526. The High Achiever’s Paradox

Success expands everything—opportunities, decisions, people, and complexity. Jay calls this the High Achiever’s Paradox: as the pie gets bigger, chronic problems compound. Drawing on coaching transcripts and discovery calls, he spotlights three patterns that get harder with success: (1) honoring time blocks amid constant interruptions, (2) delegating instead of clinging to your competency, and (3) carving out strategic “thinking time” when busyness feels like a drug. The unlock is going from E → P: swapping willpower and heroics for proven models, systems, and—often—a coach. Jay shares how he rebuilt his own leadership workflows when his team scaled 7x, adopting project management tools and executive-level time protection. Start with the smallest domino to rebuild confidence: a 30-minute strategy block, delegating one recurring task, or upgrading a spreadsheet to a true CRM. Small wins stack, ceilings break, and growth resumes. Challenge of the Week: Pick one important time block on your calendar this week and protect it at all costs—treat it like a meeting with your future self. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: Why time-blocking fails without protection How the “competency trap” blocks delegation Designing thinking time to become strategic Links & Tools from This Episode: The ONE Thing (book) E to P Framework Brandon Turner Trello Top CRM Tools Executive Assistants & Chiefs of Staff Resources Coaching with The ONE Thing Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [e-mail] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing. Produced by NOVA