April 6, 2026
When Doing More Isn’t Better: A Smarter Approach to Leadership and Productivity
If you’ve ever felt like doing more should lead to better results—but somehow leaves you feeling stuck—this episode is for you. In this conversation, we explore a common belief many of us have been taught: that more effort automatically leads to success. But is that really true?
In this episode of Crossroads and Catalysts, Shenita breaks down the difference between effort and effectiveness in leadership and everyday life. You’ll learn why doing more can sometimes create confusion, dilute your message, and slow your progress instead of moving you forward.
Through real-life examples—from overextending in relationships to overperforming at work without clear direction—this episode highlights how overdoing it can lead to burnout, frustration, and missed opportunities. More importantly, it offers a smarter approach to leadership and productivity rooted in clarity, intention, and self-leadership.
This episode is perfect for leaders, professionals, and anyone focused on personal growth who wants to strengthen their leadership skills, improve productivity, and make more intentional decisions that actually lead to results.
If you’re ready to stop overdoing and start leading with purpose, this conversation will help you rethink what it really means to be effective.
🎧 Listen now and discover how to shift from doing more to doing what truly matters.
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Need support as you navigate doing less or want to talk through other leadership challenges? Schedule time on my calendar.
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WEBVTT
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[SPEAKER_00]: What feels productive looks like progress, but still leaves you stuck.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I've got an answer in mind and I want to know if it matches yours, so we'll compare notes on the other side.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Crossroads in Catalyst.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm your host, Shneetabee.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This is where we explore how a thoughtful, wise, and strategic perspective at Lysu Crossroads can become the catalyst for meaningful change in your leadership and life's direction.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So are you ready to exchange notes?
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[SPEAKER_00]: What I add in mind is doing more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I just want you to think about it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It does feel productive and it looks like progress.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And it can sometimes leave you feeling stuck.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I know that a lot of us have the false notion that if we just do more that it'll work out in the end and that everything will be okay, but is that a universal truth or is that just wishful thinking.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because if doing more was really the answer, wouldn't all of us be exactly where we want to be at this point in time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that we know better.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And before we jump into all of the information, I want to hear if you have any other old adages that you've simply accepted as true without giving it a second thought just because you've heard it repeatedly over the years like it was some mantra.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So go to my website crossroads in catalyst.com and leave a voicemail and let me know.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And while you're there, make sure that you hit the follow button so that you don't miss the episode notifications.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I think for a lot of us, doing more is really just the default response for everything from raising kids to getting promotions.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what was the last uncomfortable situation that you were in?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Were you recall that just simply doing more was getting you better results?
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[SPEAKER_00]: I was in the process of designing some business cards and this is really something that kind of came into my mind and it just, as I started to think about it a little more, I just was able to broaden it because it's so applicable and in some of the most insignificant things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But of course it applies to some of the most significant things too.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I thought that, you know, as I was creating this business car that just adding one more line or QR code was improving the car, but really when I stepped back and took a look at it, I was not at all pleased with that I realized that I was only adding confusion to this car.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It was just kind of getting way, way bigger than what I anticipated, and so I was reminded that it is not always helpful, necessary, or even useful to do more or to add more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And because I was getting lost in what I thought was an enhancement, I didn't really feel as if I was overdoing something in those moments.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But really, this is how things show up in our own lives.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It starts off small.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And when you take something like do a more a step further in whatever context it is, even when it comes to helping people, it can get way out of control.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And think about it, when you talk about helping people and probably I should really say enabling people,
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[SPEAKER_00]: You start to see that doing more, it breaks down, okay?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because you continue to do more for people who have clearly demonstrated that they're incapable or even unwilling to do better.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But it's not working out, and I know that you can recognize that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: As sometimes it can, but there are always exceptions to the rules, but we don't live our lives necessarily by the exception.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We don't make the decisions necessarily by the exception.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So then when you transition at to the work space, then think about it, you have a lot of people who are working hard every day and you are in that category, I'm sure.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And by doing more, sometimes you're having the rug pulled from under you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I have a client right now who has experienced this very thing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They had a boss who kept telling them to just do more, but they weren't getting anything specific as far as what it is that they were supposed to do, just basically keep doing
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[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, all of this was to know a veil because they weren't getting anywhere.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They weren't making any progress.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I think what was even more frustrating for my client was they were doing what they understood was the advice and the counsel and guidance that they were being given from their boss.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But when there is no clarity, when people are just saying things to you and or you're saying things to them and there's not a common understanding as to what actions are actually supposed to be executed.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, then we're talking about a moving target.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that was what was going on within my client's specific situation.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And no matter how much they did, it was never enough.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so unfortunately, people will sabotage you because they can.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is not to say that it is particularly with a design in mind,
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[SPEAKER_00]: but that's the end result.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Unfortunately for my client, they took my advice and they pursued other opportunities, but a lot of you are feeling stuck because you're continuing to do more, you're not really clear on what it is that you're supposed to be doing or you have an idea in mind and you're just continuing to do the same thing or more of the same thing and it is not working out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so my point is that doing more and it working out in the end is not a universal truth.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that it should remind you that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So now what you really have to do is you have to look at the effort versus effectiveness dynamic and I think the simplest way to think about this is to look at it like this effort is going to ask you how much am I doing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: how much work do I have to do?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then the effectiveness is asking you, is it actually working?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Is the work that I'm doing actually getting me to my specific goal to meet my objective?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And like I mentioned earlier, there's a default mode.
