This week, I checked in on one of my newer clients near Jerusalem, a start up in the field of arts. The assignment had not been done. Papers scattered everywhere. Stress written all over their face. And now they had to grapple through a session with their business coach and mentor.

No amount of coffee (nor chocolate) was going to be of any use, surely? And yet……….Time to take a step back.

First things first. I have just seen a lovely quote on Guy Kawasaki’s twitter account. He cited the CEO of YouTube, Susan Wojcicki.

If you are working 24/7, you’re not going to have any interesting ideas.

Never was a truer word said. If you keep burning the candle at either end, you may somehow complete tasks, but you will lose effectiveness. For example, you will start to become hassled and forgo the trust of those around you. Innovation and creation will be concepts of the past.

My client is on the go all day, every day, 24 / 7. They are not hanging near the breakdown zone, but they are not thinking as straight as they should be.

Also this week, I came across an insightful article on the Harvard Business Review from Steven D’Souza. Entitled “Don’t get surprised by burnout”, he discusses the telltale signs that indicate when we are overworking. As he correctly observes: “The truth is, we are much more fragile than we think.”

What I really liked was the suggestion, which reads like a request from the heart.

Welcoming gaps as opportunities to rest, not inconveniences.

Again, another powerful statement. Stop treating 11.00pm as an opportunity to finish off a task in peace and quiet. Once this becomes a habit, you will be sacrificing your beauty sleep. Thus you cannot wake up refreshed, full of engaging thoughts.

Finally, if you are faced with that situation, when there seems so much to do and so little time to do it in, go find a pen and paper.

• Draw up a chart. Itemise each specific task that has to be completed. That is identify what is a ‘must’ rather than merely ‘a nice to do’.
• Prioritise the duties in terms of high / medium / low.
• Estimate how long each one should take to perform.
• Give each line a specific time entry in your calendar or work diary.

How does this help? Try it for simplicity. Suddenly, having broken up the horror, everything will become so much more doable.