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Lets hear it for the frazzled. Those multitasking, multiskilled superhero women (and lets be honest, theyre almost always women) whose days are packed to the brimjuggling leadership roles and caregiving, studying in between appointments, work calls, and late-night birthday party prep. Theyre keeping it all going and doing it well, even if they feel like theyre barely holding it together. Procrastination? They dont have time for it. In my new book Small Moves, Big Life, I lay out clear, accessible daily practices for dialing down overwhelm, especially for women in high-performance positions. Its all about small, repeatable actions that keep you productive, focused, and moving forward, even on your busiest days. These arent chakra-activating, crystal-powered wellness goals (not that theres anything wrong with that; you do you), theyre practical, no-nonsense, science-backed shifts that take just a few minutes and truly deliver momentum, not just in your work output, but in your mindset, too. Do the Thing Do the Thing is one of the key tools in that framework. Its incredibly simple, effective, and designed to reduce decision fatigue. A hack, if you will. Its an approach Ive used for years, and I honestly couldn’t have founded and built an international business, led teams, and raised two daughters without it. Ill admit, its a little counterintuitive, but hear me out. At its core, Do the Thing is a smarter way to write a to-do list. Weve all scribbled down an overwhelming list of everything we need to do only to freeze at the sight of it. When your workload is intense and your brains already at full capacity, even planning becomes exhausting. That list of everything ends up doing the opposite of what we need. It stirs up guilt, triggers decision fatigue, and makes us feel like were falling behind, no matter how many hours we put in. Ive seen this firsthand. In 2019, I was moving my family to New York City, restructuring my business, managing school logistics, and navigating a divorce all at once. I had big plans and even bigger responsibilities, and even though I knew I was doing my best, I was overwhelmed and out of sync. Despite constant effort, I didnt feel like I was making real progress; I was doing everything but not really achieving anything. I needed to reclaim clarity, and fast. So, I did something radical: I ripped up the endless to-do list and rebuilt it from scratch. Thats how Do the Thing was born. The Power of Three I started with a blank sheet of paper and wrote down just three things: the highest-priority, biggest-impact actions for that day. These were my nonnegotiables. At the time, they were things like finalize a franchise agreement, review legal documents, renew a passport. Just three high priority tasks I told myself I would absolutely get done, no matter what. Once those were completed, I didnt move on right away. I took a beat and recognized the win. I even gave myself a quiet, mental Atta girl. Because progress deserves acknowledgment. Then, I added two bonus tasks, things that would also move my day along but wouldnt be the end of the world if I didnt get to them. Finally, I added one feel good action: something to look forward to that restored energy. That mightve been a 15-minute walk, calling a friend, or trying out some new skincare. Just a tiny, intentional reset. What I created was a reverse pyramid: 3 must-do items 2 nice-to-haves 1 mood-boosting reset It was short, focused, and completely doable. And it changed everything. That day, I got more done, not by doing everything, but just by doing what really mattered. My decision fatigue lifted, my energy returned, and I had a clear view of what success looked like. I finally had momentum, and it felt good. Doing Less Can Actually Drive More Results Over time, my Do The Thing tool became a mindset. It helped me reframe how I defined success, not by how busy I felt, but by whether I made meaningful progress. Theres expert thinking to back this up. According to Don Sull and Charlie Sull in theMIT Sloan Management Review, The power of specific, ambitious goals to improve the performance of individuals and teams is one of the best documented findings in organizational psychology. So, being specific wins, but I would add consistency and intention, too. One of the best benefits of Do the Thing is that it creates space for full-out effort. In my dance training, this meant not just learning the choreography, but performing full-out it like it was opening night. Now, years later, I apply that same mindset to work: show up fully, deliver with intention, and then move on. Heres the equation I live by: Consistency + Full-Out Effort + Time = Results When you apply that formula, even to just three tasks, you start seeing big change. You go from exhausted to accomplished. Your long-term strategy becomes clear. And you go from spread-too-thin to truly impactful. Getting it done Perfectionism convinces us we need to do more, try harder, and never miss a beat. But the real magic? Its in being specific, doing what matters most, and doing it with focus, clarity, and intention. Do the Thing doesnt require a life overhaul, expensive systems, or elaborate rituals. Just a short list, written with clarity and intention, and followed consistently. Over time, thats how momentum is built. Thats how high performers stay grounded. And thats how you trade feeling frazzled for the extraordinary feeling of getting it done.Excerpted from Small Moves, Big Life: 7 Daily Practices to Supercharge Your Energy, Productivity, and Happiness (in Just Minutes a Day) (BenBella Books, October 7, 2025)
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E-Commerce