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[SPEAKER_00]: that we settle on.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And it's simply to just do more of the same.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that is part of the reason why things are not shifting, the way that you want.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because you haven't reassessed is what I'm doing, working, is doing more of what I was already in the process of doing, working.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so you have to ask yourself if the effort is paying off.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's not always an easy question for us to answer, because effort feels like progress.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If I just do something, or if I just do what is familiar, then it's going to produce the results.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But ultimately, it's not producing the results.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because you haven't made any of the progress.
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[SPEAKER_00]: that you anticipate it making.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And when you do more, you're trying to squeeze things in, what you're actually getting versus what do you want to get, might be two different things, just like what you're trying to communicate versus what you want to communicate may not align.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is because you are sending mixed signals and it's not just that you're sending this to other people.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You are sending these mixed signals to yourself.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll give you an example or two because I think that this is where it gets real and we can really start to see how we even send mixed signals to ourselves.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you're dating someone and because they don't have their life together, you're doing things that you might not otherwise do and if maybe a friend shared some of the things that they were doing that you are now doing you might just look at them with the side I and just say are you sure that you really want to do that so take for instance.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you'd like to say you're dating someone and because they, again, they don't have their lives together, they're sliding that credit card under the table So that they can say face and appear as if they're the ones who are taking care of business.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They're responsible.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They got it going on, right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And as if that's not enough They don't even have drivers license and they don't even have their own vehicle and because of those circumstances and they haven't done anything to try to improve their circumstances Well now you're letting them drive your car
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[SPEAKER_00]: OK, so I think we can see where this is going.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And it might sound like it's far-fetched, but this kind of thing happens all the time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what was the effort?
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're putting forth a front to appear that everything is working just fine.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The relationship is great.
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[SPEAKER_00]: but wasn't effective.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll say this, if the goal was to fool everyone into believing that this was a good relationship and that both parties in the relationship had their life together, their lives together, well, it might have worked, it might have been effective.
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[SPEAKER_00]: but recognizing that that is not the goal to misrepresent who a person is and what they have going on in their lives, then that's not the ideal, and that's not the goal.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so it was only effective at making you do more of what you did not want to do anyway, which was support bad behavior, and probably some bad character at that, but okay, we're going to keep going.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So then you take that and you look at the professional side of things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That same type of behavior can play out and work.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so think about, you have a report that's due, and you're trying to figure out what it is to make this better, or you think that you're making it better by including additional details that might not even be pertinent, or you're adding additional narratives to explain things, that
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[SPEAKER_00]: that might just confuse the overall report and what is supposed to be conveyed.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And part of why you're doing this is because you might just not really know how to stop or when to stop.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Or how about you have somebody on your team who actually needs to hear some feedback from you that will help them.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But instead of doing that, you gloss over the problem and you make up the difference yourself.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you start doing more because you think
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[SPEAKER_00]: What is helpful in that situation or go go this direction?
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[SPEAKER_00]: What about when things are presented to you?
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[SPEAKER_00]: You just say yes to everything and you think that it's gonna win you favor and that it's really gonna help you to to get to where you want to be But really all of this does is it can communicate to other people that you don't have any boundaries
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[SPEAKER_00]: And these things can be detrimental to your career, to your life, and to your sanity.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why I say sanity because sometimes you might feel like, am I crazy?
