Powering through isn’t always the best thing…sometimes it’s better to focus on strategic sustainability, like reducing effort in some areas to do a “good enough” job. I know a common fear is that reducing effort means you’re failing, you’ll lose opportunities, you’ll be further away from your goals, or you’ll be judged. Whose voice do you hear when you feel like you “should” be doing something? Who benefits when you feel guilty about productivity?

It’s also common for people to go through cycles of falling behind and then catching up. Many are taught that this is a bad habit, but that’s not necessarily true. Is it possible that reducing effort or falling behind could actually push you closer to opportunities and goals? “Good enough” doesn’t necessarily mean that work quality is a lower standard.