Ronan McDonnell

How I Work Across Multiple Projects Without Burning Out

Ronan McDonnell -

(And sometimes even enjoying it.)

I’ve always been someone who thrives on new things, whether that's intellectually, emotionally, creatively. But that comes with a catch: I’m usually juggling a few major projects at once, often across completely different industries. Tech, research, product design, operations - it’s a mix. And that's not including life itself: relationships, family, health, and everything in between which has more of a priority for me at the moment.

How do I keep all the plates spinning? The truth is, I don’t always. But I’ve built systems that help me drop the right plates when I need to - and pick them back up again without too much breakage.

I have burned out in the past so I know what that looks like - and I'm determined not to let that happen again. Having had some health issues recently, I want them to serve as a catalyst for change - never let a good crisis go to waste!

Here’s what’s helping right now:

  1. Everything in Notion and Calendars

Every to do is in Notion and birthdays/meetings are in my calendar app. I can't remember everything, so I don't even try. It just goes into Notion and I triage it every Monday morning.

  1. Weekly and daily rituals

Every Sunday, I run a weekly review (with ChatGPT usually, in voice mode). It’s a short, structured ritual that helps me zoom out, re-align, and plan the week ahead. I've already fed in my meeting schedule and what I think are the important tasks or ideas. Then, each morning, I check in with a smaller set of questions:

  • What’s the one thing I must move forward today?
  • What’s likely to derail me - and what’s my plan for that?
  • What’s one small thing I can do just for myself?

Again, I use ChatGPT to talk this through usually, though occasionally I do it myself.

This helps me stay linked to each project, even if I’m only actively working on one or two that day. The rest aren’t forgotten — they’re just parked intentionally.

  1. Context switching

Switching between projects is inevitable — but switching badly is avoidable. I’ve learned to structure my week to 'theme' things whenever possible.

For example:

  • One day might be product design and customer onboarding.
  • Another day might be dedicated to data infrastructure and cloud ops.
  • A third might be focused on growth, branding, or team alignment.

These “theme days” aren’t rigid, but they reduce friction by keeping me in the same mindset. I also leave breadcrumbs — short notes in Notion that make it easy to re-enter a context after a gap.

  1. Don't Try to Remember it all

I use Notion to manage all of this — but only because I’ve designed a setup that reflects how I think. Each project has:

  • A dashboard of current tasks
  • A meeting hub with key outcomes
  • Separately, I have a reflection log to track what’s working and what’s not

I also keep a personal "habit tracker" that tracks energy, mood, habits, and journaling in one place. It’s a small thing, but over time it helps me see patterns — especially when one project is stalling or another is pulling too much focus. I also ask ChatGPT to occasionally give me feedback to see how my mood is or what I'm focusing on.

4. Energy first, output second

I try and focus more on a system - If my energy is off, the system fails.

So I build in:

  • Three workouts a week, usually during the workday.
  • Time for music or reading in the evenings.
  • A weekly date night.
  • Blank space when needed — and without guilt.

If I’m aligned, I can carry a lot. If I’m not, even one project feels too heavy. This shift from time management to energy management changed everything for me.

5. Zoom out regularly — but not constantly

Every few weeks, I set aside time (speaking to ChatGPT) to zoom out and ask:

  • What am I avoiding right now?
  • Where am I overcommitted?
  • Are the ways I’m working still aligned with what matters?

I don't necessarily take what it says as Gospel but it's an interesting data point for me to explore.

But day-to-day? I don’t try to hold it all at once anymore. When I’m working on something, I try to go focused and deep. Then when I'm done I take a break, reset, and shift to the next thing once I'm ready. Systems (not memory) - do the heavy lifting.

Final thought

It’s not always balanced. Some weeks (like this one) a project needs more. Some weeks life does. But having systems for review, reflection, and recovery is what makes it sustainable for me.

I’m still refining it. But right now, this approach is what works for me.