The #1 reason why you are not more productive

I have learned from coaching a wide variety of people, from CEO to interns, that the hardest workers often feel overwhelmed, NOT because they cannot set priorities, but because they have too many competing interests.

They want to make one more important call or finish one last task before they go home. But that extra effort comes at a cost, like spending quality time with kids before bedtime.

Or they skip the gym to accommodate a key client, but when they do this too often, they stress over their overall health or weight gain.

All four interests are equally important: Bringing in the money, making clients happy, staying vibrant and healthy, and connecting with the kids. 

The reality is that there are only so many hours in a day. And overwhelm or a sense of being overloaded set in when we overspend them at work.

These feelings are signals that prompt you to reevaluate what is most important to you. Every emotion is a call to action.

When you feel overwhelmed or overloaded, your emotions tell you that it is time to distinguish between what is a necessity versus what is a desire.

Your call to action is to prioritize your list by asking yourself the following questions:

• Is this goal or activity relevant to be my future best self?
• Would I do this regardless of money, status, recognition, or power?
• Will it still matter in five years from now?

If you answer ‘NO’ to any of these, find a way to dump or delegate the task.

Remember that you have only three things in life that truly matter:

• Time, which is finite
• Your gifts and talents – that you are either born with or have acquired
• Treasures, such as your family, friends, relationships, and clients

Use your time wisely by stopping to ask yourself in the morning: 'What do I need to do?’

Ask instead: 'What do I want to achieve with the time, talents, and treasures available to me?”

The whole game will change for you.