Toggle Off Doing All the Things

I ran into a guy I hadn’t seen in a while, and he couldn’t stop smiling. “My kid graduated and now he’s off to Atlanta for his first big job. We’re empty nesters at last. Toggle off full time parenting and toggle on the fun!”

You may not be free of a major responsibility, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t adopt his mindset. Since July is the midpoint of the year, it’s the perfect time to consider what’s working and what needs to change. So, in the July series, Toggle On/Toggle Off with People Skills, we’ll talk through four common pressures and ways people skills can help you manage those pressures.

First, let’s talk about overindexing. According to Deloitte’s 2024 survey, 40% of Gen Z respondents and 35% of millennials confirmed they feel stressed all or most of the time. However, you don’t have to accept exhaustion or letdowns as normal. Instead, see them as a message to shift priorities—that’s what luxury brand Coach did.

After years of mixed sales, Coach took a time out to identify lagging product lines. Then they used that data to reorganize their priorities. By toggling off trying to do all the things, they toggled on to a financial boom.

Play Your Part, Not Every Part

The temptation to overdo was also a problem for my co-worker, Jayne. After two years in an overseas assignment, she was ready to jump in with both feet when she returned to corporate headquarters.

Jayne’s quality work was a double-edged sword. The good news was that she was quickly in demand. But the flip side was that she was swiftly overloaded.

Everything came to a halt after a serious ski accident. The forced downtime nursing a broken leg gave her plenty of time to think.

When she returned to work, she was ready for a new set of rules. Her bright line was clear and simple: Toggle off trying to play all the parts. Toggle on for doing her part.

Jayne told me, “I had a light bulb moment and realized there’s a difference between healthy engagement and trying to do anything and everything! Excelling starts with managing my work really well.”

Use Soft Skills to Toggle On and Toggle Off

Have you ever been like the case study, where trying to play all the parts backfired? Disrupt that old way of bossing up by taking a step back.

Taking stock may seem counterintuitive, but it works because you’re being respectful of other people’s skills and contributions. In a sense, knowing what is yours to do is the ultimate version of staying in your lane. You set yourself up for success by being able to articulate your deliverables and how they align with other people’s work.

Now that you’re onboard to toggle off overindexing, the question is how to make it real without seeming self-serving or even tone deaf. So, here are a few doable ways to recalibrate your priorities.

Try to make this exercise fun and personal. After all, you’re saving your own time and peace of mind, so get creative!

1. Reflect on Time Wasters: Toggle off doing certain tasks because it’s the way you’ve always done it. Ask yourself whether that task is still worth doing or if you could hack your How.
2. Identify the Minimum Viable Launch: Although everyone likes a Taylor Swift-level hard launch, sometimes keeping a project moving is all that’s needed. So, toggle on to spotting and unblocking bottlenecks keeping projects from getting out the door.
3. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity: Toggle off trying to personally manage every workstream—it’s not physically possible or scalable. Instead, choose tasks wisely, then be all in on your yesses.

Knowing what should receive your full attention requires daily people skills like critical thinking and adaptability. However, working with care and attention pays off with impeccable contributions. People will be able to instantly spot your style and how you’ve influenced outcomes.

So, toggle off trying to do all the things. Toggle on to doing your thing. Really well.