Today, I was thinking back to perhaps the busiest time in my career: the first few months right after I left Thomas Nelson, almost three years ago. At that time, I was spending all day, every day buried in administrative detail—responding to emails, making travel plans, and filling out expense reports.

Finally, I decided I had had enough. Something had to give. I needed to take a different approach if I was going to get my head above water.

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eaI took seven specific steps. My hope is that by sharing what I did, it will give you the inspiration and practical steps you need to take in dealing with being overwhelmed.

I decided I had to make a change. This sounds almost trivial, but it is essential. The first question to ask is, “Are you ready for a change?”

I spent time reviewing the productivity basics. I concluded that:

Some stuff is no longer worth doing. That’s the stuff that can be eliminated.

Other stuff can be put on auto-pilot. This is the stuff that can be automated.

Most of the rest can be handed off. This is the stuff that can be delegated.

Do you know which activities in your life fall into which category?

I suggest you download my Productivity Assessment Worksheet. It has four columns: Eliminate, Automate, Delegate, and Do. Print it out and keep it at your work station.

Now, go through your typical workweek and each time you do something—anything—write it down in one of these four columns. Don’t put anything in column four that you can put elsewhere.

I identified my three high payoff activities. You have probably heard me quote Dawson Trotman before on this. He said, “Never do anything of importance that others can or will do when there is so much of importance to be done that others cannot or will not do.”That’s the key: what are the important things that you and only you can do? What are your high payoff activities?

I identified my three biggest productivity sinkholes. I decided I had to eliminate—or at least dramatically reduce—these activities in my life.

I did the math. If I can bill my time at $50.00 an hour (hypothetically speaking), is it a good investment for me to do tasks that I can hire done for $12.00 an hour? I don’t think so. This is not only bad math, it is bad stewardship.

I hired a virtual executive assistant. With the exception of my daughter Megan who works in the business with me, my entire team is virtual. I have fourteen different people who work with me on a regular basis:

two assistants

a bookkeeper

a web developer

a graphic designer

an automated marketing manager

a customer service rep

a booking agent

a copyright and trademark attorney

a videographer

a podcast and audio producer

a transcriptionist

an overall business consultant

Have you ever considered a VA? I highly recommend BELAY. This is the company I personally use.

I schedule the important tasks. What gets “calendared” gets done. If something important doesn’t make it onto your calendar, you’re unlikely to do it.I used to use my calendar only for appointments. Now I schedule appointments with myself. I have appointments for research, writing, and speaking.

How much of your calendar this week is dedicated to high payoff activities?

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Levi Pierpont,