I'm so busy! How do you find time to do it all?

I’m overwhelmed! I have a lot of interesting things that keep me very busy and a lot of other requests that demand my time. Then there are things I want to do but I can’t find the time for. Do you have a methodology to handle this?

-Successful senior executive trying to figure out how to do it all

Dear Senior Executive,

It’s not about trying to do it all. It’s about doing what’s important. The higher you go in your career the bigger the problem becomes. That’s why it may be time to adopt a new mindset. One that embraces less is more. Bandwidth isn’t infinite.

Spend time on things that matter the most and give you joy. (Note this is AND not OR. Seeking both is non-negotiable and a necessary benchmark to use at this stage.)

I know that you are dealing with a lot of bomb-ins—things that come in and take cycles away. It’s best to deal with these quickly, either saying no or fitting it in. Do not say yes to everything; be precious with your time and intentional with things you are going to do.

It’s also important to build in some time to reflect and assess how things are going. Sit back multiple times a year and ask if what you are doing is still working. It would be amazing if everything you're working on is a high-quality endeavor that matters and you enjoy, but often life isn’t like that. Getting rid of what's not fulfilling gives you bandwidth to replace it with something that does. This is not a sign of failure or weakness. The late investment legend Charlie Munger famously talked about being willing to kill off ideas he fell in love with. He and Warren Buffett would wisely move things to a “too hard” pile and move on.

I appreciate that you asked about a methodology. Having a process in place to help you make decisions can be very helpful. I think it’s best to keep it simple:

1.???? What have you agreed to do that you have to live up to? I try to be a person of integrity. In other words, do what you say and say what you do.

2.???? That said, what have you committed to that is not working out the way you intended? Have you overcommitted? Which of these things is temporary (a lot of demands come and go) and what is ongoing? I would finish the finite commitment but see if it's possible to alter the ongoing one. Can you gracefully extricate yourself? What is the logical transition plan? Always be polite and respectful when you are extracting yourself or not re-upping.

3.???? This is not relevant for every situation, but when applicable, can you set things up so that you can work on what you enjoy and the people on your team can do the other parts? This is not about delegating to the team; it’s about growing the team. You can’t “set it and forget it” but instead teach them to do something new. In the best of both worlds, this helps them and frees you up.?

4.???? When considering new commitments, ask yourself, do I have the bandwidth, and can I give this my full attention? Also ask if it’s soul food. Be very judicious with what you commit to doing and make sure you have space and time to live up to all your commitments.

5.???? Keep an eye out for how everything is working. Ask yourself, did this end up how I hoped? Is this something I want more of or something I shouldn’t recommit to do?

I believe that people always find a way to do the things they really want to do. But that doesn't mean that it comes without tradeoffs. Therefore, what’s most important is knowing what you truly want so you can prioritize it.

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