3 ways to re-frame "I have to get it all done"

Does the phrase “I have to get it all done!” live rent-free in your head?

After more than a decade of productivity research, I finally managed to kick that voice to the curb. In my quest to finally feel in control, I discovered I had to learn to let go.

3 ways to re-frame "I have to get it all done"

• I: You don’t have to do everything yourself. Delegate & empower.

• ALL: I guarantee there are things on your list that don’t need to get done. Eliminate & automate.

• DONE: Your rigid high standards are holding you back. Re-define done to strategically focus your time, energy, and attention.

What is Productivity?

I don’t think I can say it better than one of the biggest names in productivity, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits:

I have to get it all done: Learning to let go of the WHO

I was convinced that no one could execute as well as I could, so it was up to me to get it all done. I have a keen eye for detail you see, and all kinds of institutional knowledge that no one else had. But I kept getting busier, and busier.

Then I started to get a little cranky.

Ugh! Why are they interrupting me so often with questions!?! Can’t they see how busy I am?

I started to work later and later, just to get that quiet, uninterrupted focus time.

You see where this is going, right?

I burned out.

It’s a manager’s job to train and develop their team. Managers need to document key processes, clearly outline where others can make decisions, and teach them how to manage risk at a level appropriate for their role.

If you can’t take a few days off and be fully disconnected, you haven’t documented and delegated NEARLY enough. If you can’t take a few days off, you sure as heck can’t be promoted either.

Delegate

One of my favourite business books is “If You Want It Done Right, You Don’t Have to Do It Yourself!” by Donna M Genett. It’s 89 pages and is worth its weight in gold. Here is a little preview:

An overview of the Six Steps of Effective Delegation

1. Prepare beforehand

2. Clearly define the task to be completed

3. Clearly outline the time frame

4. Define level of authority

5. Identify checkpoints

6. Debrief

Common objections to letting go of the “who”

• No one else knows how to do it

  • train them

• I don’t have time to train

  • record yourself on video the next time you do it using Loom or Microsoft Stream, narrating as you go, and have the trainee compile a training manual from the video for your review. (I’ve used both!)

  • OR use a system like Tango or Scribe to automatically capture the steps (disclaimer: I haven’t used these apps myself)

• It’s too important for anyone else to do

  • You can still be the detailed reviewer and approver.

  • Ok, then find something else to delegate so you can free up more time to focus on important work like this.

Empower

I like control, you like control, you know who else likes control? Your team.

In Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink outlines three elements of motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Delegating effectively not only frees up your time, it empowers your team. A team with increased levels of autonomy, mastery, and purpose is going to be more engaged, deliver better results, with increased their work satisfaction.

My interests in productivity and technology are centered around improving the employee experience - yours AND theirs.

I have to get it ALL done: Learning to let go of the WHAT

Every day, every week, every month - your to do list keeps growing.

You’re drowning a little more each day, moving farther and farther away from the safety of shore. You see problems and opportunities everywhere, so on the list they go. People know they can count on you to take care of things, so they add to your list too.

You’re trying to focus on what’s most important, but the older items at the bottom of your list are weighing on you. Maybe you haven’t looked at the full list in a while, so focused on the hottest fires that you don’t want to look and see what you’ve forgotten.

Eliminate

I am 1000% certain that there are at least 5 things on your master to do list that don’t actually need to get done. Ever.

Can you think of one thing you could take off your list right now? Who’s waiting on that task? Would they even notice if you don’t complete it?

Once you admit that you’re never going to get it all done (easier said than done, I know), you can take a bottom-up approach and critically examine the older items on your list.

Be thoughtful about what’s NOT going to get done to maximize the time and energy you have available for what CAN be done.

If it doesn’t feel right to cross it off the list, move it to another list called “not gonna happen” or “nope”. As that list grows, be proud of yourself for saying NO so that you can say YES to what matters.

If you want to learn more about how to regularly review your list, read David Allen’s Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, one of my top recommendations for learning about productivity.

Automate

First look to eliminate, but before you delegate, get curious about automation.

Does someone need to manually enter invoices into the accounting system? Or could you use an optical character recognition (OCR) software like Dext to extract the invoice details automatically?

Does someone need to manually create a follow up task in your CRM when a lead submits an online form, or is there a Zap for that?

Don’t let AI intimidate you. There are a TON of automation opportunities using reputable tools that have been around for years. You don’t need to be cutting-edge to leverage the power of technology.

I have to get it all done: Learning to let go of the HOW

Are you a high achiever like me? Possibly with some perfectionist tendencies?

The first time I heard “done is better than perfect”, I scoffed. I worked in accounting so that obviously didn’t apply to me. We had to be accurate, precise, and well, perfect!

It took a very long time, but I finally accepted that even in accounting, not EVERYTHING had to be perfect.

Redefine “done” using the accounting concepts of materiality and risk management.

Materiality is whether or not something is important in a specific context. In accounting, “all items that are reasonably likely to impact investors’ decision-making must be recorded or reported in detail in a business’s financial statements” according to Harvard Business School Online.

In terms of productivity, I talk about materiality as the impact of what you do and how you do it.

Risk management comes into play in assessing where could things go wrong, and taking proactive steps to eliminate or mitigate risk where it makes sense to do so.

Let me be clear: I’m not suggesting you lower your standards.

I’m reminding you that you have a limited amount of time, energy and attention, just like every other human being on the planet. So spend your resources wisely.

Zooming out to the big picture

If you’re successful in clearing out some mental space as well as some time and energy, what’s next? Circling back to the definition of productivity, what is truly important to you? Ultimately, what are you trying to achieve? What goals are you striving for?

Gentle reminder the answer doesn’t always have to be "more”.

In this season of your life, your north star might be taking better care of yourself and preventing burnout. It might be spending more time with loved ones. It might be starting a new hobby, a side hustle, or climbing the corporate ladder.

The point is, only you get to decide what’s most important. The answer is personal, and it will evolve throughout your life.

Recommended reading from this post

• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

• Atomic Habits by James Clear

• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink

• If You Want It Done Right, You Don’t Have to Do It Yourself! by Donna M Genett