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[SPEAKER_00]: I just feel like I have so much on my plate and I'm not being appreciated or I'm not making any progress, I'm not getting promoted or you name it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It could be applicable.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, it, and it might seem a little facetious, but there's a change of truth there.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so you do want to take it seriously.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if you've taken on things that do not belong to you, then you have lost the purpose behind that thing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and you're trying to obtain an outcome that cannot be secured by the means that you have implemented.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so then of course, because of all of these other things, you've taken on more and you're not seeing any progress from it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, now you're confused and you're a little disillusioned.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so you might end up irritated and ejected and before you know it, this could spend completely out of control and you're not even sure what you're supposed to do next.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that is the difference between effort and effectiveness.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If you recognize that the effort is really not as effective and attaining the end that you had in mind, well then you know that it's time for you to reassess.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is why leading yourself is imperative because you have to be able to
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so what this does is it causes you to miss the big picture when you continue to just add more to your plate, even when you think that it's going to make something better, it's going to enhance it and what that also does is it causes you to miss out on some opportunities.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And really, if you want the fruit of your labor, then you have to plant the right seeds.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so before you add one more thing to your list of things to do or things to improve and enhance a task or a thing or even a person that asks yourself this, is this necessary?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Or am I just uncomfortable stopping the process?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And believe me, routines and habits are hard to break even when we know that they are ineffective or problematic, which is why we get stuck in a rut, because it feels comfortable.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's like that old shoe.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's easy to throw those old shoes on even though they are completely worn out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Then it is to try on that new pair of shoes and break them in.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes you're going to have to do things a little bit differently.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so what you're going to have to do is you're going to have to get clear on what it is that you actually want.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because if you don't define what is supposed to look like, you're going to keep doing things and hoping.
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[SPEAKER_00]: that it is successful, hoping that it works.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But you're gonna find that you're disappointed when it doesn't.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So instead of asking, what else is it that I can do?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Ask yourself what it is that you can remove.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You don't always have to add more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You can remove things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what that will do for you is it will free up your time and it will free up your space, your calendar, your thoughts.
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[SPEAKER_00]: you'll be able to look at the picture as it really is and see it a lot more clearly.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, clarity will oftentimes come from subtraction, not addition.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and you want to uncrowl your life and make it easier so that you can see a thing for what it is.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And when you do it like that, you're applying a strategy to your life.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so this is where being strategic about where you want to take this is going to help you to strengthen your leadership and achieve your goals.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And not only that, this is really where the true leadership comes in.
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[SPEAKER_00]: because leadership is doing the things that matter and eliminating the things that are just busy work.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You don't want to have to constantly filter through things that are irrelevant, obsolete, and unimportant.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You want to focus on the things that are actually going to be impactful and and cause some transformation because ultimately isn't that what you want is some transformation.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then this is really going to help to bring some awareness so that you can recognize when something is not bringing some incremental change.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't want there to be any confusion.
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[SPEAKER_00]: When you start making changes,
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[SPEAKER_00]: they might be really small in the very beginning.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But do not despise small things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Those small changes are going to be what lead you to the big changes to the major shifts that you really want.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's going to require you to exercise some discipline so that you can stop and reassess and choose the options differently as is needed.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, and that definitely is not going to be easy, especially when you've been taught or even imposed upon yourself the belief that simply doing more is going to be the answer to the problem.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, the leadership is going to start with how you lead yourself.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And sometimes leading yourself means that you have to know when you have to do less, period.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So ask yourself where in your life are you doing more without any clear evidence that it is actually working.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is going to take you being reflective on what the scenario is, what contributes to it, how you've contributed to it, how did you get to that place and just think it about where you actually want that to land.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And not only that, you have to ask yourself what would it look like to lead yourself differently in that area, because if you can master this in your own life, then you're going to show up as a way more effective leader everywhere else, but it starts with you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I want you to remember that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if you need some support as you figure out the next steps so that you can reduce the burden of just simply doing more, then schedule some time on my calendar.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to find the link in the show notes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I want you to be sure to follow the show and share it with at least one person.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because if you're going through this, there's someone you know who is probably going through the same thing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We don't want to just take on more
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[SPEAKER_00]: just simply for the sake of doing extra.
