149. 5 Rules That Keep My Week From Falling Apart

**Kendall Berg** (0:00)
A lot of people, I think, have a hard time managing their capacity. We think we can't tell our boss no, we shouldn't have to, we should always have the answer to everything. And then even if we do want to start setting boundaries and pushing back, we're not sure how to do it. And so if you're managing a list of three things that you can do every day, when you start to hit that list of three things, you're done for that day. Like, you can't take on more than that. And I'll have clients come to me and they're like, I don't understand why I always feel behind, I always feel like I'm not productive. And I'm like, well, what's on your to-do list? And they'll show me, and it's 30 things. You're never going to get 30 things done in a day. There's a subset of something that lines to your goals that they're going to need support on. Those go into your top three things each day. Now, something that I do is because I use a digital planner, I use a remarkable tablet, and I have a planner in there that has this structure already pre-made. I have a top three categories. So if my boss asks me for something today, and he asked me this morning, and all three of my top three spots are taken, I'm going to say, hey, in order to get that done for you today, I need to de-prioritize one of these things to tomorrow. Is that okay? If he asks me to get it done tomorrow, and my top three list for tomorrow is already filled, same rules apply. And what this does is this helps you not take on too much at the same time. Corporate life is a game, but no one hands you the rule book.
I'm Kendall Berg, That Career Coach, and I guide professionals to grow, advance, and lead with clarity. Each week, we explore the tools, habits, and conversations that build confidence, presence, and long-term momentum. Hello, if you are new here, my specialty is fitting way too much into my schedule. And last month in our solos, we talked about how to find a little more balance, how to use your PTO. And today I'm going to talk about how to tactically manage your time in a way that is effective. As somebody who has two young kids, a hobby, built a business, and kept their corporate job all at the same time, I know a thing or two about time management. So we're going to go through some of the best tips that I have, tricks, tools, things you can do, that will help you really stay on top of all of the things on your to-do list. Now, I've already talked about how to create space. I've already talked about why it is important to create rest in your schedule. This is not to eliminate that. This is just to help you balance everything in a way that reduces your mental load and allows you to be more successful. So the first thing that I like to do is every day should have a top three list. Now you've heard this before. It's not revolutionary. Okay. I didn't make it up, but I have done it for years and it works. So every day I have a list of habitual things that I like to do. Go for a walk, post on Instagram, read, journal, et cetera. There's like a list of things I like to do every single day. Your top three list is not these things, all right? Your top three list is the things that are going to help you get the closest to the goals that you are going after. So if you've watched my goal setting episode in January, and you set goals that were tied to your identity and this person that you're becoming, and then you watched my top three from your time management prioritization last month, then you are already on track to knowing what kinds of things you need to prioritize. But if you're new here and you're just tuning in, don't worry, I'm not going to leave you in the dark. So you cannot do everything that you want to do in your life. I'm a firm believer in this. It doesn't mean you can't achieve everything you want to achieve. It doesn't mean that you can't take on all these things, but you cannot balance perfectly your time across 50 different categories. It's just not feasible. Unless you have a trust and no actual obligations, you can do whatever you want, in which case, great. I love that for you. I also don't understand why you listen to my podcast. Okay?