So, you’ve stepped into a leadership role and you’re ready to make a real impact. But now you find yourself drowning in paperwork and endless to-do lists. Your great plans have been pushed to the back burner, simmering until they turn into a burned soup full of “what could have been.” This is a common problem for managers in today’s busy – yet unfocused – world. One reason it happens is that your dedication to the job goes from being admirable to becoming addictive. You start living in workaholic mode.

Are you caught in the trap of overworking? If so, you know how hard it is to manage your time. Day to day tasks can easily take up all of your time, leaving little room for the strategic thinking necessary to drive real change. And the more you focus on this, the worse things will get. So, let’s try something different.

Picture a workday where that chaos doesn’t exist. A day where there’s room to think, focus and create. High-impact leaders live in this kind of world. They don’t let themselves get bogged down by a million goals. Instead, they cut through the distractions and zero in on one crucial task at a time. Take Steve Jobs, for instance. He used to wear the same black turtleneck every day. He knew what he was doing—by eliminating small, irrelevant decisions, he kept his mind clear for what really mattered.

Here’s a tip for you: stop working on fifty things at once. Choose one goal. Focus on that. This will free your mind to actually get things done. People who work on one thing at a time report higher feelings of wellbeing, less stress and more motivation. Plus, they achieve better results at work. That’s why you should figure out what you really want and channel all your energy into it. In my online course, Momentum Lab, we discuss ways to do this without sacrificing productivity and team efficiency. It’s much easier than you imagine, but it requires a shift in mindset.

Don’t let workaholism consume you. Instead, focus on one goal at a time. You’ll see the difference it makes to both work and personal success.

This article was created by Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a leadership trainer and success coach. Her mission is inspiring talented people to become leaders who make a difference.  Since discovering her passion for training and development, Eleanor has trained more than 60,000 people. She delivers face-to-face workshops for corporates, online masterclasses for leaders and Positive Psychology retreats for trainers, HR practitioners and leaders.