Lesson 13 🙌

raise your (workload) expectations

Anna Bullock
May 23, 2025

In partnership with

Remember that thing you said you were going to do this week?

you remembering you DID have something to wrap up “before the weekend”

I’ll teach you how to get it done after a word from our sponsor…

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The week is ending.

Did you finish what you started?

For those who did not, there’s a simple way forward.

❝

Raise your (workload) expectations 🙌

your business Mom

1️⃣ A PROBLEM: You thought you were Beyoncé

If you’ve ever heard the phrase:

“you have the same hours in a day as Beyoncé, so you have no excuses”

you might have felt some pressure to be everywhere all at once.

real footage of someone you do not have the same amount of “time” as

I was reminded of that phrase today during a lovely webinar put on by The Creative Ladder & illustrious guests.

(follow me on LinkedIn for the breakdown of that tomorrow)

The problem is, as many have so well pointed out, Beyoncé has millions of dollars, a lifetime of fame, and a huge list of support staff to help her live her best life.

Sasha W pointing out my point

Unless I have some new multimillionaire entertainment icons as readers, you don’t have that. 💜

2️⃣ A REALIZATION: time is a delicate resource

In the span of a normal day, most of us

work
take care of loved ones
eat
learn
try to rest
get clean
deal with our own mental health
walk a dog or something
the list goes on

In between those things, you can make time to

get creative
start a new venture
make time for things you enjoy
DO THAT THING YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO BEFORE THE WEEK ENDED
(you thought I forgot 🤣)

When you say you’re going to finish that brief by EOD Friday or submit the deliverables “bright and early,” you need to be confident in that.

you literally have to create time.

Beyoncé creates it through money.

You likely will create it via sacrifice until you learn how to properly estimate your workload.

AND I DON’T MEAN “it takes me x hours to do y thing so that’s my estimate”

I mean reaaaaaaally estimate time.

3️⃣ THE SOLUTION: raise your (workload) expectations

I love basic math, so here’s a formula

WHAT YOU THINK x 4 + 10% on that for inevitable complications.

Will that document take you an hour to write?

Take 1 × 4 + .10 and what do you get?

a work block of 4 hours and 24 minutes to crank out the best document of your life.

Can you return that draft to your client by tomorrow?

Tell them a week and surprise and delight them

Please. I beg of y’all.

Please start being honest and realistic about what you can handle so you MAKE TIME to prevent burnout and keep doing everything you need to do.

The ✨NUANCE✨

If it’s a creative pursuit?

Double that! You need time in case you have to scrap it and start over

(totally not speaking from the experience of starting 3 other newsletter ideas before realizing I needed to write THIS one)

Do you have no choice but to hurry?

ASK for support.

Know you’ll likely sacrifice something else to accomplish your goal

& set better boundaries now.

Until next week,