Are you doing too much?

In fact, are you doing too much? It seems like an odd question to ask right after one of the biggest vacation seasons of the year, but who hasn’t experienced the weariness that comes from trying to pack as much as possible in a limited amount of time?

The point is, when you’re trying to make an impact, you can get a little carried away. As leaders, we often feel called to step in when something needs to be done, especially when it is the impact we want to have. You may even be addicted to being busy, because culturally, that’s considered an advantage.

Getting carried away can take the form of excessive hustle, in which you seem to have no free time, and lead to exhaustion and abandonment of commitments. You may be able to handle being too busy for a while, but anything else can lead to less cash, burnout, and sadly less impact.

So what should be done?

First, recognize when you are too busy. Are you so tired or irritable that a good night’s sleep won’t cure it? If so, it’s time to adjust before things get worse.

Second, if you are doing too much, look for ways to reduce the load. Is there something you can Decrease, drop or delegate? This trio of possibilities gives you options. You may be able to decrease the scope of what you are doing and still have the same impact. You may be able to delegate some or all of it to someone else, who also wants to have that impact. Or it may be that it no longer needs to be done, or the ROI of the impact is minimal, so you can eliminate it entirely.

Third, take a break. You don’t always have to be the one to carry the load. In fact, you may be doing your team or colleagues a disservice by always stepping in. Let someone else step up or invite them to take over. Make this a practice, find ways to provide opportunities for others, and you will continue to do too much in line. As a leader, you are always modeling, so model a sustainable workload.

Your impact is important, as is your personal sustainability. Participate in the long term and you will have more impact.