Are You Overcommitted And Underperforming?

Do you feel like you’re in constant motion, yet never seem to get anywhere?

Chances are you’re caught on the ‘overcommitted and underperforming’ merry-go-round of today.

I’ve been there, and I see it all the time.

It happens when we stretch ourselves too thin across projects, pursuits and workload.

We reach a tipping point where we no longer perform at our best. Work volume exceeds our capacity, making it difficult to prioritise any one task. The result? Little gets our true attention and we produce below our potential.

How can we stop the merry-go-round and actually get somewhere?

Here are a few culprits and what we can do about them.

1. Opportunity overload

There are so many things we could do – the possibilities are endless. No sooner do we embark on one endeavour, another opportunity presents itself. Maybe I should do this? Perhaps I should join that?

So we collect these new activities like gathering Easter eggs.

After all, who wants to miss an opportunity?

Unfortunately, there’s a downside. Each time we take on something new, we dilute the focus and attention from our current commitments. We risk becoming starters of many, finishers of none. Flexibility is an important element of entrepreneurship or running your own show. Just be aware when too much on your plate keeps you stationary, and not advancing forward.

Action >> Start with a good dose of honest reality. 

• Review what you’re juggling compared to your time and energy available.
• Analyse how everything fits into the context of your day. What gets accomplished, what gets squeezed out? Notice any patterns?
• If one more opportunity comes down the road, where will it fit or what must shift to make room? Are you willing to give up extra hours of your evening or family time?
• Be honest. If you’re not advancing what’s already on your plate, develop the habit of saying ‘no’ more often.

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2. False comparisons

“But Mom, everyone’s doing it!” It’s easy to get swept up in what everyone else is doing. Look who’s just published another book, launched another video series, and working on season 5 of their podcast. I should be doing that, too! (Actually, yes, I should…but I digress!)

The point is, comparing yourself to others based on what you ‘see’ is often a recipe for disappointment. If you become fixated on someone else’s results, you detract the focus from your own.

What we don’t know is where anyone else is behind-the-scenes. By all means be inspired by those who are doing what you’re aspiring to do. Just bear in mind, their success didn’t happen overnight. Plus, their circumstances and resources might be completely different to yours.

Getting sidetracked by the hype may lead to taking on more than you can chew, when you’re not quite there yet.

Action >> Redirect your focus

• Use the inspiration from others to keep you moving forward, one measure at a time.
• Put blinkers on and focus on the next immediate step in your own game to give you momentum.
• Or, ask someone who’s where you’d like to be for advice on how they managed getting there.

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3. Super humans, not superhuman

There are amazing feats to be accomplished, and we’re ambitious, competent, talented professionals who can do the job. Line up any number of tasks or assignments and I’m confident we can knock each one out of the ballpark.

Herein, I believe, lies part of the issue and why we overcommit.

Say we have five business initiatives lined up. Each one on its own is completely doable. Because we know we’re capable of doing each, we deduce that we can manage them all at once.

The reality? Productivity crumbles. We can only do so much. Our time, energy, and resources can only stretch so far. A limited number of tasks or projects at a time is workable, but add even one too many and we’re overcommitted and underperforming. We reach a point of diminishing returns.

Imagine, if you only had to focus on one or two key projects and let the rest go, for now, how would you feel – relief? focus? more control?

Action >> Time to decide

• Determine which of all your current projects will have the greatest impact or yield.
• Commit to focusing your efforts on those select targets until completion, putting the rest on hold.
• Know your personal point of diminishing returns so you can monitor your workload for your best productivity.
• Make peace with yourself, your capacity and the tasks you’ve chosen to concentrate on for now. Then swiftly set to work on them.

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Final thoughts

To sum it up…

1. Avoid overcommitting to too many opportunities by taking a realistic view of your current activities in relation to your time and energy available. Learn to say ‘no’.

2. Don’t be lulled into overcommitting yourself based on the hype of what others are doing. Redirect your focus to your own game, and take next steps to gain momentum.

3. Stop underperforming by knowing your point of diminishing returns. Concentrate only on your most important projects, putting the rest on hold.

It may feel counterintuitive to focus on less when we’re trying to achieve so much. But sometimes it takes some paring down to flourish and grow.

Besides, those projects on hold can be resumed when you’re ready, or perhaps something more exciting and worthwhile will have emerged by then.

Give your attention to fewer things today, and you’ll accomplish much more in less time.

Which activity or activities could you trim from your plate today? Which project will you see to completion?