Balancing Multiple Roles Is Hard, But Doable

Welcome to The 1% Better Productivity Letter, your weekly dose of simple, actionable strategies to work smarter, boost focus, and build a productive life that fits you.

Today at a glance:

• You don’t have to give equal energy to every part of your life every day. Learn to adapt.
• Structure helps you move through the boring stuff so you can make space for what excites you.
• Simpler systems like using a timer and a 3-task list can significantly improve your focus without adding more stress.

Productivity when my brain is tired

Before diving into today’s topic, I have a quick and exciting announcement: The Productivity Accelerator course is officially launching at the end of next week! 🎉

It’s been a long road of planning, refining, and making sure every detail is aligned so that I can confidently say this will bring real value to you. Right now, I’m still in the beta testing phase—and I have a few free spots left if you’d like early access.

If you're curious, just reply to this email or DM me on Instagram. Tell me why you’d need this kind of course and what you expect from it, and you might be selected as one of the final beta testers (yes, totally free!).

Now, let’s get into today’s topic.

Truth is… I woke up this morning with zero clue what to write about. While I was having breakfast and mentally rewinding my week, I found myself overwhelmed—not because I didn’t have anything to share, but because there were too many things I could write about. In the end, I decided to talk about something I know many of you are dealing with:

The struggle of balancing focus between two major areas of your life.

For me, it’s my full-time job and my business. But maybe for you, it’s a mix of parenting and personal goals, freelance work and studies, or two parallel projects at work.

The truth is, we’re not wired to split our energy evenly between two different activities, especially when both demand brainpower and attention. Over time, you’ll likely start to favor one—either because it brings you more joy, feels more fulfilling, or simply aligns better with your current energy.

I used to beat myself up about this (and honestly, sometimes still do). I’d find myself daydreaming about my business while working my 9-5… then by the end of the day, I hadn’t made real progress on either. I procrastinated the job tasks because they felt uninspiring, but then never got to the business stuff either because I was drained or stuck in guilt.
And let me tell you, the spiral of “I’ve done nothing today” hits hard.

(Thank God for therapy 😅)

Eventually, I had to make peace with the fact that I needed a system. Nothing fancy or revolutionary—just something simple to keep me grounded. So I started using a timer + a 3-task to-do list. That’s it.

I’d tell myself: “Let’s stay focused long enough to get these 3 things done. After that, I’m free to switch gears.” Almost like parenting a 7-year-old version of myself with gentle rules and rewards.

It sounds silly, but it works. And I’ll break it down for you in the next section.

From Idea to Action

As you probably know by now, my personal productivity motto is simple: “Make things as easy as possible.”​
Not lazy-easy—but efficient-easy. And one of the best tools I’ve discovered lately to help me stay focused without burning out is a mix of a timer and a 3-task to-do list.

Here’s exactly how I do it:

I use a gravity cube timer (which I always keep on my desk), but honestly, your phone or laptop timer works just fine. Then I take a moment—usually in the morning with my coffee—and write down just 3 tasks I want to complete that day. Any piece of paper, journal, or notes app works.

Why the 3-Task Rule Works

This technique has been around for years and is backed by both psychology and real-world experience. The idea is to focus on completing just 3 meaningful tasks per day—no more, no less. This helps you hit the sweet spot between feeling productive and avoiding overwhelm.

More than 3 can often lead to overcommitting, underdelivering, or spiraling into decision fatigue. But 3? Feels doable. Keeps you grounded.

How I Make It Work for Two Priorities

Since I juggle both a full-time job and my business, I use this method to manage both without losing my mind. Here's how:

• I start by asking myself: What’s the priority today?
• Depending on the answer, I’ll split the 3 tasks—maybe 2 for my job and 1 for my business, or the other way around.
• I try to be realistic, not idealistic. Even if my business excites me more, sometimes my job simply needs more of my energy.

The secret is flexibility and testing. You won’t know what combo works best until you try a few different approaches—and that's okay.

The Deep Work Setup

Once I have my 3 tasks, I go into deep work mode:

• I set a timer for 60 to 90 minutes (that’s the average window for reaching real focus).
• I eliminate every distraction: phone on Do Not Disturb, tabs closed, notifications off.
• I make sure I have everything I need—water, snacks, even a bathroom break beforehand—so I don’t give my brain any excuse to run away.

Some days, one deep work session is enough. Other times, I need two. It really depends on how big or small the tasks are.

🧠 Important note: Don’t make your list with three 2-hour tasks and expect to breeze through them. Most people can only stay in a deep focus state for about 4 hours a day max—and many of us are still building that muscle. So keep your 3 tasks doable, realistic, and aligned with your current energy.

🎯 Challenge for you: Try this method for the rest of the week. Write down your 3 tasks. Set your timer. See how it feels.

Then let me know! I’d love to hear how it goes—reply to this email or DM me on Instagram with your experience or any questions you have. I’m here to make productivity easier for you, not harder.

Recommendation Zone

If today's topic resonated with you and you're seeking practical ways to enhance your focus—especially when juggling multiple responsibilities—I highly recommend this YouTube video by Matt D'Avella:

👉 I cut my training by 70% (and got better results)​

In this insightful video, Matt shares how reducing his training volume led to improved results, emphasizing the importance of quality over quantity. This approach aligns perfectly with our discussion on focusing on a few key tasks and using dedicated time blocks to achieve them. It's a great reminder that sometimes, doing less can lead to more effective outcomes.

If you watch it, feel free to reply or DM me with your thoughts or favorite takeaways!

Something Big is Coming ⏰

If you enjoyed what I covered in this newsletter, you’re going to love my upcoming course, The Productivity Accelerator. It’s designed to help you master focus, beat distractions, and finally work smarter, not harder.

Right now, I’m putting the finishing touches on it, and if you join the waitlist, you’ll be the first to get updates when it launches. Plus, I’ve got a special bonus exclusively for waitlist members—something I haven’t seen anyone else offer before.

Trust me, you won’t want to miss it. 🤩

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Remember: productivity does not mean busyness!

Loredana xx