Everyone’s busy. Stretched. Overwhelmed.
Ask someone how they are these days and it’s become almost impolite not to say “crazy busy.” It’s the default response. Somehow, being run off our feet has become a badge of honor.
But what if our problem isn’t that we have too much to do, but that we’re choosing to do things in the most inefficient way possible?
Let’s take a look.
Every delayed decision creates more work. Every broken promise “I was too busy firefighting to get it done when you asked” creates a ripple effect of wasted energy. Every missed chance to deal with something when it first showed up becomes another round of clean-up later.
This is what I call the back-end tax: the time and energy we spend fixing things that should have been handled cleanly the first time around.
This is what I call the back-end tax: the time and energy we spend fixing things that should have been handled cleanly the first time around.
It reminds me of something someone told me years ago—maybe you heard it too:
"Perfect Prep Prevents Piss Poor Performance.”
The old 6Ps. Not exactly poetry, but hard to forget.
David Allen, in his Getting Things Done methodology, had a version of this: “Touch each piece of paper only once.” In other words, when something lands on your desk (or in your inbox), either act on it, file it properly, or delegate it. But do not let it become part of the sediment that slows you down.
So why don’t we follow that good instinct?
• Because we’re already in reactive mode.
• Because we’ve let busy become a culture.
• Because stress tricks us into choosing the path of least resistance—the first option available, not the best one.
And that’s the real cost of busy-ness:
• Poor decision-making.
• Firefighting instead of building.
• A short-term “fix” that creates long-term pain.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. I see it in leaders and teams everywhere—from senior execs to frontline staff. But the truth is, no system, no business, no person performs at their best when they’re constantly chasing their tail.
The alternative?
• Make space up front.
• Decide early, decide well.
• Say no when you mean it.
• And honor the small commitments that stop things from becoming big problems.
Because it turns out, good communication—and good leadership—start before the crisis. Not in the heat of it.
