The Productivity Secret? Stop Trying to Do It All

During a recent coaching session, a client shared something so honest and raw it stuck with me for days:

“I’ve spent most of my adult life apologizing for not being a certain type of woman.”

We paused right there.

Because that statement? That’s not just her story. It’s something so many high-achieving women feel deep down but rarely say out loud.

She went on to describe the quiet pressure she’s always carried to appear “put together” in all the conventional ways:

– Always having a tidy home

– Staying on top of errands

– Perfect nails, perfect meals, perfect planner

– Responding to every message in a timely manner

– Keeping up with birthdays, dry cleaning, oil changes, and folded laundry

She confessed: she’s not naturally great at those things. She never has been. And for a long time, she felt ashamed of that like it made her less responsible, less mature, less “womanly.”

But over time and through our work together, she started to shift her perspective.

Instead of trying to be good at everything, she gave herself permission to stop trying to be someone she wasn’t.

And in that permission, she found power.

Here’s the mindset shift we talked through:

👉 You don’t need to be perfect or even competent at everything. You need to be self-aware and aligned with your strengths.

👉 What you’re “not good at” doesn’t have to define you. You get to decide which things matter and which things can be outsourced, delegated, or left undone without shame.

👉 There is no moral badge for doing all the things. Trying to “should” your way into being perfect is often what’s draining your energy and clouding your confidence.

Once this client stopped trying to be excellent at things she didn’t care about and stopped apologizing for it she actually became more productive, more focused, and more fulfilled.

Because now, she’s all-in on the parts of her life where she does want to grow and be excellent:

• She never misses her coaching calls

• She pours into her family and business

• She takes her workouts seriously

• She problem-solves like a pro

• And she’s showing up with more clarity, energy, and confidence than ever before

So let me ask you,

What are the 5–10 things you are good at, what lights you up, and what do you want to get even better at?

And what are the things you’re ready to stop apologizing for?

You don’t have to be perfect to be powerful. You just need to own who you are, play to your strengths, and drop the pressure to do it all.

Let this be your permission slip to do just that.

Focus Forward,

SQ