If you're anything like me, you stare at your growing to-do list like it's the final boss in some sick and twisted game.
I looked at my list the other week, and everything felt urgent.
A client presentation needed tweaking. My inbox had a bunch of unread emails. That networking event seemed important for “building relationships.”
So I did what any rational person would do…
I panicked for a few minutes, then grabbed a coffee and tried not to pull my hair out.
Then, I spent exactly 15 minutes (I set a timer) categorizing every single task by actual impact versus how urgent it felt. I eliminated 31 items instantly and got more meaningful work done that day than I had all week.
Here’s what nobody tells you about productivity. The problem isn’t that we’re bad at doing things. We’re just terrible at choosing which things deserve our attention in the first place.
The “everything is important” trap
We’re drowning in a sea of tasks that all scream for attention. The average person juggles dozens of items on their daily list (I know I do), and honestly? Most of it is noise.
When everything feels urgent, nothing actually is. We’ve created this weird psychological trap where we confuse being busy with being productive.
The unfortunate and hidden cost is that those big, important goals that could actually change your life get buried under an avalanche of “quick tasks” and “just this once” commitments.
Where traditional advice falls short
Most productivity gurus focus on helping you do things faster. Time-blocking, the Pomodoro technique, etc. They’re all about optimizing your how without questioning your what.
These methods do have a time and place. Like if you’ve already figured out what’s worth doing. But they’re like having a V8 in a car with no steering wheel. You’ll go fast, but probably in the wrong direction.
Traditional productivity advice simply falls short when we optimize our execution without ever filtering our inputs.
A better way with radical reduction
Here’s what changed everything for me. I stopped trying to manage all my tasks better and started asking why I had so many tasks in the first place.
Instead of asking “How can I fit everything in?” I started asking “What actually deserves my attention?” It’s like Marie Kondo for your task list. Does this spark productivity, or just the illusion of it?
Here's how I approach it:
First, commit to a quarterly purge
Instead of weekly task shuffling, I do a brutal quarterly audit. I list every single project, commitment, and recurring obligation. Then I ask one ruthless question: "Does this directly support my 2-3 most important long-term goals?"
Everything else gets eliminated. And I mean everything.
The first time I did this, I cut 70% of what I was doing. My initial panic ("But what if...") gave way to relief when I realized I could actually focus on work that mattered.
Second, reflect on your natural rhythm
Here's where most productivity advice falls short. It treats every week like it should look the same. But for me, that's not how meaningful work happens.
Instead, I plan major projects on seasonal timescales (3-6 months). Some seasons are for deep, focused creation. Others are for planning, learning, or deliberate rest. I stopped fighting against natural energy cycles and started designing around them.
Third, focus on quality over quantity
Once you've eliminated your lowest value commitments, something magical happens. You can actually obsess over the quality of what remains. Every work day, I dedicate at least two 90-minute uninterrupted blocks to my 1-2 most important projects. No multitasking, no "quick checks" of email. The rest of my time gets spent on lower value/impact tasks that are still necessary to keep things running.
What I've found is that this tends to result in work that actually moves the needle!
Next steps
When you're ready to give it a shot, try the quarterly purge. Block 30 minutes this week to look at your list and be ruthlessly honest about what actually matters versus what just feels urgent.
I guarantee you'll accomplish more by committing to dramatically less. The goal isn't to manage your overwhelm better. Instead, it's to eliminate the sources of overwhelm entirely.
Your attention is your most valuable asset. Protect it.