When I wrote my first book, Work Smarter: Live Better, I nearly called it In Control or In Work Control. Back then, my primary goal was to help people feel completely on top of everything on their plate. Since then, over years of working with busy leaders, I’ve come to realise a powerful truth: being fully in control is actually a myth.
In this video, I want to talk about the myth of being in control, and how letting go of that myth can make you much more focused and much happier.
If you are a busy leader, it is completely natural to crave control. You tell yourself, “If I just organize my filing system, I’ll feel in control. If I spend an afternoon clearing my inbox to zero, I’ll feel in control. If I just power through this master to-do list, I’ll finally get on top of things.” I certainly felt that exact same way for a very long time.
But here is the reality: once you clear your inbox, more emails immediately flood in. Once you organise your filing system, more documents arrive. Once you complete a batch of tasks, new projects and demands quickly take their place. It is a never-ending equation. Trying to control an infinite flow of work with finite time is an impossible task.
My advice? Accept the reality and learn to let go.
- Let go of excess projects: Every quarter, I review all the brilliant ideas, priorities, and potential projects I could do. Then, I consciously choose to let go of most of them. Deciding what you won’t do is deeply liberating.
- Let go during weekly planning: Every week, I map out my available time against my task list. Knowing my limits, I deliberately let go of a large chunk of those tasks, accepting that they simply won’t happen this week.
- Let go of daily demands: We all want to please people and help wherever we can. But when requests stream in via email, phone, and messaging apps, you have to accept that you cannot do it all. Focusing on the few things that truly matter is what makes the real difference.
I am not saying this is easy. I still take on too much at times, and I certainly don’t succeed at letting go every single day. I fail at it often! But making the conscious effort to stop chasing total control brings incredible focus and peace of mind.
So my question to you is: what is one key project or task list request that you need to let go of today, so you can focus on what truly matters?
This is this week’s Work Smarter, Live Better tip.
You have a lovely day.
À bientôt,
Cyril
