Managing Deadlines Without Stress

People don’t quit hard work. They quit toxic war zones. Work in itself rarely breaks people. In fact, many thrive under pressure, deadlines, and big goals. But here’s what they can’t survive: → Leaders who pit teammates against each other. → Environments where silence feels safer than honesty. → Cultures where every day feels like a fight to prove your worth. That’s not work. That’s war. And no one can thrive in a battlefield. If you’re a leader, here’s how to make sure your people burn bright, not out: 5 Tips for Leaders to End “Battlefield Culture”: 1️⃣ Lead with clarity ↳ eliminate confusion; people burn out faster when they fight uncertainty. 2️⃣ Normalize open conversations ↳ create safety for employees to speak without fear. 3️⃣ Recognize effort publicly ↳ appreciation fuels resilience more than pressure ever could. 4️⃣ Cut the politics ↳ reward collaboration, not competition. 5️⃣ Model calm under fire ↳ your team mirrors your energy. Chaos at the top = chaos everywhere. Hard work can inspire. But a workplace that feels like war will always destroy. P.S. In your view, what’s the biggest cause of burnout today? —  📌 Save this for later.  ♻️ If this resonates, repost it, more leaders need to hear this truth.  ➕ Follow Sandra Pellumbi for more.🦉

I've tried the fancy productivity systems, but here's what works: This 3x5 notecard... Each evening, I sit down at my desk and write down the 3-5 highest impact to-dos for the following day. These are the "important" tasks that directly contribute to my long-term projects or goals. The list is pure—I specifically avoid writing down all of the miscellaneous urgent and unimportant to-dos (more on that later). In the morning, I sit down at my desk for my first focus work block and start at the top of the list, working my way down and crossing off the important items as I get through them. My primary goal is to cross each item off the list by the end of the day. I am intentionally conservative in the number of items I write on the list. It's usually 3, sometimes 4, and very rarely 5. I never want to end the day with open items, so being conservative helps me accomplish that (and get the extra rush from getting through more than I expected). As I go through the day, I stole an idea from Marc Andreessen to use the back of the card to write down and cross off any minor to-dos that I complete (the urgent or unimportant tasks that are not welcome on the front of the card). The process of writing and crossing off an item on the back of the card is a further boost of momentum, so I find it to be a worthwhile exercise. My notecard productivity system is painfully simple, but it's grounded in five powerful realizations: 1. 15 minutes of prep in the evening is worth hours the next morning. By setting out your priority tasks the night before, you eliminate any friction from having to decide what to work on. You hit the ground sprinting. 2. Important > Urgent. By tackling the important to start the day, you guarantee progress against the big picture projects and goals. If my day went to hell after that morning focus block (which it sometimes does with a 1-year-old at home!), it would be ok, because I know I've gotten through much of my important work. 3. Momentum is everything. Crossing important items off your list to start the day immediately creates a winning feeling that you keep with you. Success begets success. 4. Simple is beautiful. If you're spending time thinking about your productivity system, you're studying for the wrong test. That's movement for the sake of movement. You should be focused on progress. 5. Find what works for you. It used to stress me out that I didn't have a beautiful productivity system that would impress others. Then I realized that whatever works for me is the best productivity system. Identify how you operate and find the system that works for you. To get started, just buy a stack of simple 3x5 notecards and give it a shot. If you've ever been overwhelmed by productivity systems and advice, this is an approach to try. Follow me Sahil Bloom for more ideas like this in the future and join 800,000+ others who get these in my weekly newsletter: https://lnkd.in/esGsF85Q

