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- 5 Questions To Ask When You're Doing Too Much
5 Questions To Ask When You're Doing Too Much
"how do you do so much stuff??!!"

I get a lot of messages like this.
Yes. This is a real DM from my Instagram.
Yes. All caps does look like yelling.
Quite frankly, I would be yelling too.
When youāre not feeling productive, itās frustrating. Iāve been there so many times. Iāve had seasons when I felt completely useless and unextraordinary.
Not just years ago. Those feelings popped up recently, too.
We all go through it.
And while Iād love to tell you how I do ALL the thingsā¦
instead, I need to confess how this DM makes me feel.
I donāt take this comment as a compliment.
Let me explain.
If youād asked me how this made me feel in the first decade of my business, I would have said āmassively successful.ā I was SO PROUD of proving how many things I could do AND do relatively well.
But, in the last few years, Iāve learned a lot about how my ego-driven need for this recognition caused me to spend too much time trying to do everything instead of mastering something truly special.
When I read this comment, it makes me pause and think:
āUh oh. Iām doing too much.ā
Itās not a reason for concern. Itās a reminder to take a breath and reflect. These are the questions I ask myself when I think I might be doing too much:
Am I spending most of my work time on the one thing that gives me the most leverage? Shiny object syndrome is not just for those who struggle to focus. The world always tries to get us to pay attention to something new. Trouble begins when you convince yourself itās a good idea to do more things, distracting from the main thing. If there is one thing that gives you the most results for time spent, what if you optimized that and get more time and money back for it? Thatās energy well spent.
Have I been staring at my phone while around my kids lately? This is not a judgment of anyone else. Itās simply a question I ask myself. I know that if Iām staring at my phone after work regularly then Iām not managing my time appropriately. If there are still emails to check or emergencies to manage when itās time for me to see my family for the short time we get throughout the week, somethingās wrong. Thatās not the life I designed.
What was the hardest thing Iāve done lately? And did I love it? We can do hard things. I love doing hard things. What I donāt love is doing things that are hard for me but donāt need to be done by me at all. A hard thing that could have been either deleted or delegated, I need to call it out quickly.
What decision have I made recently that I now feel was the wrong call? What do I want to remember for next time? This question tends to surprise me more nowadays. For most people, you might find that this leads you to think about how youāre not good at saying ānoā to things you hate. For me, Iāve gotten so good at saying ānoā to most things that I sometimes look back and thinkā¦ āActually, that might have been a nice moment to be part of.ā Regardless, reflecting is important to realize where you stand in your current wisdom and your capability to choose whatās right for you. No matter what, you want to feel like youāre getting better at being honest about following through on choosing the best thing for you.
When was the last time I had fun? If all we ever do is optimize our time, are we really living? If you canāt remember the last time you had fun and itās all just a grind, you might be due to cut yourself a break. If all you ever do is have funā¦ well, it might be time to start grinding.

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