If you’re feeling overwhelmed; if it seems like you never get any traction on the projects that you truly care about, try hitting the pause button.
The next time someone insists that you take on a new task, ask for a moment to think about it. If you’re at your desk feeling pulled in ten directions, close all your files (paper and digital) for a minute. Hit the pause button, allow your brain to re-boot and discover its priorities.
Pause long enough to evaluate what efforts are worth your time and what can simply wait. “I don’t have time to pause,” you argue. Can you afford not to?
Try it.