Field Guide · Keep this nearby
Lighten the Load
Six tools to help you do less & mean more.
You already work hard enough. Pick the one tool that fits this week. Try it once. Come back to this page next week. That's the whole system.
Tool 01 · Decision Filter
The Mission Filter
1
Does this serve our mission or members?
→
2
Am I the only person who can do this?
→
3
Does it need to happen today?
→
4
Saying yes = saying no to something bigger?
→
Mostly YES → It's yours. Do it now.
Mostly NO → Drop · delegate · defer.
Tool 02 · Sort Anything
The 4 Buckets
Stop
No real value. Habit or guilt.
"That recurring meeting nobody owns…"
Delegate
Someone else could do this.
"My program director has the data…"
Defer
It matters — but not right now.
"Schedule it. Don't drift."
Keep
Only me. Only now. Genuinely mine.
"This one I lean in on."
Tool 03 · The Words to Say
Interruption Scripts
When · drop-ins pile up
The Scheduled Window
"My open door is 2–2:30 daily. Catch me then?"
Train them once. Saves 1,000 "got a sec?" moments.
When · email stacks up
The 2-Minute Rule
"If it takes <2 min, do it now. If more, schedule it."
Never let things just sit. Decision = action.
When · interrupted mid-task
The One-Sentence Defer
"Great question — catch me after 3pm?"
One sentence and back to work. No full conversation.
When · staff escalates
The Handoff Question
"What do you think we should do?"
Stop being the bottleneck. Coach to confidence.
Tool 04 · Weekly Clarity
The Top 3 Habit
2min
Name your Top 3 outcomes
Not tasks — outcomes. What would make next week mean something?
2min
Name the next decision behind each
The one you've been narrating instead of making. Decide by Friday.
1min
Block one calendar window for the #1
If it's not on the calendar, it's not real. Protect it like a member meeting.
Done is better than perfect when the decision is reversible.
Tool 05 · Daily Micro-Moves
Small Wins
01
Start your day with the hardest thing. Email last. Email always wins if you let it.
02
Say the new yes = "Yes, and here's what I'll move to make room."
03
End meetings 5 min early. Build buffer. Walk the lobby. Breathe.
04
The 60-second rule. Most operational decisions don't get better with more thinking.
05
Close the loop on one thing before opening another tab.
Monday
Every week
The Question to start every week with
"What would make this week actually mean something — and what am I willing to not do to protect it?"
↑ Answer it before you open your inbox. Especially before you open your inbox.