Bala karthiga M

I used to believe success meant grinding 24/7.

If I wasn’t exhausted by the end of the day, I hadn’t worked hard enough. That’s what they teach you, right? Hustle harder, sleep less, sacrifice everything—then maybe you’ll get ahead.

Reality check: That’s a one-way ticket to burnout. And I learned it the hard way.

As a marketing lead at a SaaS company, an author, and a mom of two toddlers, my life is controlled chaos at best. The old “wake up at 5 AM and meditate for an hour” routine? Laughable. I needed a system that worked in real-world madness—meetings, deadlines, diaper blowouts, and everything in between.

This isn’t your average “productivity hack” blog. This is what actually works when your life is a permanent juggling act and you need to stay sharp, have a successful career, and not lose your mind.

The Overwork Lie You Were Sold

In India, we worship hustle culture. The “log kya kahenge” mindset demands that we show up early, leave late, answer messages at all hours, and sacrifice weekends because “that’s what ambitious people do.”

I played that game for years. Working till midnight, saying yes to every project, believing that sheer effort would take me to the top.

It didn’t.

What it did do was make me slower, crankier, and exhausted. I was less productive, not more. I wasn’t thinking strategically—I was drowning in busywork, stuck in reaction mode instead of building mode.

The smartest people I knew weren’t working more hours. They were working with precision—cutting the junk, structuring their day like a pro, and knowing exactly where to spend their energy.

Here’s how I flipped the script.

Step 1: Ruthless Prioritization (a.k.a. Stop Doing Stupid Things)

Most people don’t have a productivity problem. They have a “working on the wrong things” problem.

The key shift? Instead of making endless to-do lists, I built a “stop-doing” list.

Unnecessary calls that could be emails? Gone.

Mindless scrolling disguised as “research”? Deleted.

Saying yes to work that doesn’t move the needle? Absolutely not.

What I do instead: Before I start my day, I list out the three things that actually matter. Not ten. Not twenty. Just three high-impact actions that will push my business, brand, or career forward.

If it’s not mission-critical, it waits.

The takeaway: Most of what we think is “urgent” is just noise. Cut it ruthlessly.

Action Step: Write down the last 5 tasks you did today. Now ask yourself: Did these directly contribute to money, influence, or growth? If not, they go on your stop-doing list.

Step 2: Build Your Energy Like It’s Your Business

Productivity is not about time management. It’s about energy management.

If you feel like garbage, your work will be garbage. Simple.

So instead of glorifying all-nighters, I started treating my body like a high-performance engine.

Sleep Like You Mean It – I used to brag about running on 4 hours of sleep. Then I realized all my best ideas happened when I was well-rested. Now, I protect my sleep like a business asset—because it is.

Food = Fuel – Filter coffee and cookies might keep you running, but they won’t keep you thinking. I swapped my junk-food diet for protein shakes, fiber, and brain-boosting foods (seeds, nuts, whole grains). The difference in focus was immediate.

Movement Over Motivation – No time for the gym? Cool. Neither do I. Instead, I stack movement into my day—walking during calls, stretching before bed, chasing my kids around. Motion = Energy.

Action Step: Track your energy for 3 days. Notice what drains you vs. what fuels you. Then optimize like a CEO would.

Step 3: The No-BS Daily Structure That Actually Works

I don’t have time for hour-long morning routines, and I’m guessing you don’t either. Instead, here’s what actually works in a high-pressure, real-world environment:

Morning (The Deep Work Zone)

First 90 minutes = No Meetings, No Distractions. Before the world starts demanding things from me, I tackle the work that requires serious brainpower. Writing, strategy, problem-solving—this happens first.

One Small Win Before 9 AM.
Momentum breeds motivation. Whether it’s finishing a draft, automating a report, or sending a killer pitch—one productive win sets the tone for the day.

Afternoon (Meetings & Execution Mode)

Batch all meetings together.
No more scattered calls breaking up focus time. Meetings = one block of time, back-to-back, so they don’t eat into deep work.

Quick energy reset.
I step away from the screen. Five-minute walks. Deep breaths. Something to shake off the brain fog.

Evening (Reflection & Learning)

Three Wins & One Lesson. I note down 3 things that worked and 1 thing to improve. This builds awareness and prevents me from repeating mistakes.

Skill Upgrade (30 min). A great career isn’t built on hard work alone. It’s built on stacking valuable skills over time. 30 minutes daily = game-changing results.

Action Step: Block your first 90 minutes tomorrow for deep work. Guard it like your life depends on it.

Step 4: Automate & Delegate Like a Boss

Doing everything yourself is a sign of poor leadership, not hustle.

The best in the business aren’t grinding 24/7. They’re removing themselves from low-value tasks.

Automate repeatable tasks – Social media scheduling, email responses, reporting—if a tool can do it, let it.

Delegate where possible – I used to think, “It’s faster if I just do it myself.” WRONG. Teaching someone once saves me hundreds of hours later.

Say no to “fake work.” – Formatting slides for hours? Manually tracking numbers? If it doesn’t require my expertise, I don’t touch it.

Action Step: Find one task you do regularly that drains you. Automate or delegate it this week.

Final Thought: Productivity Is a Weapon. Use It Wisely.

Most people think productivity is about doing more. It’s not. It’s about doing the right things better and faster.

If you’re burning out, constantly busy, or feeling stuck, you don’t need another “hack.” You need a smarter system.

Prioritize like a sniper. Guard your energy like an asset. Structure your day like a pro. Remove yourself from pointless work.

The future belongs to those who can think clearly, move fast, and execute efficiently.

So ask yourself: Are you working like an overworked intern or a strategic leader?