Escaping the Burnout Trap: A Simple Shift That Changed Everything
Everyone struggles with getting burnt out or frustrated with slow progress. Personally, I've been there more times than I care to admit. Running Skylink, our family's aerospace business, I worked 60-hour weeks, constantly putting out fires, and felt like I was barely keeping my head above water. Despite all the effort, our growth had plateaued, and I was exhausted.
But what changed for me was realizing that I was confused between being busy and being 'productive.' As soon as that clicked, I started to understand that overcoming burnout and slow progress wasn't that hard—I was just doing the wrong thing.
Here's what I should have done instead:
Implement a daily "power hour" for high-impact tasks.
Every morning, before opening my email or attending any meetings, I dedicate one uninterrupted hour to the business's most critical, needle-moving task.
It could be strategic planning, analyzing key performance indicators, or working on a major project.
Why does this work? It's simple: this focused time allowed me to progress significantly on essential projects before the day's distractions kicked in. I leveraged my peak mental energy on tasks that mattered rather than reactive busy work.
At one time, this meant tackling our customer order fulfillment project first thing every day. Within weeks, we saw a 50% improvement in receiving inventory and a noticeable improvement in on-time shipping. More importantly, I felt a renewed sense of accomplishment and control over my workday because I was laser-focused on what mattered the most (everything can't be a top priority).
This "power hour" approach might seem small, but it's transformative. It ensures that regardless of what fires you must put out later, you've already moved the needle on something crucial. Plus, starting the day with a win creates positive momentum that carries through everything else.
Remember, it's not about working more hours—it's about making your hours count.
What's the one task you could tackle during your "power hour" that would make the biggest impact on your business?
