78. Clarifying Your Capacity

Episode 78: Clarifying Your Capacity

The Career Clinic Podcast

Host: Ronnie Dickerson Stewart

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Episode Overview

Welcome to Day Three of The Career Clinic January Intensive.

In this episode, we shift from intention to infrastructure and take an honest look at capacity — not as a vague feeling, but as something that can be designed, protected, and managed with clarity.

Too often, we move through our weeks and years reacting to what lands on our calendars, mistaking busyness for value and availability for capacity. This conversation invites you to slow down, zoom out, and design the year ahead from a place of truth — not pressure, urgency, or other people’s expectations.

This is about reclaiming your energy so you can show up fully for what actually matters.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why capacity is about energy, not just time
✔️ How reacting to your calendar creates burnout and resentment
✔️ What “marquee moments” are and why they should shape your year
✔️ How to plan buffers before and after demanding seasons or events
✔️ How to identify time leaks and misaligned commitments
✔️ A practical framework for reducing friction in your day-to-day life

Tool #1: Identify Your Marquee Moments ✍🏾

Instead of starting with goals or to-do lists, this episode asks you to look at your year as a whole.

Marquee moments are the events, milestones, projects, and experiences that matter most — professionally and personally. These might include major work engagements, travel, launches, conferences, celebrations, or family milestones.

Your first task is to:

• Identify your marquee moments for the year

• Block them on your calendar now (even tentatively)

• Add buffers before and after to allow for preparation, presence, and recovery

This is how you prevent the year from getting ahead of you.

Tool #2: Track Your Time for One Week

Most people think they know where their time goes — until they track it.

For one week, document how you actually spend your time. Then categorize each activity as:

• High value (energizing or moving you forward)

• Neutral (necessary but not energizing)

• Low value (draining or misaligned)

This is not about judgment. It’s about awareness. You can’t protect or redesign what you can’t see.

Tool #3: The Four D’s Framework

Once you spot friction or time leaks, this episode introduces a simple decision-making tool to help you reset:

• Delegate – Transfer responsibility where appropriate

• Divest – Reduce energy spent on something that no longer requires the same investment

• Dump/Delete – Fully release what no longer serves you

• Dream – Reimagine a commitment or situation entirely

This framework helps move your energy from friction to flow.

This Week’s Easy Win: Friction → Frictionless 🙌🏾

Choose one commitment or situation currently creating friction.

Ask yourself:

• Which of the Four D’s applies here?

• What would become possible if I made this shift?

One decision. One action. One step toward reclaimed capacity.

Links & Resources 🤎

📝 Ask OhHeyCoach (Ask, Oh Hey Coach Fridays):
Submit your questions, reflections, or capacity challenges to be answered in an upcoming episode.
👉🏾 https://form.typeform.com/to/ja89DHpT

📩 Join the OhHeyMonday Newsletter:
Weekly reflections, tools, and grounded guidance delivered every Monday.
👉🏾 www.ohheyjoin.com

🤝 Work With Ronnie / OhHeyCoach:
Executive coaching, leadership development, and career design for individuals and organizations.
👉🏾 www.ohheycoach.com

📬 Contact:
[e-mail]

What’s Coming Next

Tomorrow, we’ll build on this work by updating your weekly operating system — ensuring your week is designed to serve you, not the other way around.

Final Thought ✨

Capacity isn’t about doing more or doing things perfectly. It’s about having the energy to show up for what matters most — and designing your days in a way that honors that truth.

I’ll see you tomorrow.