How do I force less and still get things done?

You want to force less and still get the important things done. Begin by separating two things that get confused: effort and force. Effort is doing the work. Force is doing the work against the grain of the situation — pushing a decision before it is ready, pressing a person who has not been persuaded, starting a task at the hour your mind is worst. Most exhaustion is force, not effort. First, notice where you are pushing against something that will move on its own shortly. Water does not argue with the rock. It goes around, and outlasts it. Some things you are forcing this week will resolve without you. Second, do the hardest work at the hour your mind is actually sharpest, and stop pretending discipline can substitute for that. This one change removes more forcing than any amount of resolve. Third, when something will not move, ask what is actually holding it. Usually a person who has not been asked, or a decision nobody has made. Force applied to a stuck thing produces noise. Fourth, act early and small rather than late and hard. Deal with a thing while it is still easy. Where are you pushing on something that would move by itself?