1) Even if you don’t control your goals at work, you do control your personal goals and commitments, and often we overwhelm ourselves outside the workplace too. That can represents a major area where we can cut back in order to get more done.

2) At work, while you might not be able to arbitrarily drop your goals, you do have the option of giving your boss some feedback about what you can realistically accomplish, especially if quality is an issue. I know I’ve told my boss (at a former job) that if I try to accomplish everything on my to-do list, not only will they have to pay me overtime, but quality will suffer. I showed them my to-do list and suggested that we prioritize and focus on only the most important goals. My boss appreciated this candor, and let me tell you, I was able to produce much more by cutting back … and was offered a raise. Well, not everyone’s bosses are like that, but it’s something to consider.

Great point, David, and thanks for the link to my post.