Work doesn’t usually feel heavy because it’s hard but it feels heavy when it’s unclear.
For me, that heaviness shows up most when I’m doing something for the first time and the process isn’t fully formed in my head yet. I know what needs to be done, but not the order, the starting point, or what ‘done’ actually looks like. The work becomes mentally sticky. I keep circling it without making progress.
But unclear work isn’t always about the tasks themselves—sometimes it’s about the people around them. As a contractor, you don’t always get to choose your clients. Sometimes you end up working with people who drain energy rather than direct it. Even simple tasks can feel exhausting when communication is poor, expectations are vague, or boundaries are shifting. The work itself may be light, but the environment makes it heavy.
What I’ve learned is that lightness isn’t about ease. It’s about clarity and containment.
One small system change that made a real difference for me was learning to always work from a top-level view. Instead of diving straight into execution, I step back and look at the task as a whole. What are the components? What is blocked? What am I waiting on? What can move forward independently? That overhead view dissolves surprising amounts of friction. It turns a foggy task into something easy to navigate.
I measure work load lightness in simple ways. Are there dangling tasks caused by broken workflows? Do I know what I’m waiting on and from whom? Can work through a task independently? Am I carrying unfinished fragments in my head? When things are clear, I can move forward without mental residue. When they’re not, even rest doesn’t feel restful.
Operating alone amplifies this. Without clarity, it’s easy to go in circles. Something I have experienced when starting things – abandoning them, reopening them, never quite finishing anything. The weight doesn’t come from the volume of work, but from the lack of structure around it.
Making work feel lighter doesn’t require doing less. It requires seeing more clearly. Defined processes, healthy boundaries, clear next steps. When those are in place, work stops pressing down on you. It becomes something you can actually carry.
And that makes all the difference.