I used to think that saying 'Yes' to every opportunity was the only path to success. This definition led me to a relentless chase for achievement, where 'No' was a word that simply didn't exist in my vocabulary. However, It wasn't long before this mindset led to a perpetual cycle of overcommitment, stress, and an inevitable sense of burnout. The toll on my well-being was evident, and paradoxically, my work suffered. The myth I held onto—that affirming everything would accelerate my career—was actually holding me back. I knew a change was needed. Only when I started embracing the power of 'No' did I begin to unlock higher levels of effectiveness and satisfaction in my career. This wasn't just about turning down requests; it was about affirming my priorities, respecting my limits, and ultimately, contributing more value in areas that truly mattered. To navigate this shift and build the skill of strategic “No," I turned to my friend Nihar Chhaya, an accomplished CEO coach with over 25+ years of experience. Nihar shared with me the following tips on how great leaders effectively say “No” (without burning bridges): 💬 "Let’s find another way to address this." ↳ Promotes collaboration and problem-solving. 💬 "I am unable to do it but I know [Name] can help." ↳ Suggests someone else who might assist. 💬 "I can't attend the event but thanks for the invite." ↳ Politely declines while showing gratitude. 💬 "Is there some other way I can support you?" ↳ Redirects the request while still offering assistance. 💬 "I can’t attend this meeting, but can I get the notes?" ↳ Declines while showing interest in staying informed. 💬 "I can’t join this project, but I can offer some advice." ↳ Declines participation while offering support. 💬 "Let’s set a different deadline that works for us both." ↳ Shows willingness to adjust and help with your limits. 💬 "Can we look at this again in a few weeks?" ↳ Keeps the door open for the future without a firm no. 💬 "Thank you for thinking of me, but I have priorities." ↳ Shows respect while setting boundaries. PS: Saying 'No' strategically prioritizes what matters to maximize our impact and supports our well-being. ---- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱? So those that know me know I don’t say no very often. Ami Vora and I have been friends for nearly 15 years. Over that time, we have learned from each other and encouraged each other. We decided to do a newsletter swap focused on “The advice I would give you.” 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗶 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴: As leaders, we often feel compelled to say "yes" to every opportunity. However, I've learned that strategic "nos" are crucial for meaningful impact and sustainable growth. If you know Deb, you know that she can’t resist jumping into problems.  It was a running joke in our team for all the years we worked together that whenever we needed something done, we could just mention it to Deb and she’d volunteer.  Here are five powerful strategies I've developed for saying no effectively: 𝟭. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 “𝗻𝗼” 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗮𝘆 “𝘆𝗲𝘀” 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 – 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁.  Instead of simply declining opportunities, frame your "no" around what you're actively pursuing. When approached for speaking engagements or advisory roles, I respond with clarity about my current focus: "I'm currently dedicated to [specific goals], so I'm declining other opportunities at this time." 𝟮. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄.  Sometimes, stepping back is the best way to lead forward. I've learned that automatically taking on challenges can inadvertently block others' development. By intentionally creating space for team members to step up, we foster growth and build stronger organizations. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴.  Combat the "not doing enough" syndrome by maintaining a "pride list" - achievements that wouldn't have happened without your involvement. This practice helps validate your current commitments and makes it easier to decline additional responsibilities when your plate is full. 𝟰. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸. Just as we're advised to wait before making major purchases, apply the same principle to commitments. Visualize yourself taking on the task and revisit after 24 hours. If the excitement remains- maybe worth pursuing. If not, you've saved yourself from something that doesn't align with your goals. 𝟱. 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁.  When you are unsure about declining something, please take a look at what happens if you don't immediately step in. If no one else takes initiative and it truly matters, you can always step up later. 💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 "𝗻𝗼" 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀—it's about creating space for what truly matters. These strategies have helped me maintain focus, and create room for meaningful impact and personal growth. This is advice I should take.

Here are 8 habits I rely on (and often suggest to others) to stay ambitious without burning out: 1️⃣ Give your ambition a time limit. Think of deep work like a meeting with your future self. Block 90 minutes early in the day, silence your phone, and go all in. When the time’s up, stop, even if you’re mid-flow. Boundaries build focus and prevent work from spilling into everything. 2️⃣ Have a “minimum viable evening.” Pick one thing that helps you unplug, cooking dinner, a walk at sunset, reading to your kid, and treat it like it’s non-negotiable. That one ritual signals the end of the workday and gives your brain a clear off-switch. 3️⃣ Check your energy, not just your to-do list. Every Friday, jot down which tasks gave you energy and which drained it. After a few weeks, you’ll see patterns. Start removing or outsourcing one draining task at a time. Over time, your schedule will start to feel less like a grind. 4️⃣ Stick to two big projects. If you’re wired to chase new ideas, this one’s hard, but worth it. Limit yourself to one main focus at work and one personal goal. Everything else goes into a “not now” list you revisit monthly. Less chaos, more progress. 5️⃣ Plan for lighter weeks. Athletes don’t train hard every day, and neither should we. Once a quarter, block a week with fewer meetings, more sleep, and no extra side projects. Building in rest makes you more resilient and keeps burnout at bay. 6️⃣ Move your body, clear your head. Doesn’t have to be fancy. A short workout, a run, yoga, anything that gets your heart rate up will help you reset and stay sharp. Exercise isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a focus tool. 7️⃣ Short naps, big reset. Around that post-lunch slump, a 10–20 minute nap can seriously recharge you, no grogginess, just a clean mental reboot. Set a timer, close your eyes, and treat it like hitting refresh. 8️⃣ Group your tasks by vibe. Instead of switching between totally different things all day, chunk your time into themes, meetings, deep work, admin, etc. Then batch similar tasks together. Your brain stays in one lane longer, which helps with momentum. Start small, try one of these this week. You don’t need to slow down your ambition to feel more in control.

