about something that affects all of us: how to conquer overwhelm in today’s digital, distraction-filled world. Let’s get into it.

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Welcome to the Franklin Planner Podcast

Welcome to the Franklin Planner Podcast. For over 40 years, more than 15 million people have relied on the Franklin Planner to achieve success and fulfillment. Join us as we share timeless principles and practical tools to help you achieve what matters most in your life and business.

I'm your host, and this is the podcast where we give you the strategies, tools, and resources to lead your team and create your best life. And today’s episode is all about conquering overwhelm—because let’s face it, we’re all juggling more than ever before. Joining me today is none other than John Harding, owner, board member, and Franklin Planner expert.

George, I'm doing great. Great to be with you. I'm excited to dig into this one today.

Yeah, me too. I couldn't agree with you more. And John’s here to help us unlock the power of planning, journaling, and focusing on what really matters most. So let’s get started.

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Understanding Overwhelm in a Digital World

Let’s start with the problem. Overwhelm seems like the new normal for most of us, right? Between endless to-do lists, constant notifications, and competing priorities, it feels like we’re barely keeping our heads above water. So what’s really driving this whole sense of overwhelm right now?

Let me give you a little background. I thought as we were planning this today that I’d just go and give you some definitions. When you hear that term, you may know it, but many people don’t. They might think “overwhelming”—but let me give you some clarity. The term “overwhelm” refers to a state of being emotionally, mentally, physically, and otherwise overcome by an excessive amount of stimuli, tasks, and challenges—and it feels really impossible to manage. It often results in feelings of helplessness, stress, and anxiety. That’s a pretty heavy load, isn’t it?

Oh yeah.

And that’s what most people are feeling—that heaviness. Now I’m going to give you two more things and then we can talk about it again, because this is really an umbrella condition that we’re all facing no matter where we live on this earth. It’s worth looking into. There’s an emotional aspect to it. A physical aspect. It’s a pervasive kind of problem.

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Major Factors Contributing to Overwhelm

It’s driven by three major factors in most cases. First is a lack of clarity—people don’t have a clear sense of what truly matters to them and who matters to them. Second is a sense of overcommitment. At least in our Western society, we live in a culture where we’re used to saying yes. That could be at work, at home, in the community—and we end up with way too much going on in our lives. And the third is something that’s become really prevalent in the last 20 years: a constant mirage of digital stimuli—an overwhelming amount of information and decisions.

Yeah. I think most people can relate to all of those things. Lack of clarity is a big one. Most of the entrepreneurs I talk to—and leaders in general—they’re overcommitting. They’re spending way too much time on things that maybe they shouldn’t even be doing. Not important, not urgent. And then there are all the digital distractions.

But it sounds like to me, what you’re saying—and we’ve talked about this in our conversations—is that the solution isn’t just managing your time. It’s more about understanding your priorities. It’s focus. It’s about creating clarity.

Oh, you’re right. So it is—it’s about managing your priorities and, as you said, your focus. It’s not just a scheduling thing. It’s about knowing where you’re headed and how to get there.

Yeah. You said something before we started the show that I thought was really powerful—you called it “digital damage.” You were talking about the toll digital overload takes on our brain.

Here’s some of the digital damage I want to touch on before we get into the solutions. First, decision-making overload. If you study the brain and what’s happening, we’re making so many more decisions now because of digital technology. And digital technology—as powerful as it is for good things—it has no respect for your priorities. It wants your attention now. That increases stress levels. And the stress of making constant decisions and trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not just drains your energy.

So decisions, stress, and energy depletion—they all stack up.

Yes. If I were to go further into the definition of overwhelm—and I looked this up on my phone—it’s literally a sensation of being “under,” like being underwater. That’s what we’re coming after today. To ask, “Can we understand what’s going on—and what can we do about it?”

I’m glad you mentioned that, because people need to understand: You can’t solve a problem you haven’t defined. So we’ve talked about the cause—lack of clarity, overcommitment, digital distractions. But the result is this overload and decision fatigue. And I completely agree—it saps your energy. So, it’s not just about time management. It’s about being intentional.

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Solutions to Overwhelm: Aligning Your Life with What Matters

Let’s shift gears and go into solutions. You and I have talked a lot about this concept of aligning your life with what matters. Can you expand on that? And also—how does the Franklin Planner help with that? Because I do think having a tool or a resource—like the Planner—gives you a kind of crutch. A support system. So can you tie those ideas together?

Absolutely. Think of the Franklin Planner system—which was originally created by Hyrum Smith and later strengthened by Stephen Covey—as both a mindset and a set of strategies, along with powerful tools. It’s been used by over 15 million people over 40 years. And those people, from all walks of life, have applied it both personally and professionally.

And just as a reminder, the reason we set this podcast up was to give people tools—but also tie those tools back to timeless principles. So I appreciate you framing it like that.

