Ever feel like there are never enough hours in the day? Like your plate is always overflowing and you’re drowning in information? Like everything is a priority – even though you know that “when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority”?

You’re not alone. Every leader I know wrestles with this same challenge. In a world where the pace is relentless and the inputs are endless, staying productive can feel like trying to drink from a firehose.

So the big question is: what can you do about it? How can you stay productive when there’s never enough time and you’re constantly fighting to keep your head above water?

Over the next three months, I’ll share a three-part blog series on practical strategies to help you lead more effectively and get more done – without burning out. We’ll start with the foundation: prioritization and time management. Then we’ll move into how to let go and empower your team, followed by becoming a better delegator to maximize both your productivity and your team’s potential.

Let’s dive into part one: Prioritization and Time Management.

Prioritization: Start with What Matters Most

Whether you’re leading a team, running a business, or just trying to manage your day, the first step to be more productive is to get crystal clear on your priorities.

1. Begin with Purpose

As a leader, your priorities should flow from your team’s purpose. Start by asking: Why does my team exist? What’s our mission? In other words, what does my team need to accomplish, and why?

Once you’re clear on that, identify the most important things you need to focus on in order for your team to succeed in that mission. These become your professional priorities.

Then take a step back and think about what matters most to you personally. What are the things that make you feel fulfilled, energized, and grounded? Being a leader doesn’t mean sacrificing your personal priorities; in fact, ignoring them is a recipe for burnout and resentment.

2. Narrow Your Focus

Once you’ve identified both your personal and professional priorities, it’s time to make some hard choices. Whittle your list down to your top five.

Yes – five.

It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Because if you don’t set your priorities, your day will be hijacked by someone else’s priorities. Trying to do everything means you’ll be mediocre at best at what really matters most. Great leadership – and a productive life – starts with being ruthlessly clear about what deserves your time and attention.

Time Management: Aligning Time with Priorities

Once you know your priorities, the next challenge is making sure your calendar reflects them.

There’s a quote I love by entrepreneur Kent Clothier: “Show me how you spend your time, and I’ll tell you what’s important to you.”

So here’s your next step: analyze your calendar from the past month. Be honest with yourself as you answer the following questions:

• What activities took up most of my time?
• Do they align with my top five priorities?
• If not, what needs to change?

Now let’s get practical about how to make those changes.

Questions to Help You Reclaim Your Time

You only get 24 hours a day. You can’t do everything, but you can do the most important things – if you’re intentional.

To be more productive, ask yourself:

• What are the things only I can do? These are tasks that require your expertise, authority, or vision. Focus your time here. It’s where you’re needed most as a leader, and where you add the most value to your team.
• What gives me the most energy? When you spend time doing things you love, you bring more enthusiasm, creativity, and stamina to work every day. Keep doing these.
• What can I eliminate or simplify? There may be recurring meetings, reports, or routines that are no longer serving an effective purpose. Rethink these. Can they be reduced or eliminated?
• Where am I spending time on low-impact activities? Identify tasks that drain your energy or don’t move the needle on your top priorities, then figure out how to reduce or delegate them.
• What could I delegate? (Spoiler alert: a lot more than you think – but we’ll dive deeper into this in part 3 of this series.)

The key to being more productive is to begin designing your time – not just reacting to what gets thrown at you.

A 4-Step Challenge to Boost Your Productivity

Ready to take action? Here’s a four-step challenge you can implement today:

1. Reflect on your top five priorities. Write them down. Keep them somewhere visible – on your desk, in your notebook, or on your phone.
2. Review your calendar from the past month. Compare where your time went versus what you said your priorities are.
3. Identify what needs to change. Be honest about any misalignments and specific about the changes you need to make.
4. Decide how you’ll make the changes. This could mean blocking time on your calendar for strategic thinking, saying “no” more often, or removing unnecessary commitments.

Then – this part’s important – find someone to hold you accountable. Whether it’s a peer, mentor, coach, or colleague, having someone check in on your progress can make all the difference.

Final Thought

You don’t have to accept chaos and stress as the cost of leadership. You can be productive and purposeful, even in the whirlwind – if you take the time to identify what matters most and align your time accordingly.

So let’s start here. Keep the main things the main things.

Stay tuned for the next part of this series, where we’ll explore how to let go of the things you’re holding onto and start empowering your team to share the load.

Until next time – here’s to working smarter, not harder. And if you need a coach to help hold you accountable, let’s chat.