If being productive is a must in every sector, in the public sector—where the impact of our work affects all citizens—it’s a nonnegotiable. Committed public servants know that and are always looking for ways to engage. That’s why this blog is for you.
One of the biggest challenges in the public sector is figuring out how to do it all in a single day. While there’s no silver bullet, I’ve found three strategies that have been game-changers for me—and I believe they can help you stay at the top of your game too.
Shorten Your To-Do List
If your to-do list looks anything like mine, it probably resembles this:
Over time, I’ve learned (and I’m still learning) to make peace with the fact that I can’t do it all—especially not all at once. Instead, I’ve adopted a mindset shift: productivity isn’t about doing everything; it’s about doing the right things.
The Art of Choosing
Since completing the entire list is a utopia, we need to be selective. I’m a huge believer in the Pareto Principle (Thanks, Dad, for introducing me to it!). It simply states that 20% of our efforts produce 80% of our results. So, instead of trying to tackle everything, the trick is to focus on the high-impact tasks.
How Do You Choose Where to Focus?
I rely on two simple tools:
1. The Daily Big 3
Michael Hyatt’s Daily Big 3 method (which uses the Pareto Principle) involves selecting just three key actions that will drive your most important priorities. I plan mine at three levels—quarterly, weekly, and daily. The difference is night and day. On the days I follow it, I’m in control. It also changes how you feel at the end of the day. Instead of being overwhelmed by what you didn’t do, you feel accomplished because you made intentional choices.
Here’s how those chaotic days feel:
2. The Eisenhower Matrix
While I don’t use this every day, it’s a powerful way to categorize tasks based on urgency and importance. It helps me ensure I’m dedicating time to important but non-urgent tasks—the ones that often get neglected until they become crises. I try to schedule at least 20 minutes each day to work on those, which helps me make small but mighty progress.
Learn How to Say No
Getting things done is one way to shorten your list; the other is to make sure it doesn’t grow out of control. One of the easiest ways to do that is by saying no to things that do not align with your priorities.
Saying no is tough.
Often, we think about the possibilities a new opportunity brings but forget about the hidden costs and commitments it implies. This is what I previously referred to as the Iceberg Yes—when we see only the tip (the benefits) but not the submerged part (the effort and trade-offs).
Ashley Whillans calls this the Yes…damn! effect: the regret we feel when we realize we’ve overcommitted. And let’s be honest—FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) doesn’t make it any easier!
The Trick of Productive People?
They master the art of saying no.
Peter Drucker famously said that effective people are effective because they say no. A great example is how he politely declined participating in a creativity study by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. His response was short, clear, and respectful—yet firm. That’s the kind of decisiveness we need to cultivate.
Where to Start?
Trust your own judgment. In the words of Derek Sivers, “If it’s not a hell yeah, then it’s a no.” This simple rule can be a lifesaver when making decisions.
Three questions to ask yourself
To make this practical, here are two simple things you can do to evaluate your commitments more effectively:
1️⃣ Take a small pause before saying yes. Even if you don’t change your answer, a few seconds of reflection can help you make a more intentional decision.
2️⃣ Reflect before committing. I found these three questions from Dorie Clark particularly useful when considering a new opportunity:
- What will a yes imply in terms of commitments?
- What will I have to stop doing to make space for this?
- In a year from now, will I regret not doing this? (This one is especially helpful for putting things into perspective.)
Become a Guardian of Your Time
Given our scarce time, one of the hardest things to do is ensure we protect it—both for focused work and rest, so we can do our best work and recharge our energy.
The problem? Technology constantly fights for our attention, so we need to proactively protect our deep work time.
Ashley Whillans summarizes it best. She explains how technology turns our focus time into confetti.
Picture this: you sit down for a two-hour deep work session. But within that time, you get multiple notifications—an email here, a chat notification there, a quick check of social media. Each interruption lasts just seconds, but when added up, they steal minutes of focus. More importantly, they leave your attention fragmented.
The Same Happens With Our Downtime
The ability to disconnect has also become harder. With work in our pockets, it’s easy to check just one last email during dinner or reply to a message during our supposed break. But to stay truly productive, we need time to recharge—without interruptions.
For 2025: Three Key Takeaways
1️⃣ Select your activities wisely—focus on impact, not busyness.
2️⃣ Practice saying no to non-essential tasks.
3️⃣ Become a guardian of your time—protect your focus.
Which of these three hacks do you struggle with the most? Let me know in the comments!