Thanks. So let me give you the three key actions I’ve seen help people break through overwhelm:

First, you’ve got to define who and what matters most to you.
That means clarifying your personal vision. Your mission. Your values. Your goals. Some people might think those are corporate terms, but you can simplify it: Who do you want to be? What kind of life do you want to create? What do you want your team to achieve if you’re a leader? That’s step one.

Second, you need to structure your goals around daily and weekly actions.
Some people say, “I just use my phone for calendaring,” and that’s fine. But the point isn’t the format—it’s that our lives operate in these natural cycles: day and night, week by week, month by month. The Planner system helps you align your goals with those cycles. That structure helps reduce chaos.

Third, and this is a big one: Use your hand. Write things down.
Handwriting activates parts of your brain that digital typing simply doesn’t. Research shows that writing things out by hand increases focus, taps into your creative intelligence, and helps you block out distractions. It allows you to go deep. So, define who you are, take your days and weeks seriously, and put pen to paper. That’s how you deal with overwhelm.

That’s a great foundation. And I’ll say, the more we’ve talked over the past year, the more I’ve incorporated these habits into my own day-to-day. I’ve always managed my time and set priorities, but now I’m seeing the impact of starting my days and weeks with “who matters most” and “what matters most.” And handwriting—wow. That takes it to a whole new level. It forces you to be intentional.

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Applying Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits to Overwhelm

So let’s take this even further. How do the principles from Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits fit into this conversation? How do they add to the foundation you’ve just laid out to help us handle overwhelm?

That’s a great question. When you think of Dr. Stephen R. Covey—who wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—his work is all about powerful lessons in personal change. But before he even introduces the habits, he spends a lot of time teaching you how to take full charge of your life. He talks about aligning with self-evident principles—truths that guide you.

So, keep in mind: all seven habits are lived out more effectively through the use of the Franklin Planner and the journaling system. These aren’t just tools. It’s a mindset, a strategy set, and, frankly, a source of momentum. The habits work beautifully in conjunction with this system.

I’d love for you to focus on the first three habits—what Covey called the “Private Victory”—because those go straight to the heart of personal overwhelm.

Exactly. He talks about the “maturity continuum”—moving from dependence, to independence, to interdependence. That starts with mastering yourself. So let’s talk about those first three habits, because if you’re overwhelmed, that’s where to begin:

Habit #1: Be Proactive.
This is about taking full responsibility for your actions and your outcomes. You’re not a victim. You have power over your decisions.

Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind.
This is about defining who you are, where you’re going, and what matters to you. It ties directly to that first principle we mentioned—clarity.

Habit #3: Put First Things First.
This is where you align your time and energy with what’s most important—not what’s most urgent. You schedule your priorities, rather than prioritize your schedule.

I love that sequence. And I think people need to hear this: You are the one who creates your life. You’re not just reacting to everything. Your “private victory” starts when you take that ownership. Define your vision and your goals. Then take daily action on what matters most.

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Michael Phelps: A Real-World Example of Visualization and Goal Setting

That reminds me of something we were talking about before the show—Michael Phelps. The most decorated Olympian of all time. Twenty-eight medals, twenty-three of them gold. He dominated the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning eight gold medals in one Games.

But I remember something about him using visualization and goal-setting to help him achieve all of that. Is that true? What do you know about that?

Yes, absolutely. Michael Phelps is a great example. And we can all relate to greatness in our own families or even in certain moments of our lives. But with Phelps, his story shows exactly what we’re talking about. He had a vision. He had goals. And he practiced visualization religiously.

He didn’t just train physically—he trained mentally. He used all of the principles we’ve been discussing. And you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to do that. The same approach applies to all of us.

When you evaluate who and what matters most—and then put that vision into writing—your brain immediately begins working toward that goal. It draws out the brilliance inside you. The intentional practice of writing and reviewing your goals daily pulls out your highest potential. That’s what Phelps did—and that’s what anyone can do.

And let’s be real—we all start the year or the week with great intentions. But then life happens. Distractions, busyness, pressure—they pull us in every direction. That’s why these foundational principles matter so much. Because when you put the right structure in place, and you use tools like the Franklin Planner, you can stay centered and focused even in the chaos.

And when you’re focused, you feel more successful. That’s the beginning of your best life.

I totally agree. And we’ll dive deeper in the next episode when we talk about goal setting. But here’s what I’ll say now: Research shows that people who set goals and write them down are exponentially more successful—up to ten times more.

These principles aren’t just for individuals either. They apply to teams, to leaders, to organizations. Whether you’re running a small business or leading a large team, these same strategies can scale. The Franklin Planner was used by individuals—but often, it was through companies that we saw huge breakthroughs. Leaders would rally teams around a shared mission, with clarity and structure. That’s how people climb mountains together.

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Applying Principles to Teams and Daily Life

The point is, these principles are powerful in both individual and team settings. Most of us live our lives in and out of both. And while private victories are where it begins, your daily habits carry into your business, your team, your family.

