Start with a clean plate

Feeling like you’re doing busywork is often the result of saying yes too often.  We have to let go of this idea of doing everything and pleasing everyone and being everywhere at once.

Properly manage your yeses.  So stop saying “yes” when you want to say “no.” Sometimes you have to set clear boundaries.

We have to take a step back on a regular basis and reevaluate what we have on our plate and why. 

Instead of thinking, “Oh my gosh, there’s too much on my plate!" ask, “What if I started over again with a clean plate?” Once you’ve figured that out, you know what belongs on your plate.

• Wake up every morning and figure out what the most important 3 things are for the day, and cut out the rest. 
• Address your other obligations right then and there, and tell the associated people that your plate is full. 
• Instead of task-switching, give each task some allotted time.

Focus on no more than three core things every day. 

Wake up every morning and figure out what the most important two or three things are for the day, and cut out the rest. Give each some allotted time instead of switching tasks.

Saying yes to everything puts you on the fast track to being miserable. Sometimes you have to set clear boundaries.

The alternative is that you’re going to do a half-hearted, poor job at each task, be stressed beyond belief, and feel like you’re stuck in an endless cycle of failure and frustration.