Cutting 50% of my to-do list doubled my results

Ever feel like you’re doing everything – and still not getting where you want to go?

Yeah. Me too.

I used to think the answer was to do more. Work harder. Add another project. Say yes to every opportunity.

Because that’s how you succeed, right?

But at some point, I realized:

I wasn’t building a business. I was building a treadmill.

I come from a family of high-achievers.

My dad has a PhD. My aunt was a top-tier lawyer.

From a young age, I picked up the message loud and clear:

If you want to be valued, you’d better be successful.

So I chased the next thing.

Then the next.

Degrees. Milestones. Launches. Recognition.

I wore busyness like armor.

Every win gave me a high.

Every new project made me feel important.

But slowly, I noticed something.

Doing nothing made me anxious.

If I wasn’t producing, I felt like I was wasting time.

Like I was falling behind.

So I kept going. Until I burned out, again.

Only this time, rest didn’t fix it.

Here’s what finally clicked for me:

I don’t need more surface level tasks, I need depth and focus.

The real shift is learning to focus on what actually matters and letting the rest go.

Here’s the tried and the 5-step process:

1. Dump Everything Out

Grab a piece of paper or open a doc.

Write down everything on your plate.

• The side project you’re half-invested in

• That new business idea that’s going nowhere

• The low paying extra client work you took on

• The 10 podcasts you have on your to do list

Get it all out. If it takes time or energy, it counts.

2. Ask: What’s It Costing You?

Time is the obvious one.

But also ask:

• Does this drain or energize me?

• Is it pulling me away from what I really want to build?

• Am I doing it out of excitement, or fear of missing out?

Spoiler: most of my list was costing more than it was giving.

3. What’s Actually Worth It?

Now look at what’s paying off – not just financially.

Ask yourself:

• Is this helping me grow in the direction I want?

• Does it align with what I actually care about?

• Would I choose to do this again if I wasn’t already committed?

If the answer is no… you know what to do.

4. Cut Ruthlessly

This is where it gets real.

• Cancel the stuff that doesn’t matter

• Wrap up the loose ends

• Hit pause on anything that can wait

Doing less doesn’t mean lowering the bar.

It means raising your standards for what gets your energy.

5. Plan Like a Human, Not a Robot

I used to set goals like I had unlimited time and zero emotions.

Now I plan for reality:

• How many focused hours do I actually have this week?

• What’s my energy like right now?

• What season of life am I in?

I don’t need to be superhuman. I just need to be realistic.

When I finally cut the clutter, something wild happened:

I didn’t become less productive.

I became more focused.

• I finished what I started

• I stopped second-guessing everything

• I finally had space to think again

Doing less helped me create more momentum than years of overachieving ever did.

Start by asking:

What are the 3 goals I can focus on this year?

Because it’s not about doing everything.

It’s about doing what matters, and letting that be enough.

Till next time,

Noemi

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