And like I’ve said many times before—it’s how you do anything that shows how you’ll do everything. If you’re intentional in your life—if you prioritize what and who matters most—if you’ve got a system and tools to stay grounded in that mindset—it’s going to show up everywhere: in your business, your relationships, your leadership.

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The Importance of Paper Planning

Before we wrap, there’s one last topic I want to hit because I’ve heard you talk about it—and I think it’s a big one. This idea of using a paper planner. Why go with pen and paper over digital? For someone trying to be productive—especially when digital tools seem faster—why are you saying, and why is science saying, that paper matters?

Great question. So much of this shift happened when we moved from one type of technology to another. When digital came along, people started abandoning paper. And for many in the workplace today—especially younger generations—they never even used a paper planner.

They’ve been digital-first from the start. The appeal of digital tools is often speed and convenience. You enter it, forget it, move on. But here’s the problem: people say, “I don’t have time to plan.” The truth is—planning doesn’t take time. It saves time. It saves wasted energy.

Right. And what I’ve found is that when people say “I’ll just put it on my phone so I don’t lose it,” what they’re really doing is moving it “out of sight, out of mind.” But that’s not the solution. It just creates space for more stuff to pile on. You’re not solving anything. You’re just deflecting—and increasing overwhelm.

Exactly. Let me give you some science-backed reasons why pen and paper still matter:

• Handwriting improves memory and retention.
• It boosts creativity.
• It reduces stress.
• It increases goal achievement.

Those are real, proven benefits. Writing activates parts of the brain that typing does not. It taps into deeper thought. And it allows you to block out digital interruptions and do focused, intentional work.

Paper planners don’t notify you. They don’t distract you. They don’t get hacked. They just sit there—ready to serve your thinking, not hijack it.

That’s such a big deal for leaders, too. When you write something down, it creates commitment. It’s tangible. You’re not just logging it—you’re engaging with it. That builds trust, not just with yourself, but with your team. That’s a huge part of accountability.

Absolutely. Ed Batista from Stanford has done a lot of work on this. He calls it “self-coaching.” When you write down your goals or problems, you’re standing back. You’re reflecting. You’re activating different parts of your mind. And here’s what’s wild: when you write a goal down, your brain starts solving for it immediately. Even without conscious effort.

That kind of mental focus just doesn’t happen with multitasking or digital tools. It requires you to pause, to reflect, and to visualize. Writing creates that space.

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Final Takeaways and Conclusion

Alright. We’re running out of time here, but this has been powerful. We’ve covered the causes of overwhelm. We’ve talked about the impact of clarity, planning, and self-management. We’ve discussed foundational principles, practical tools, and science-backed methods to overcome overload.

If you could leave our listeners with one final takeaway—one action they can walk away with—what would it be?

I would say to take control of your life and to hit this environment we live in—of overwhelm—head-on. And as you do it, what I think you’ll feel… there’s nothing quite as inspiring, quite as energizing, as really dreaming about who you can be and what you can do to help and be with those that matter most to you.

And so whether you’re an individual kind of thinking just personally about that private victory, or whether you’re a leader of teams, you have the ability to not only tap into the greatness in you, but also to scale that—to tap into the greatness of those around you. Really, the Franklin Planner is meant to be a powerful system to anchor you in that and really to enable you to lead your life and create your greatest team and life.

Yes. Thank you. I appreciate that. And I think people will realize that when they incorporate this into their daily rituals, their daily life, they won’t have to think about it. It’ll be a system that they’ll be able to just follow and grow with.

To our listeners, I’d love to invite you to check out franklinplanner.com to find the tools that fit your needs and help you create your best life.

And also, if you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, make sure you hit that subscribe button, share this with someone who needs it, and leave us a review. We want to hear from you. We want to know what you’re working on, what challenges you’re facing—because we’re here to support you.

Remember: your path to clarity and your solution to overwhelm starts with one intentional step. Hopefully, we’ve given you something today to help you take that step.

Thanks for tuning in. Have an amazing day—and we’ll talk with you on the next episode.

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About George Wright III:

George Wright is a Proven, Successful Entrepreneur- and he knows how to inspire entrepreneurs, companies, and individuals to achieve Massive Results. With more than 20 years of Executive Management experience and 25 years of Direct Marketing and Sales experience, George is responsible for starting and building several successful multimillion-dollar companies. He started at a very young age to network and build his experience and knowledge of what it takes to become a driven and well-known entrepreneur. George built a multi-million-dollar seminar business, promoting some of the biggest stars and brands in the world. He has accelerated the success and cash flow in each of his ventures through his network of resources and results driven strategies. George is now dedicated to teaching and sharing his Prosperity Principles and Strategies to every Driven and Passionate Entrepreneur he meets. His mission is to Empower Entrepreneurs Globally to create Massive Change and LIVE their Ultimate Destiny.

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