This is WHY you’re always TIRED

This is WHY you’re always TIRED

6 months ago, I had 200–300 unread messages.

Every single month.

Not because I didn’t see them.

Because I kept postponing them.

The client waiting for a proposal.

The friend I promised to call back.

The rejection I needed to send.

The apology I owed.

I told myself I was “too busy.”

But that was a lie.

I was avoiding hard conversations.

Avoiding conflict.

Avoiding disappointment.

And people noticed.

“You never reply to messages.”

I heard that more times than I want to admit.

And every time, I’d brush it off.

“I’m just swamped right now.”

Those unread messages weren’t just sitting in my DMs.

They were sitting in my mind.

The mental cost nobody talks about

Every message I ignored created an open loop in my brain.

The proposal I didn’t follow up on.

The call I kept postponing.

The decision I was avoiding.

They were all running in the background.

Draining my energy.

Killing my focus.

I’d be working on a project and suddenly:

“Oh, you still haven’t replied to that client.”

I’d be in class and:

“You need to follow up on that proposal.”

I’d be trying to sleep and:

“You promised to call them back 3 days ago.”

These thoughts would pop up randomly every day.

And I couldn’t focus on anything because my mind was cluttered with unfinished business.

A Story

I had sent a proposal to a client.

A good proposal but I didn’t follow up for weeks.

Every single day, I’d think:

I need to follow up. I need to follow up. I need to follow up.

But I never did.

It got so heavy that just seeing their name in my messages made me feel some kind of way

The longer I waited, the harder it became.

The harder it became, the more I avoided it.

That loop was eating me alive.

What changed

Then I saw something that clicked:

“The real reason you’re tired isn’t your workload. It’s your open loops.”

and it’s true

Every unfinished conversation.

Every postponed decision.

Every avoided message.

They’re all pulling on your mental energy.

And I realized: I can’t build anything meaningful when my mind is this cluttered.

So I made a rule:

If I can reply now, I reply now.

Not “later.”

Not “when I have time.”

Now.

Someone sends a message? I reply immediately.

Someone needs information? I call them right now.

A decision needs to be made? I make it today.

The uncomfortable truth about calling

I used to hate phone calls.

I’d rather text and wait hours for a response than call someone.

But then I realized something stupid:

A 2-minute call gives me all the answers I need.

A text thread takes hours and still leaves things unclear.

So I started calling people.

Even when it felt awkward.

Even when I wasn’t “a phone person.”

And you know what?

Most people appreciate it.

It’s faster. It’s clearer. It closes the loop immediately.

I’m not saying call everyone about everything.

But if it’s urgent? If it’s been sitting in your head?

Just call.

Get the answer.

Close the loop.

Move on.

How I handle the hard ones

Some loops aren’t easy to close.

The rejection you need to send.

The apology you owe.

The “no” you have to say.

Those still suck.

The discomfort of doing it is always less than the weight of avoiding it.

That client I never followed up with?

When I finally sent the follow-up, it took 5 minutes.

But avoiding it cost me weeks of mental energy.

The conversation you’re dreading?

It’ll take 10 minutes.

But avoiding it will drain you for days.

Do the hard thing now.

Free your mind later.

What closing loops has done for me

I’m not perfect.

I still have 47 unread messages right now.

But I’m intentional about closing them.

And my work has changed.

I can focus now.

I can think clearly.

I can build without random interruptions in my head.

When I sit down to work, I work.

Not with half my brain worrying about the 10 things I haven’t done yet.

My energy is back.

My focus is sharper.

My output is better.

Not because I’m working harder.

Because I’m working with a clear mind.

If you’re exhausted all the time, check your loops

You think you’re tired because you’re working too much.

But maybe you’re tired because you’re carrying too much.

Every unread message.

Every postponed conversation.

Every avoided decision.

They’re all draining you in the background.

So here’s what I’m challenging you to do:

Close one loop today.

Reply to that message.

Make that call.

Send that apology.

Make that decision.

Just one.

And notice how much lighter you feel.

Then do it again tomorrow.

You don’t need more coffee.

You don’t need better time management.

You need to close what you’ve left open.

Your mind will thank you.

How many open loops are draining you right now?

Drop a number in the comments. Let’s be honest about this.

I’m Nana Asiamah.

Helping 10 million young people escape mediocrity and build bold lives through mindset, mission, and execution.

Follow me if you’re ready to stop postponing and start building with clarity.