This week, Reader, I had three conversations with clients that were all eerily similar, despite each coming from a different industry, role, and even geography. 🌎

They all asked basically the same thing:

"How do I get out from under an overwhelming workload?"

Maybe you've felt this too, or seen it happen to someone you love. 💕

Here's the first thing you need to know--it's not you. There's nothing wrong with you. You are enough.

(🛑 Stop there for a minute, poopsie. Make sure you're hearing me, not your big beautiful brain that's trying to tell you just to work harder, do more, and you''ll "eventually" catch up. NO NO NO. That's a lie, lie, lie, lie. Keep reading. )

The "too many priorities" issue isn't a new one by any means. I've written about it often, including in this article about what to do when you have too many priorities, and in Chapter 13 of my book which shares specific strategies to "Drop Some Balls."

But strategies don't seem to be enough.

What it's now taking to get out from under overwhelm and burnout is sometimes as simple as a three-letter word: AND.

Here's how.

Using AND instead of BUT accepts the reality of the situation and (see what I did there) turns the corner for change. For example, when we say BUT, it sounds like this:

• "My team is down two people BUT we keep getting the same number of requests coming in."

BUT makes it sound like nothing can change; like it's out of your control. It's NOT.

vs.

• "My team is down two people AND we keep getting the same number of requests coming in."

NOW, you've admitted the truth. It's just a circumstance, not a whine.

AND allows you to continue, often with SO . . .

• We're going to put a freeze on all new requests for a, b, and c until X date.
• I wanted to let you know that our team is prioritizing issues around A and B right now, and anything else goes on the list to review quarterly.
• For the next two months, I'll be focusing only on [big business priority] and so I'll step away from the XYZ-Waste-of-Time-This-Could-Have-Been-an-Email-Meeting.

AND helps you turn a corner toward a more manageable workload, where BUT puts up roadblocks and sounds defensive.

Not sure what you might suggest as a SO action? Read & share "Make Work Easier: 8 Experiments to Save Time, Money & Stress." ​

How about YOU, Reader? Where do you need to accept the reality of work with an AND, then change expectations around what you'll do about it with a SO? Hit REPLY and tell me what's happening for you. And be sure to share this with someone else in your life who might need a little boost.

Truth is, you & I aren't computers. We can't just add another chip to add bandwidth for more, more, more. We can't be the safety net, the sponge sucking up all the leftover work. So it's more important than ever to learn how to rethink old assumptions about what "done" looks like and what "good" looks like.

I'm watching people do this every day, so I know you can,too. And I'm here to help. Thanks for being here.

Always, Darcy

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P.S. If you're a leader or high-performing professional wrestling with overwhelm, burnout, or just too many damn priorities, know you're not alone, and you're not broken. But it's hard to change on your own. That's why clients who come to me with these issues always say they wish they'd invested in coaching for themselves sooner. So learn from them, and don't put it off. Let's talk about a professional coaching program customized just for you. Start here. Can't wait to talk to you. --D