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[SPEAKER_00]: At some point, you got to realize that you're doing too much.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and you need to recognize when it's time to cut some things out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so I appreciate that you have listened today and be sure again to visit my website crossroads in catalyst.com and sign up for the newsletter, the catalyst.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll leave the link for the show notes, excuse me, in the show notes as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So until next time, be thoughtful, be wise, be strategic, and remember.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Crossroads reveal who you are, catalyst shape who you become, every decision matters, so make it count.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll talk to you next week.
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[SPEAKER_00]: What feels productive looks like progress, but still leaves you stuck.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I've got an answer in mind and I want to know if it matches yours, so we'll compare notes on the other side.
00:16.400 --> 00:17.882
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Crossroads in Catalyst.
00:18.003 --> 00:19.325
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm your host, Shneetabee.
00:19.805 --> 00:29.200
[SPEAKER_00]: This is where we explore how a thoughtful, wise, and strategic perspective at Lysu Crossroads can become the catalyst for meaningful change in your leadership and life's direction.
00:29.942 --> 00:31.704
[SPEAKER_00]: So are you ready to exchange notes?
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[SPEAKER_00]: What I add in mind is doing more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I just want you to think about it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It does feel productive and it looks like progress.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And it can sometimes leave you feeling stuck.
00:43.838 --> 00:53.813
[SPEAKER_00]: I know that a lot of us have the false notion that if we just do more that it'll work out in the end and that everything will be okay, but is that a universal truth or is that just wishful thinking.
00:54.654 --> 01:02.185
[SPEAKER_00]: Because if doing more was really the answer, wouldn't all of us be exactly where we want to be at this point in time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that we know better.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And before we jump into all of the information, I want to hear if you have any other old adages that you've simply accepted as true without giving it a second thought just because you've heard it repeatedly over the years like it was some mantra.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So go to my website crossroads in catalyst.com and leave a voicemail and let me know.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And while you're there, make sure that you hit the follow button so that you don't miss the episode notifications.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I think for a lot of us, doing more is really just the default response for everything from raising kids to getting promotions.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what was the last uncomfortable situation that you were in?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Were you recall that just simply doing more was getting you better results?
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[SPEAKER_00]: I was in the process of designing some business cards and this is really something that kind of came into my mind and it just, as I started to think about it a little more, I just was able to broaden it because it's so applicable and in some of the most insignificant things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But of course it applies to some of the most significant things too.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I thought that, you know, as I was creating this business car that just adding one more line or QR code was improving the car, but really when I stepped back and took a look at it, I was not at all pleased with that I realized that I was only adding confusion to this car.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It was just kind of getting way, way bigger than what I anticipated, and so I was reminded that it is not always helpful, necessary, or even useful to do more or to add more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And because I was getting lost in what I thought was an enhancement, I didn't really feel as if I was overdoing something in those moments.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But really, this is how things show up in our own lives.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It starts off small.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And when you take something like do a more a step further in whatever context it is, even when it comes to helping people, it can get way out of control.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And think about it, when you talk about helping people and probably I should really say enabling people,
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[SPEAKER_00]: You start to see that doing more, it breaks down, okay?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because you continue to do more for people who have clearly demonstrated that they're incapable or even unwilling to do better.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But it's not working out, and I know that you can recognize that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: As sometimes it can, but there are always exceptions to the rules, but we don't live our lives necessarily by the exception.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We don't make the decisions necessarily by the exception.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So then when you transition at to the work space, then think about it, you have a lot of people who are working hard every day and you are in that category, I'm sure.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And by doing more, sometimes you're having the rug pulled from under you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I have a client right now who has experienced this very thing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They had a boss who kept telling them to just do more, but they weren't getting anything specific as far as what it is that they were supposed to do, just basically keep doing
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[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, all of this was to know a veil because they weren't getting anywhere.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They weren't making any progress.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I think what was even more frustrating for my client was they were doing what they understood was the advice and the counsel and guidance that they were being given from their boss.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But when there is no clarity, when people are just saying things to you and or you're saying things to them and there's not a common understanding as to what actions are actually supposed to be executed.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, then we're talking about a moving target.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that was what was going on within my client's specific situation.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And no matter how much they did, it was never enough.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so unfortunately, people will sabotage you because they can.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is not to say that it is particularly with a design in mind,
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[SPEAKER_00]: but that's the end result.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Unfortunately for my client, they took my advice and they pursued other opportunities, but a lot of you are feeling stuck because you're continuing to do more, you're not really clear on what it is that you're supposed to be doing or you have an idea in mind and you're just continuing to do the same thing or more of the same thing and it is not working out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so my point is that doing more and it working out in the end is not a universal truth.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that it should remind you that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So now what you really have to do is you have to look at the effort versus effectiveness dynamic and I think the simplest way to think about this is to look at it like this effort is going to ask you how much am I doing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: how much work do I have to do?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then the effectiveness is asking you, is it actually working?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Is the work that I'm doing actually getting me to my specific goal to meet my objective?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And like I mentioned earlier, there's a default mode.