If you want to become a better manager overnight,  I would teach you this one skill: Setting Clear Expectations Why?  It is the single highest leverage activity you can do.  And nearly everyone leading a team does it poorly.  Or not at all. 📌 If you're the Manager: Setting expectations is your number 1 job. Your team will never meet your secret expectations.  Despite their effort, they're always falling short. The vicious cycle builds massive frustration. 💡 The Solution: Make Expectations Explicit - Agree on the What & When (SMART goals or OKRs work) - Agree on How (process, tech, budget, culture all matter) - Agree on KPIs or Metrics (how you'll measure results) Have them send you an email summarizing. Two more tips for managers: ✅ Co-author - Give them the pen on the first draft. - They're more likely to stick to the script they wrote. - You'll also learn how they see their role and can coach better. ✅ Consistency - Expectations are imperfect, so give feedback. - Agree upfront on how and when this will happen. - Use your 1:1 check-ins to review expectation monthly. ----- 📌 If you're the Employee: Why try and guess what your boss wants you to do? If the expectations map above makes sense... 💡 Write them down yourself. - If you're right, you have a written contract.  - If you're wrong, you gain clarity when they fix them. Either way, you gain clarity on how to win. Two more tips for employees: ✅ Synthesize - Focus on the big picture, not every detail - You create more value if you can connect the dots ✅ Empathize - Your manager will not have every answer - You can help them by surfacing the right questions ----- I've seen plenty of employees "win the second half."  But to win, you must understand the game's rules. And clear expectations create the scoreboard. Want my template to set clear employee expectations? Join 45,000 leaders getting my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eCvpr7RY And before you go... - Please repost ♻️ if you think this is a better way to work - Follow me at Dave Kline for more practical leadership posts

In my 6+ years of Salesforce career, I've rarely missed deadlines. Missing deadlines isn't just frustrating, It can: → Cost the company more money → Mess up their reputation → Cost them customers If you never want to miss a deadline again… Read this post (& apply what you're about to read): 👇🏻 We miss deadlines for 2 main issues: 1/ Some unforeseen problem 2/ Being lazy, procrastinating, or trying to be perfect Nobody can do anything about the 1st issue. Sometimes stuff happens, and you have to drop some work... But issue 2 can be solved. Here's what works for me: 1/ Using Google Calendar Religiously • Put the main deadline as an "event" in the calendar • Add notification reminders a day before and 6 hours before the deadline This makes it physically impossible to miss a deadline by "accident" 2/ Break down the entire project Think of your project as stairs. You can't reach the next level in one step, right? Similarly, divide your project into small, daily-doable tasks. This will make the entire project digestible. 3/ Put something precious on the line Take bets with your co-workers or friends. Whenever someone misses a deadline, they must do something they hate. Example: Making coffee for the entire team for 7 days Whatever it is, take the bet seriously. If you're gonna brush it off, there's no point in placing a bet anyway... This makes you more accountable and the tasks less boring. 4/ Probably the best tip of the collection: Start early! Make a habit of not waiting till the last minute. Start working as soon as you can and cover at least 70% of the work in half of the total time. This way, if anything unexpected happens, you won't have any issues getting back on track. Also, you'll have enough time to review your work before sharing it with clients. This makes the business trust you and want to keep using you This simple 4-step process helped me rarely miss any deadlines in my entire career. What do you think of these steps? Let me know in the comments. If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your network and make sure you follow me for more posts like this. Lastly, if you're a business owner thinking of Automating Salesforce, you can book a free consultation call with me. {Link in comments}

