When ‘I’m not doing enough’ isn’t the problem.

From the inside, it’s always your fault.

The work isn’t moving — must be you. The team feels off — must be you. You walked out of the meeting wondering what you missed — must be you. The inside view has a gravitational pull, and the more capable you are, the harder it pulls, because you can always find a way you could have done it better.

This is what makes I’m not doing enough such a sticky thought. It feels accurate. It usually isn’t about the amount of work. It’s about the angle you’re looking at the work from.

Stepping out of the inside view isn’t easy, and you can’t talk yourself out of it — once you’re in the loop, more thinking just adds material. What helps is anything that interrupts the loop: another person’s honest read, a walk that isn’t framed as a productivity tactic, a willingness to let the question go unanswered for a day.