I ran into one of the busiest, most productive people I know last week. I was on my way back from a meeting, but she was taking a walk. She grinned, “I saw the sunshine during my last call and knew I had to get out for 10 minutes.”
The run-in made me remember the days when bossing up meant pushing yourself to burnout. While the need to work with intensity is inescapable, my colleague understood an equally important principle: Sometimes even top performers need a break.
In the October series, Survive Grind Mode with People Skills, we’re discussing how people skills can help you power through tough sprints. One people skill that goes to the wayside during compressed timelines is healthy self-esteem. Knowing who you are and what works for you is critical, especially for neurodiverse people. That’s because neurodiversity lends itself to “covering,” where people pretend a condition doesn’t exist.
But here’s another angle: Since everyone’s brain works differently, everyone has some level of neurodiversity. So, the next step is simple. The more you understand what makes you flourish or fade when the heat is on, the more you can architect for it.
Namaswi Chandarana thought she had found her dream job when she landed in tech. However, her dream quickly seemed like a nightmare. She spent so much time jumping from one project, message, and bug to the next that she wound up exhausted. Even worse, all that grinding didn’t bring a sense of impact or achievement.
Then she figured out the culprit: Context switching.
Namaswi created two solutions. The easy fix is grouping similar tasks to reduce context switching. Her second idea was to proactively create focus blocks. Instead of waiting for her schedule to ease or getting backed up on deadlines, she ensures there’s adequate time for deep work.
Can you name your neurodiversity? You may not face conditions like ADHD, autism, or OCD; however, do roadblocks such as sensory overload, needing time to process, and harnessing your energy in constructive ways sound familiar?
Combine self-awareness with these tactics to ace grind mode and course-correct before burnout hits:
At the beginning of this series, we discussed the science of “executive function,” which is how the brain focuses, manages, and organizes information. In short, knowledge is good, but it’s not enough. Instead, success hinges on pairing executive function with people skills. Round out What you deliver with people skill How tactics like making shrewd choices, staying flexible, and emotional intelligence.
So far, we’ve discussed practical ways to power through grind mode with ideas such as identifying quick win microtasks, creating checklists to avoid workslop, and streamlining friction. Now, let’s make it personal with some AI prompts:
Do you want to hear a secret? No one is immune to executive function challenges, where your go-to bag of tricks no longer works. However, that doesn’t mean you need to get stuck in the grind mode grinder. Instead of letting competing priorities and compressed deadlines be the boss of you, act like the creative, wise CEO of your life—a Soul Boss—and take charge of your day, your deliverables, and your reputation with people skills.