These small, achievable actions will help make you more productive and less frazzled

Let’s hear it for the frazzled. Those multitasking, multiskilled superhero women (and let’s be honest, they’re almost always women) whose days are packed to the brim—juggling leadership roles and caregiving, studying in between appointments, work calls, and late-night birthday party prep. They’re keeping it all going and doing it well, even if they feel like they’re barely holding it together. Procrastination? They don’t have time for it.

In my new book Small Moves, Big Life, I lay out clear, accessible daily practices for dialing down overwhelm, especially for women in high-performance positions. It’s all about small, repeatable actions that keep you productive, focused, and moving forward, even on your busiest days. These aren’t chakra-activating, crystal-powered wellness goals (not that there’s anything wrong with that; you do you), they’re practical, no-nonsense, science-backed shifts that take just a few minutes and truly deliver momentum, not just in your work output, but in your mindset, too.

Do the Thing

“Do the Thing” is one of the key tools in that framework. It’s incredibly simple, effective, and designed to reduce decision fatigue. A hack, if you will. It’s an approach I’ve used for years, and I honestly couldn’t have founded and built an international business, led teams, and raised two daughters without it. I’ll admit, it’s a little counterintuitive, but hear me out.

At its core, “Do the Thing” is a smarter way to write a to-do list. We’ve all scribbled down an overwhelming list of everything we need to do only to freeze at the sight of it. When your workload is intense and your brain’s already at full capacity, even planning becomes exhausting. That list of “everything” ends up doing the opposite of what we need. It stirs up guilt, triggers decision fatigue, and makes us feel like we’re falling behind, no matter how many hours we put in.

I’ve seen this firsthand. In 2019, I was moving my family to New York City, restructuring my business, managing school logistics, and navigating a divorce all at once. I had big plans and even bigger responsibilities, and even though I knew I was doing my best, I was overwhelmed and out of sync. Despite constant effort, I didn’t feel like I was making real progress; I was doing everything but not really achieving anything. I needed to reclaim clarity, and fast.

So, I did something radical: I ripped up the endless to-do list and rebuilt it from scratch. That’s how “Do the Thing” was born.

The Power of Three

I started with a blank sheet of paper and wrote down just three things: the highest-priority, biggest-impact actions for that day. These were my nonnegotiables. At the time, they were things like finalize a franchise agreement, review legal documents, renew a passport.

Just three high priority tasks I told myself I would absolutely get done, no matter what.

Once those were completed, I didn’t move on right away. I took a beat and recognized the win. I even gave myself a quiet, mental “Atta girl.” Because progress deserves acknowledgment.

Then, I added two bonus tasks, things that would also move my day along but wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t get to them. Finally, I added one “feel good” action: something to look forward to that restored energy. That might’ve been a 15-minute walk, calling a friend, or trying out some new skincare. Just a tiny, intentional reset.

What I created was a reverse pyramid:

• 3 must-do items

• 2 nice-to-haves

• 1 mood-boosting reset

It was short, focused, and completely doable. And it changed everything.

That day, I got more done, not by doing everything, but just by doing what really mattered. My decision fatigue lifted, my energy returned, and I had a clear view of what success looked like. I finally had momentum, and it felt good.

Doing Less Can Actually Drive More Results

Over time, my “Do The Thing” tool became a mindset. It helped me reframe how I defined success, not by how busy I felt, but by whether I made meaningful progress.

There’s expert thinking to back this up. According to Don Sull and Charlie Sull in the MIT Sloan Management Review, “The power of specific, ambitious goals to improve the performance of individuals and teams is one of the best documented findings in organizational psychology.” So, being specific wins, but I would add consistency and intention, too.

One of the best benefits of “Do the Thing” is that it creates space for “full-out” effort. In my dance training, this meant not just learning the choreography, but performing “full-out” it like it was opening night. Now, years later, I apply that same mindset to work: show up fully, deliver with intention, and then move on.

Here’s the equation I live by:

Consistency + Full-Out Effort + Time = Results

When you apply that formula, even to just three tasks, you start seeing big change. You go from exhausted to accomplished. Your long-term strategy becomes clear. And you go from spread-too-thin to truly impactful.

Getting it done

Perfectionism convinces us we need to do more, try harder, and never miss a beat. But the real magic? It’s in being specific, doing what matters most, and doing it with focus, clarity, and intention.

“Do the Thing” doesn’t require a life overhaul, expensive systems, or elaborate rituals. Just a short list, written with clarity and intention, and followed consistently. Over time, that’s how momentum is built. That’s how high performers stay grounded. And that’s how you trade feeling frazzled for the extraordinary feeling of getting it done.

Excerpted from Small Moves, Big Life: 7 Daily Practices to Supercharge Your Energy, Productivity, and Happiness (in Just Minutes a Day) (BenBella Books, October 7, 2025)

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