Have you ever gotten your car stuck in the snow or a ditch? You have two choices: continue to spin your wheels, digging deeper, and getting further entrenched in the muck, or find smarter alternatives like rocking or finding a way to add traction. The latter strategic approach will get you out of the ditch faster and with less frustration than continuing to dig yourself deeper.

Mindless productivity is much like this. When we get behind or are overwhelmed by our to-do lists, it’s tempting to double down and put our shoulders to the wheel to work even harder…