What's Actually Creating Your Overwhelm?
What if overwhelm isn't coming from having too much to do?
You probably already know what overwhelm feels like.
- The mental tabs that never close.
- The projects you care about.
- The responsibilities you can't ignore.
- The dreams you don't want to lose.
- The decisions that somehow never feel fully made.
And somehow, it all starts feeling heavier than it should.
It's easy to assume overwhelm comes from having too much to do.
Sometimes that's true.
But often, something deeper is happening underneath the surface.
This quiz will help you discover what may actually be creating the pressure.
QUESTIONS:
- You finally sit down to relax. What happens?
A. I suddenly remember three things I forgot to do.
B. I start thinking about decisions I still haven't made.
C. I feel guilty for not being productive.
D. I remember everything that still needs my attention.
E. My brain starts questioning whether I'm even heading in the right direction.
- Which of these feels heaviest?
A. Unfinished things.B. Unmade decisions.
C. Unmet expectations.
D. Competing responsibilities.
E. Conflicting versions of myself.
- Your brain feels most crowded when:
A. Lots of things are left unresolved.B. There are too many possible directions.
C. I feel behind on important goals.
D. Several areas of life need me at once.
E. Different parts of me want different things.
-
You wake up at 2:00 AM and can't fall back asleep. What's most likely keeping you awake?
A. Things I still need to finish.B. Decisions I haven't fully made.
C. Things I feel like I should be doing better.
D. Everything I'm responsible for.
E. Big questions about my future or direction.
-
Which sentence hurts a little because it's true?
A. "I'll feel better once I finish everything."B. "I just need to figure out what I should focus on."
C. "I should be able to handle this."
D. "Everything seems important."
E. "I don't know how all the pieces of my life fit together."
-
You cross something off your list. What usually happens next?
A. I immediately think of three more things.B. I start questioning what should be next.
C. I focus on what still isn't done.
D. Something else urgently needs attention.
E. I start wondering whether I'm spending my time on the right things.
- You unexpectedly have a completely free weekend. What feels most likely?
A. I'll use it to catch up on unfinished things.B. I'll spend part of it deciding what to do.
C. I'll feel pressure to make good use of it.
D. I'll try to fit too much into it.
E. I'll start questioning what I really want next.
- What tends to follow you into vacations, weekends, or time off?
A. The feeling that there are still loose ends waiting for me.B. Decisions I still haven't fully made.
C. The feeling that I should be using my time better.
D. Responsibilities that don't completely leave my mind.
E. Questions about where my life is headed.
- Which statement feels a little too accurate?
A. I have a lot of tabs open in my brain.B. I keep revisiting the same decisions.
C. I rarely feel completely caught up.
D. Everything matters to someone.
E. Different parts of my life seem to want different things.
- You finish something important. What's your first thought?
A. Good. Now I can work on the other unfinished things.B. Was this actually the right thing to focus on?
C. I should have done it better.
D. Great... now I need to catch up somewhere else.
E. I'm not sure this moved me in the direction I want.
-
What creates the fastest sense of relief?
A. Closing a loop.B. Making a decision.
C. Giving myself permission to be enough.
D. Having fewer things on my plate.
E. Feeling aligned with myself.
- Which experience feels surprisingly familiar?
A. Re-reading an email I forgot to respond to.B. Changing your mind after you've almost made a decision.
C. Accomplishing something and immediately focusing on what isn't done.
D. Feeling responsible for things nobody asked you to carry.
E. Wondering whether you're building the life you actually want.
- Which lingering thought do you experience most often?
A. "There are too many things taking up space in my head."B. "I still haven't decided."
C. "I should be doing more."
D. "I'm carrying a lot right now."
E. "Part of me wants one thing and part of me wants another."
- When overwhelm gets really bad, what do you most want?
A. Closure.B. Clarity.
C. Permission.
D. Breathing room.
E. Alignment.
- Which statement feels surprisingly true?
A. Finishing things often feels better than starting things.B. I can spend a lot of energy deciding.
C. I can be hard on myself without realizing it.
D. I carry more than most people know.
E. I sometimes feel pulled between different versions of myself.
- What do you wish would stop taking up so much mental energy?
A. Things that are still unresolved.B. Decisions that still need to be made.
C. Expectations I keep placing on myself.
D. Responsibilities competing for attention.
E. The tension between different parts of my life.
- If someone could magically remove one thing from your mind right now, what would you choose?
A. All my open loops.B. One major decision.
C. The pressure I put on myself.
D. Several competing responsibilities.
E. The feeling of being pulled in different directions.
- When life feels simple, what is usually true?
A. Most things feel wrapped up and handled.
B. I've made the decisions I needed to make.
C. I'm not putting as much pressure on myself.
D. There is actually space in my schedule.
E. The different parts of my life feel aligned.
Your Results Are In:
Mostly A's - The Open Loop Collector...
Mostly B's - The Future Balancer...
Mostly C's - The Expectation Carrier...
Mostly D's - The Capacity Juggler...
Mostly E's - The Identity Integrator...
💡What Overwhelm Might Be Trying to Tell You:
People will spend years trying to eliminate overwhelm.
But overwhelm is often information.
It's a signal.
A clue.
An invitation to look deeper at what's creating the pressure in the first place.
Once you understand the source, the solution usually becomes much easier to see.
That's where things start to get very interesting.
✨Ready to go deeper?
Start with the free class and discover why so many multipassionates keep starting over—and what to do instead.
Who is Monterey?
Meet Monterey Trapp—a multipassionate mentor with over a decade of experience helping creatives, entrepreneurs, and ambitious multi-talented people turn scattered passions into focused, profitable, and fulfilling ventures.
After years of trying to force herself into advice that never quite fit, she began studying the deeper patterns behind self-trust, identity, sustainable growth, and what actually helps people with many interests thrive.
What emerged wasn't another productivity system—it was an ecosystem approach.
When she's not exploring ecosystems (in both nature and business), traveling with her husband and daughter, or perfecting her latest spicy ramen recipe, Monterey is helping brilliant, multifaceted people like you bring their ideas to life—without burnout or feeling like they have to choose just one path.
Inside the free class, she'll introduce some of the foundational ideas that have helped hundreds of multipassionates stop fighting themselves and start building momentum that actually lasts.
You're in the right place. 💛
