I’m having another one of those weeks where there isn’t enough time in the day. Between juggling, fire-fighting, and setting reminders to check my reminders — by the time the day is over I can’t tell you a thing I accomplished, but I know I didn’t stop.
Being overwhelmed is not uncommon among agency owners and TAB members. In fact, it’s probably the norm.
Maybe we need a better project management system? Automation. Maybe an AI agent will come in and save the day.
But the problem with most of the rabbit holes we go down in an attempt to save us from drowning only treat the symptoms — not the cause.
Even though I’m not going to get caught up today, I decided to stop an hour or so early to make a list of all the fires I have burning. Not just to help myself hit the ground running tomorrow, but to trace each one of them back to their origin.
- Should have said no.
- Out of scope.
- Undercharged.
- Bad fit.
Very few of my problems started today.
They started weeks or months ago — with a decision I didn’t think through, a red flag I ignored, or a boundary I never set.
That’s the sneaky thing about overwhelm… It feels like a productivity problem, but it’s often a pattern problem.
It would be insane to spend your day mopping the floor instead of plugging the leak.
But, here I am, holding the mop.
— Kyle
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