ASK COACH LANI: My boss keeps giving me more work because I’m good at my job. How do I stop being rewarded with more work?

Q: My boss keeps giving me more work because I’m good at my job. How do I stop being rewarded with more work?

This is one of the frustrating realities of being a high performer: when people know you can get things done, they keep giving you things to do.

You become the person who can handle the difficult assignment, fix the problem, meet the tight deadline, or step in when someone else drops the ball. At first, that can feel like recognition. And sometimes it is. Being trusted with important work can create visibility and position you for bigger opportunities.

But there is a difference between being trusted and being overloaded.

If your workload keeps increasing without additional resources, recognition, compensation, or opportunities for advancement, it may be time to change how you respond to new assignments.

That does not mean you suddenly become difficult or start saying no to everything. It means you stop treating every new request like an automatic yes. Share your list of work assignments with your boss and ask him which ones should be top priority and which ones should be deprioritized.

Notice what you’re doing there. You aren’t refusing the work. You’re making your manager participate in the prioritization of your workload. If you find it hard to have difficult conversations, watch this video where I share five strategies for navigating difficult conversations.

You also need to look at the bigger picture. Has the job you’re doing today become significantly larger than the job you were originally hired to do? Are you regularly handling higher-level responsibilities? Are you training others, leading projects, solving complex problems, or becoming the person everyone relies on?

Document it.

Those additional responsibilities should become part of your conversations about performance, compensation, resources, and advancement. Too many professionals keep doing more while waiting for someone else to notice. Don’t assume they will.

And remember: being capable does not mean you have unlimited capacity.

Your goal isn’t to prove how much work you can survive. Your goal is to make sure the work you’re doing is aligned with your priorities and contributing to where you want your career to go.

Coach Lani’s Next Move: Before you accept the next major assignment, ask what should be deprioritized—and start documenting the responsibilities that have been added to your plate.