I Worked 10-Hour Days and Still Felt Behind – Until I Made This Shift
Have you ever ended your workday completely drained yet somehow still felt like you got nothing meaningful done? I’ve been there. For years, I was checking off tasks, responding to endless emails, and attending back-to-back Zoom meetings, but at the end of most days, I couldn’t point to a single high-impact achievement.
It felt like no matter how much I worked, I was always behind. And worst of all? I felt guilty for not doing enough.
But here’s what I eventually realized: the problem wasn’t that I wasn’t working hard – it was that I was working on the wrong things. I wasn’t doing productive remote work because I was too busy doing busy work.
The Hidden Trap of “Busy Work”
Many of us have been conditioned to believe that long hours equal productivity. But here’s the truth: being busy and being productive are not the same thing.
Busyness feels good because it gives us a sense of accomplishment. But if most of our energy goes into responding to Slack messages, jumping between projects, and attending unnecessary meetings, we’re not actually moving the needle on what matters most.
For remote professionals and managers, this is even more challenging. Without the structure of an office environment, it’s easy to get caught up in reactive work instead of proactively focusing on the high-impact tasks that will move the needle.
I can clearly remember a day when I fell into this trap. I had intended to spend my day developing a new course, but there was no urgency, no deadlines looming. So, when a team member reached out with a question, I jumped right into solving their problem. In hindsight, I should have coached them through it rather than doing it for them.
Then, I got pulled into a meeting about a project I wasn’t even working on – just providing “context.” After that, it was more emails and Slack messages. Before I knew it, the day was gone, and I hadn’t made any meaningful progress. That’s when it hit me: nothing I had done that day actually moved the needle. It felt like a day spent washing dishes.
The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything
The turning point came when I realized two crucial things: my time is my most valuable resource, and there’s no prize for effort in business—only results matter. Whether or not I made the sale, satisfied the customer, or moved the needle on my goals was what truly counted.
Every task I said “yes” to meant saying “no” to something else. That’s when I started asking myself one powerful question:
“If I could only accomplish one thing today, what would make the biggest impact?”
This simple shift transformed my approach to work. Instead of letting my day get hijacked by low-value tasks, I began:
- Time-blocking my deep work hours and protecting them fiercely.
- Batching small tasks like emails, instead of allowing them to interrupt focused work time.
- Defining my top 3 priorities each morning, so I always knew what actually mattered.
Since making these changes, my work has been more focused and productive than ever. I’m getting more done in less time, and the best part? I no longer feel guilty at the end of the day. I know that if I’ve focused on my top priorities and accomplished what truly mattered, I’ve had a successful day. There’s no more spinning my wheels on low-value tasks or letting distractions derail me. Now, I look at each day with clarity and confidence, knowing I’ve made real progress toward my goals. That sense of accomplishment is far more fulfilling than the exhaustion of endless busy work.
How You Can Apply This Shift Today
If you’re stuck in a cycle of busyness without meaningful results, here’s how you can start shifting:
- Look back at your calendar for the last week. Identify tasks that took up time but didn’t lead to meaningful outcomes. Ask yourself: Do I need to handle these differently, or can they be eliminated altogether?
- Ask: What are the 20% of tasks that drive 80% of my results? Focus more of your time and energy on these.
- Set one clear, high-impact goal each day. Before diving into your inbox or your to-do list, decide: What would make today feel like a success?
By making this shift, I stopped feeling overwhelmed by endless tasks and started making real progress. You can, too.
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If you’re tired of spinning your wheels and want to learn how to focus on what truly matters, let’s chat. Schedule a free coaching call with me today, and together, we’ll develop a strategy to help you get more done in less time – without the guilt. Click here to book your call now!