Time management tools are everywhere—honestly, it can be overwhelming! 😵💫 So how do you choose the right one? Here’s what I’ve learned: simplicity wins every time. And when it comes to simplicity, there’s one tool I recommend again and again. It’s not flashy, it’s not complicated, and chances are, you already have it. It’s your calendar. Why the calendar? ✅ It’s already installed on your phone. ✅ It’s free (can’t beat that!). ✅ It’s easy to use; no complicated setups or tutorials required. ✅ And here’s the kicker: when used well, your calendar can be the most powerful tool for managing your time. Not sure where to start? Try these tips: 1. Put tasks directly on your calendar instead of a to-do list. This turns “maybe I’ll get to it” into “this is when it’s happening.” 2. Schedule buffer time between appointments. Start with 5–10 minutes to catch your breath or handle the unexpected. 3. Share your calendar. If you work with a team, it’s a great way to communicate availability and avoid endless back-and-forth. The best tools don’t have to be fancy—they just need to work. So, what about you? How do you use your calendar to stay on top of things? #bestadvice #productivity #davecrenshaw

How you respond to stress is directly correlated to your level of success in your career and in life. After countless sleepless days, I found a 5-step formula to help me through it: How you respond to these critical moments will make or break you. I'm sharing the 5-part thought process I go through when my stress levels redline. Feel free to bookmark this if it's helpful: STEP 1) Accept the situation The first step is to accept the reality of the situation you're dealing with. Accepting the situation allows you to RESET YOUR EXPECTATIONS and move forward with a newly defined level of "success" that you can meet. *Breathe STEP 2) Remove the emotion Try to separate your emotions from it. By removing the emotional component, you can approach the problem more rationally and make clearer decisions. *Breathe STEP 3) Analyze objectively Why did this happen? Maybe it's because you failed to get back to them on time, or your competition is just better. Use this "failure" as input to improve! Process the reality of that, then go off and do what you need to do– believing that you will do what it takes. *Breathe STEP 4) Maintain an objective mindset   Your mindset determines how you relate to and deal with adversity. Approach challenges with a long-term optimistic mindset, rather than a negative one. An objective mindset allows you to see the situation clearly, assess the facts, and find an effective solution. *Breathe STEP 5) Avoid reacting from a place of fear I know, you want to respond quickly but you should probably rethink that so you don't make any impulsive decisions that can hurt you or your business. Instead, take a moment to breathe, process the situation, and think through your actions before responding. You'll notice there's one common thread that ties the steps together. You need to breathe. Breathing helps to calm the mind in that moment of fear, uncertainty, doubt, panic, or anxiety. When those things arise, you have to center yourself back to where your heart rate decreases and your mind isn't racing like crazy. ➝ Centering yourself physically allow you to make the best decisions mentally. Think about the last time you felt a visceral response to a nasty email from a customer. You want to retaliate with choice words of your own. But that helps nobody. When you're able to run through the above steps, you might be able to pull some helpful feedback out of that email. And you can move on with your day! You won't need this post until you do, but when you do - please re-read it. Derive confidence from this process. Know that you are capable. Control what you can control. Let go of what you can't. What's your best stress management technique? 

Feeling overwhelmed by a never-ending to-do list? I used to let my schedule control me—until I discovered time blocking. Here’s the truth: Constantly switching between tasks leads to burnout. Time blocking helps you take charge of your day instead of letting your day take charge of you. ___ Here’s why it works: 🔹 Focused Productivity: Set specific blocks of time for particular tasks. 🔹 Reduced Stress: Knowing what you’ll work on and when cuts down the anxiety of a chaotic schedule. 🔹 Improved Quality: Give your full attention to each task, boosting the quality of your work. 🔹 Energy Management: Align your most challenging tasks with your peak energy levels to maximize efficiency. 🔹 Balance and Boundaries: Protect time for breaks and personal activities, preventing burnout. ___ How to Get Started: ↳Identify Priorities: Determine your most important tasks for the day. ↳Allocate Time Blocks: Schedule dedicated periods for certain types of tasks. For example, Tuesdays can be for client calls, and Thursday evenings for writing content. ↳Stick to the Plan: Honor your time blocks and avoid distractions. ↳Review and Adjust: Assess what worked and make necessary tweaks. What will you time block for this week? Share below! 👇 ___ ♻️ Found this valuable? Repost if this resonates with you. 🔔 Follow me Hetali Mehta, for more content like this.