Ever heard the saying, “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything”? It might sound like a cliché, but it’s a truth that comes up time and again in our strategy workshops.
When teams are working toward a big outcome, it’s common to generate lots of good ideas and feel tempted to chase them all. More ideas = more chances of success, right?
Well, not quite.
What we consistently see is that spreading attention, resources, and time across too many initiatives dilutes impact. Instead of doing one thing well, we end up doing a few things poorly. And that often leads to frustration, low morale, and a knock to team confidence.
Sometimes it doesn’t even get that far. When there are too many ideas, it can lead to idea paralysis - where you're stuck trying to figure out where to start, who to delegate to, or which direction to take first. This kind of mental gridlock is known as cognitive overload, and it’s been linked to reduced performance in decision-making and other cognitive tasks (source).
But the brain doesn’t just struggle with volume - it struggles with switching.
It’s been shown that jumping between different tasks has a draining effect on our mental energy. Think of each task as its own computer. Every time you switch, one has to shut down before the next can boot up. It takes effort. When we’re constantly switching gears in a short time frame, the fatigue adds up fast. And that tiredness creates even more room for error, distraction, or under-delivery (source).
So why do we still fall into this trap?
Because our optimism, high standards, and the belief that more is more make us feel like it’s smart to explore every good idea. And in the early stages, choosing the simple option can feel counterintuitive, like we’re letting go of potential.
But at the heart of strong strategy is one crucial skill: discipline.
We have to ask ourselves: Are these goals achievable within the time and resources we have? And we have to be honest. If your strategy includes five directions but only the capacity to give two of them your best effort, the rest will suffer. Too many pathways divide your discipline, and that weakens the entire strategy.
It sounds simple. But it’s not easy. It takes restraint and practice to quiet the impulse to do it all. But once you can, the difference is huge: better results, clearer progress, and a stronger, more confident team.
The ability to evaluate, prioritise, and commit is what turns good ideas into great outcomes.
A Real-World Example
Say your team has just launched a new product or service. It’s strong, exciting, and full of potential. Now, you need to build trust with potential clients to support uptake.
You come up with three good ideas:
1. Field Conversations
Spending time in person with potential clients to discuss the product in depth.
2. Online Reviews
Gathering as many meaningful online reviews as possible to create social proof.
3. Video Testimonials
Filming enthusiastic users sharing their experience, to use across marketing channels.
All three have value. But you can’t do them all at once - and this is where strategy comes into play. You need to evaluate each one honestly, based on time, value, and return:
Field Conversations
These can be powerful for trust-building. But they’re time-intensive, and hard to scale. Does your team realistically have the capacity to do this well?
Online Reviews
Social proof is incredibly valuable, but building a bank of quality reviews takes time, and momentum might be slow. Will building this solid bank of reviews be possible in your timeline?
Video Testimonials
You could film several testimonials in one day, then repurpose the footage across digital platforms. It’s high-impact, scalable, and relatively quick to produce.
In this case, video testimonials offer the best return for effort. They’re focused, multi-functional, and forward-moving - a smart choice that supports progress and saves time.
From Idea to Action
Once you’ve landed on the winning idea, the next step is action. Having a great idea and even a solid plan won’t move the needle until you actually do something with it.
And this is often the moment where teams really feel the benefit of narrowing their focus. Execution becomes clearer, simpler, and more effective. (I’ll cover how to bridge the gap between planning and implementation in an upcoming blog.)
In Summary
Ideas are easy. Choosing the right one, and seeing it through, is what sets great teams apart.
When you try to do it all, you dilute your impact. But when you zoom in on what matters most, commit fully, and move forward with focus - that’s when real momentum builds.
This kind of decision-making is a core part of what we help teams do in our strategy workshops. Because you really can do anything. But if you try to do everything, you risk getting nowhere fast.
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