What To Do When You Can't Get It All Done?

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

• A bunch of deadlines converge at the same time, or?
• You have back-to-back or overlapping events, product launches, etc., or?
• There’s a new crisis that requires 100% of your attention, or maybe even
• It’s an exciting time of momentum and opportunity, but you are working around the clock to accomplish your goals.?

I call these experiences convergences. And whatever convergence might be happening for you and whatever it looks like, even the most masterful time- and task-managers struggle with unexpected or epic convergences.

So what do you do to help yourself through times like these? Here are a few of the best tips and tricks that I’ve seen work from my many clients over the last 18 years.

#1 Most Important: Get Your Face Out of the Pool.

Have you ever been so consumed with work that it feels like you have your face in the water, your eyesight is blurry, but you can’t lift your head up to take a breath because there’s so much happening? You may even long to get perspective and see the sky again, but it’s hard when what’s most urgent and compelling is under the metaphorical water.

With urgency comes a belief that whatever’s happening requires your 100% frantic attention right now. But the best thing you can do for yourself, your work, and your body is to take an hour (at least) and step back.?

I know this might feel impossible. I can’t tell you how critical, necessary, and vital this is.

You need to look at the situation from a higher altitude so that you can clearly see the landscape in front of you. It’s critical to see the forest for the trees and identify a pathway through the woods you couldn’t see before.? It also helps to recognize that this is temporary; it won’t always be this way.?

How best to do this? Here are a few ideas.

1. Get away from your computer. Take a walk, take a drive, whatever you have to do. Breathe, step back.?
2. Schedule regular times when your only job is to step back and reflect. To your internal “Super Doer,” this will feel like a waste of time, but I assure you it’s the best investment you can make.?
3. Talk it through with a coach. Many of my clients use our already scheduled session times to step back and get perspective. I guide them through different exercises, visualizations, and inquiries to help them gain fast altitude and clarity.

#2 Engage Sharp and Clear Prioritization

Now that you have more perspective and clarity and you aren’t trying to breathe underwater, you can sharpen your focus on your priorities. There are lots of ways to do this; here are three of my favorite methods:

• Each Monday, assess your week. Ask, “What are my most critical priorities this week? Is my week set up to successfully meet those priorities? Is there anything I need to change?”?
• Each day, ask, “What’s the #1 most important thing I can do today?” Arrange your day to prioritize getting that one thing done.?
• Each night, assess what you’ve done and organize the following day

#3 - Delay, Delegate, Delete.

With priorities clarified, you can strategize and make some tough decisions. There are three frames you can consider for your strategy of how to get through the convergence.

Delay. Some things you can simply punt off for another day. For critical items you don’t want to risk dropping, I recommend scheduling them for a future date. This will give you peace of mind knowing it will get handled! It just can’t get handled right now. I also recommend communicating clearly with any stakeholders about what/why you are delaying (this could include friends and other loved ones). I’ve noticed that intentionally delaying tasks can immediately ratchet down someone’s stress levels.?

Delegate. This is especially important for you super self-sufficient high achievers. Who can support you and help you during this time? Consider delegating and asking for help on both personal and professional tasks. If your time of convergence is going to recur or last a while, and you have a critical gap in your team, consider investing some hours in training someone new. If you don’t have time for a full search and hire, consider freelance contractors you can find on sites like Upwork or Freelancer, or industry-specific temp agencies.?

Delete. Removing tasks from your to-do list requires some serious clarity, but there is usually some extra fat on your task list that can be trimmed. Trim as much as you can without creating unnecessary negative impacts.??

#4 - Create Adjusted and Automated Self-Care Routines

In a time of convergence, it’s hard (or impossible) to do your normal self-care routines. When we hit upon a wild and demanding time, exercise stops, diet gets irregular and less healthy, and time with friends (and sometimes family) goes by the wayside.?

You can sustain this for a very limited amount of time and still show up reasonably well. But – when facing ongoing stress, lack of sleep, etc. – most people fool themselves into believing that they are performing better than they actually are.?

Especially as a leader, if your vision, clarity, communication, etc. are eroded because of fatigue and overwork, then you fail to bring your best self to work when work needs your best self most.?

In other words, don’t ditch the self-care routine. Just adjust it. And then put it on autopilot – dial in the habits – so you don’t have to think about it.?

Here’s a quick brainstorm of ways my clients have woven mini-self-care routines into their crazy convergence schedules:

• 10-minute daily meditation
• 15-minute morning, lunch, or after-work workout
• Scheduling some meetings as walking meetings
• Taking 5-minute stretch breaks between meetings?
• Ordering healthy meal delivery services
• Scheduling at least one special date night or one special time with a friend each week (and guard it with your life!)
• Turning off your phone when spending quality time with your kids
• Ruthlessly keeping to a nighttime no-screen schedule and bedtime routine

The specifics don’t matter as much; what matters is that you do what you need to prevent the worst erosion of your mental physical, emotional, and social well-being. We are looking for sustainability, not perfection. So find the formula that works for you.

I hope that your time of convergence is affording you some interest, excitement, or promise of fulfilling a long-desired intention! I hope the tips today supported you, and I wish you luck on the wild ride.?

What are your best tips for getting through times of convergence? Share your experience in the comments - thank you.?

Need help getting your face out of the pool and finding clarity? Schedule a free 30-minute intro session with me.?