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[SPEAKER_00]: that we settle on.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And it's simply to just do more of the same.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that is part of the reason why things are not shifting, the way that you want.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because you haven't reassessed is what I'm doing, working, is doing more of what I was already in the process of doing, working.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so you have to ask yourself if the effort is paying off.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's not always an easy question for us to answer, because effort feels like progress.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If I just do something, or if I just do what is familiar, then it's going to produce the results.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But ultimately, it's not producing the results.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because you haven't made any of the progress.
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[SPEAKER_00]: that you anticipate it making.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And when you do more, you're trying to squeeze things in, what you're actually getting versus what do you want to get, might be two different things, just like what you're trying to communicate versus what you want to communicate may not align.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is because you are sending mixed signals and it's not just that you're sending this to other people.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You are sending these mixed signals to yourself.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll give you an example or two because I think that this is where it gets real and we can really start to see how we even send mixed signals to ourselves.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you're dating someone and because they don't have their life together, you're doing things that you might not otherwise do and if maybe a friend shared some of the things that they were doing that you are now doing you might just look at them with the side I and just say are you sure that you really want to do that so take for instance.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you'd like to say you're dating someone and because they, again, they don't have their lives together, they're sliding that credit card under the table So that they can say face and appear as if they're the ones who are taking care of business.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They're responsible.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They got it going on, right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And as if that's not enough They don't even have drivers license and they don't even have their own vehicle and because of those circumstances and they haven't done anything to try to improve their circumstances Well now you're letting them drive your car
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[SPEAKER_00]: OK, so I think we can see where this is going.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And it might sound like it's far-fetched, but this kind of thing happens all the time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what was the effort?
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're putting forth a front to appear that everything is working just fine.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The relationship is great.
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[SPEAKER_00]: but wasn't effective.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll say this, if the goal was to fool everyone into believing that this was a good relationship and that both parties in the relationship had their life together, their lives together, well, it might have worked, it might have been effective.
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[SPEAKER_00]: but recognizing that that is not the goal to misrepresent who a person is and what they have going on in their lives, then that's not the ideal, and that's not the goal.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so it was only effective at making you do more of what you did not want to do anyway, which was support bad behavior, and probably some bad character at that, but okay, we're going to keep going.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So then you take that and you look at the professional side of things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That same type of behavior can play out and work.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so think about, you have a report that's due, and you're trying to figure out what it is to make this better, or you think that you're making it better by including additional details that might not even be pertinent, or you're adding additional narratives to explain things, that
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[SPEAKER_00]: that might just confuse the overall report and what is supposed to be conveyed.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And part of why you're doing this is because you might just not really know how to stop or when to stop.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Or how about you have somebody on your team who actually needs to hear some feedback from you that will help them.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But instead of doing that, you gloss over the problem and you make up the difference yourself.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you start doing more because you think
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[SPEAKER_00]: What is helpful in that situation or go go this direction?
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[SPEAKER_00]: What about when things are presented to you?
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[SPEAKER_00]: You just say yes to everything and you think that it's gonna win you favor and that it's really gonna help you to to get to where you want to be But really all of this does is it can communicate to other people that you don't have any boundaries
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[SPEAKER_00]: And these things can be detrimental to your career, to your life, and to your sanity.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why I say sanity because sometimes you might feel like, am I crazy?
