When I was in high school trying to balance sports, school, a job and my social life, my dad would take a long look at me as I was heading to the milking barn (see the bags under my eyes) and say to me, “You can’t burn the candle on both ends.”  I never liked that saying. Now, a few decades later, I find myself saying the same thing to many an emerging leader as they try to navigate all of the competing demands for their attention. 

What does this look like at work?

I start my day with a plan. By noon, that plan is irrelevant. By the end of the day, I have been super busy—but not effective. I didn’t move the needle on the things that really mattered.

I didn’t need to work harder.

I needed to prioritize better.

Five Steps to Working Efficiently & Reducing Burnout

Step One: Separate Urgent from Important

One of the most powerful shifts a leader can make is learning to distinguish between what is urgent and what is important.

Urgent tasks scream for your attention:

• Emails
• Deadlines
• Disruptions
• Complaints 

Important work moves your mission forward:

• Opportunities
• Strategy 
• Development of your people 
• Long-term decisions 

When everything is changing, urgent tasks multiply. If you’re not careful, they will consume your entire day. 

Ask yourself:

• What actually moves us forward? 
• What creates long-term value? 
• What only feels urgent because of someone else’s timeline? 

Great leaders don’t react to urgency—they decide what deserves their attention.

Step Two: Identify Your “One Thing”

When everything feels important, focus becomes impossible. That’s why you need a filter.

What is the one thing that, if you handle it well today, makes everything else easier or less important?

When I coach a soccer team, I don’t train everything at once. I focus on a key principle that unlocks performance. Defense is first for me. Then on to offense, followed by set plays, and so on. One thing at a time. I don’t move on until the principle is mastered. It can be frustrating for forwards and for some fans when we aren’t scoring lots of goals, but I’ve learned that championships are won on defense.

Leadership is no different.

Rely on what you believe in and are best at first. If you can win the day on one critical priority, you regain control.

Step Three: Control What You Can Influence

Change often brings uncertainty, and uncertainty creates anxiety.

We start worrying about outcomes we don’t control:

• Market forces
• Organizational decisions 
• Other people’s reactions 

Energy spent on what you can’t control is energy stolen from what you can.

Refocus your attention:

• What decisions are mine to make? 
• What actions can I take today? 
• Where can I create clarity for others? 

Step Four: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate 

Share your priorities with your team:

1. What matters most right now?
2. What’s changing, and what’s not?
3. What do you need from your team today?

When people understand priorities, they move with confidence. When they don’t, they hesitate—or worse, they move in different directions.

Step Five: Return to your Purpose

Change can make even the most confident leader feel unsteady. That’s why purpose matters more than ever. When you’re clear on why you lead, it becomes easier to decide what to prioritize.

Ask yourself:

• What impact do I want to have in this moment? 
• What does success actually look like TODAY—not someday? 

Purpose cuts through noise. It gives direction when everything else feels uncertain. I’ve seen this in sport time and time again. In the middle of a chaotic game—chanting crowd, momentum shifting, pressure rising—the best players don’t try to do everything. They simplify. They focus on their role. They execute the next play. We call it NEXT ACTION.

Leadership in times of change works the same way. You don’t need to solve the entire season today. You just need to take the NEXT ACTION. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, don’t ask: “How do I handle all of this?”

Ask yourself two refining questions instead:

“What matters most right now?” and, “What can I let go of?”

Clarity isn’t found in doing more. It’s found in choosing better, and in times of change, that’s what separates the leaders who survive and thrive. They shine brightly like a candle that leads the way for others.