When asked, 88% of Americans will say theyre above average drivers. In the ability to get along with others, 25% of students rate themselves in the top 1%. When couples are asked to estimate their individual contributions to household work, the combined total routinely exceeds 100%. These are all statistical impossibilities. Theyre also great examples of how were predisposed to overrate our abilities and contributions. As an aspiring CEO candidate, its important to have the humility to recognize your inherent, self-serving bias and counteract it through the following steps: Objectively assess your capabilities versus whats needed Fill your skill gaps and gauge your progress on the way Refuse to play politics in the process What the company needs Assessing your capabilities starts with understanding what the company needs in its next leader. Brad Smith, the former CEO of financial software giant Intuit, uses a horse racing analogy: The reason there are very few Triple Crown winners, he says, is because the Kentucky Derby is a very different track from the Preakness, which are both different from the Belmont. The right horse will win on the right track. If youre a candidate, first ask yourself in an intellectually honest way, What does the company most need? and then Do I have that skill set today? To understand if you have whats needed, and where you stand, analyze your abilities along at least four dimensions. The first is breadth of experience and record (for example, leading transformational change, delivering a profit-and-loss statement, and representing the company externally). The second is knowledge and expertise (as it relates to such things as financial acumen, sales leadership, technology, target markets, and industry trends). The third is leadership skill (for example, your ability to think strategically, establish executive presence, build teams, and show self-awareness). The fourth is the strength of your relationships and overall reputation. How are you viewed by internal stakeholders, such as your boss, peers, direct reports, and influencers? How about by external stakeholders, such as investors, customers, suppliers, regulators, and community leaders? And how do board members size you up? Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, summarizes success on this dimension as whether you have “followership.” The best definition of a leader, he reflects, is if people are willing to follow you. Consult others To help break through your self-serving bias, its important to seek others views. That might involve getting feedback from mentors, confidants, peers, and so on, but more often than not, you should ask someone else to gather that 360-degree information. The person who collects the feedback could be a trusted colleague, but most often, its an external coach. While some leaders view having a coach as a weakness, the best point to the sporting world, where no player or team gets to the championship without a great coach. Nasdaqs CEO Adena Friedman shares, “Before I became CEO, I was getting 360s and coaching over a period of years. The coach gathered all the feedback. Then I sat down with them, and we discussed it together. It helped crystalize the feedback into ideas for improvement and action. Robert Smith, founder and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity partners, explains the value of doing so. If you’re right-handed, you usually have a weak left hand. A great coach, he suggests, helps you see What’s your left hand? What are you weak at that you can learn to be better at? And what are the things you need? A learning journey Once youve assessed how you score along these four dimensions, its time to start improving yourself. Think of it as embarking on a learning journey that involves cycles of taking action and then reflecting with a close group of advisers on the progress being made. Such journeys typically combine ongoing leadership coaching with participation in various forums or roundtables, visits to other companies, targeted reading lists, briefings from experts, and finding opportunities to gain experience and build relationships by dealing with the media, presenting to the board, and representing the company externally. Pursuing this path requires striking a delicate balance. Without being seen as self-promoting or currying favor, youll want to increase your visibility so those who need to know are aware that you want to make the final ascent. Ive seen this go awry so many times when people begin to run for the job, shares Intuits Smith. They almost campaign for the role, and thats the quickest way to throw you off track. How it all comes together Former CEO of Westpac, Gail Kelly shares her keys to success: Dont play politics. Dont undermine people. None of that ends well. Be authentic, transparent, a team player, and an active supporter of colleagues for the greater good, even if theyre also in the running for the role. Her advice reinforces the importance of taking a gut check of your motivations and intentions. If theyre not sustainable, you simply wont be able to walk the line with authenticity. Michael Fisher, the CEO of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center summarizes how it all comes together: Its a quiet ambition pursued with humility. You gain confidence as you go by learning and growing every day. Getting the balance right doesnt just set you in good stead as a CEO candidate. Its also a win for the institution. What company isnt better off for having more service-oriented leaders connecting across the enterprise and boldly solving for the good of the whole organizationespecially if theyre doing so while delivering on their core responsibilities, building their self-awareness, and developing new capabilities and more fruitful relationships?Adapted from CEO for All Seasons. Copyright 2025, Dewar, Keller, Malhotra, Strovink. Reproduced by permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
Category:
E-Commerce
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