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[SPEAKER_00]: I just feel like I have so much on my plate and I'm not being appreciated or I'm not making any progress, I'm not getting promoted or you name it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It could be applicable.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, it, and it might seem a little facetious, but there's a change of truth there.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so you do want to take it seriously.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if you've taken on things that do not belong to you, then you have lost the purpose behind that thing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and you're trying to obtain an outcome that cannot be secured by the means that you have implemented.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so then of course, because of all of these other things, you've taken on more and you're not seeing any progress from it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, now you're confused and you're a little disillusioned.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so you might end up irritated and ejected and before you know it, this could spend completely out of control and you're not even sure what you're supposed to do next.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that is the difference between effort and effectiveness.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If you recognize that the effort is really not as effective and attaining the end that you had in mind, well then you know that it's time for you to reassess.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is why leading yourself is imperative because you have to be able to
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so what this does is it causes you to miss the big picture when you continue to just add more to your plate, even when you think that it's going to make something better, it's going to enhance it and what that also does is it causes you to miss out on some opportunities.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And really, if you want the fruit of your labor, then you have to plant the right seeds.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so before you add one more thing to your list of things to do or things to improve and enhance a task or a thing or even a person that asks yourself this, is this necessary?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Or am I just uncomfortable stopping the process?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And believe me, routines and habits are hard to break even when we know that they are ineffective or problematic, which is why we get stuck in a rut, because it feels comfortable.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's like that old shoe.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's easy to throw those old shoes on even though they are completely worn out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Then it is to try on that new pair of shoes and break them in.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes you're going to have to do things a little bit differently.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so what you're going to have to do is you're going to have to get clear on what it is that you actually want.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because if you don't define what is supposed to look like, you're going to keep doing things and hoping.
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[SPEAKER_00]: that it is successful, hoping that it works.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But you're gonna find that you're disappointed when it doesn't.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So instead of asking, what else is it that I can do?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Ask yourself what it is that you can remove.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You don't always have to add more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You can remove things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what that will do for you is it will free up your time and it will free up your space, your calendar, your thoughts.
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[SPEAKER_00]: you'll be able to look at the picture as it really is and see it a lot more clearly.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, clarity will oftentimes come from subtraction, not addition.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and you want to uncrowl your life and make it easier so that you can see a thing for what it is.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And when you do it like that, you're applying a strategy to your life.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so this is where being strategic about where you want to take this is going to help you to strengthen your leadership and achieve your goals.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And not only that, this is really where the true leadership comes in.
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[SPEAKER_00]: because leadership is doing the things that matter and eliminating the things that are just busy work.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You don't want to have to constantly filter through things that are irrelevant, obsolete, and unimportant.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You want to focus on the things that are actually going to be impactful and and cause some transformation because ultimately isn't that what you want is some transformation.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then this is really going to help to bring some awareness so that you can recognize when something is not bringing some incremental change.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't want there to be any confusion.
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[SPEAKER_00]: When you start making changes,
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[SPEAKER_00]: they might be really small in the very beginning.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But do not despise small things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Those small changes are going to be what lead you to the big changes to the major shifts that you really want.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's going to require you to exercise some discipline so that you can stop and reassess and choose the options differently as is needed.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, and that definitely is not going to be easy, especially when you've been taught or even imposed upon yourself the belief that simply doing more is going to be the answer to the problem.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, the leadership is going to start with how you lead yourself.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And sometimes leading yourself means that you have to know when you have to do less, period.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So ask yourself where in your life are you doing more without any clear evidence that it is actually working.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is going to take you being reflective on what the scenario is, what contributes to it, how you've contributed to it, how did you get to that place and just think it about where you actually want that to land.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And not only that, you have to ask yourself what would it look like to lead yourself differently in that area, because if you can master this in your own life, then you're going to show up as a way more effective leader everywhere else, but it starts with you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I want you to remember that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if you need some support as you figure out the next steps so that you can reduce the burden of just simply doing more, then schedule some time on my calendar.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to find the link in the show notes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I want you to be sure to follow the show and share it with at least one person.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because if you're going through this, there's someone you know who is probably going through the same thing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We don't want to just take on more
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[SPEAKER_00]: just simply for the sake of doing extra.
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[SPEAKER_00]: At some point, you got to realize that you're doing too much.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and you need to recognize when it's time to cut some things out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so I appreciate that you have listened today and be sure again to visit my website crossroads in catalyst.com and sign up for the newsletter, the catalyst.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll leave the link for the show notes, excuse me, in the show notes as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So until next time, be thoughtful, be wise, be strategic, and remember.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Crossroads reveal who you are, catalyst shape who you become, every decision matters, so make it count.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll talk to you next week.