Listen instead
You know that feeling when you close your laptop at the end of your day, exhausted from a “productive” day, only to realize you spent three hours organizing digital folders and responding to emails that could have waited? Meanwhile, that important client proposal sits untouched, judging you from your desktop.
If you’re nodding right now, you’re not alone.
As women entrepreneurs, we’re masters of the juggling act; client deadlines, school pickup, grocery runs, and somehow finding time to actually grow our businesses. But here’s what I’ve learned after years of mistaking motion for progress: being busy isn’t the same as being effective.
I used to wear my overflowing to-do list like a badge of honor. Fifty items? Amateur hour. A hundred? Now we’re talking. But that list became a tyrant, growing faster than I could cross things off, leaving me feeling like I was running in place while my real goals gathered dust.
This October, let’s change that story together. Let’s talk about the difference between tasks that just fill time and the ones that actually move your business forward: the needle-movers that create real impact while giving you back your evenings, your life.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: not all tasks deserve your precious brain space. Some are genuinely important. Others just feel urgent because they’re sitting in your inbox or buzzing on your phone.
The problem isn’t that we’re lazy or disorganized. It’s that we’ve been conditioned to believe that a full calendar equals success, that saying yes to everything proves our worth, and that if we just work harder, we’ll eventually catch up.
But catch up to what, exactly? That finish line keeps moving.
Real success isn’t about conquering every task that crosses your path. It’s about getting crystal clear on what actually matters and having the courage to let the rest go.
First, let’s get everything out of your head. Grab whatever works: a notebook, your phone, a napkin, and write down every single thing you think you “should” be doing. Big things, tiny things, reasonable things, completely ridiculous things.
Client proposals? Write it down. Organizing the junk drawer? Write it down. Learning TikTok for your business? Write it down. That networking event you’re dreading? Write it down.
No editing, no judgment, just pure brain-to-paper honesty.
Now comes the magic. Sort everything into three buckets:
Money Makers – These directly bring money into your business. Think sending proposals, following up with hot leads, or launching that program you’ve been perfecting for months.
Connection Builders – These nurture the people who matter to your business and life. A thank-you note to a client, coffee with a mentor, or that call with your sister you keep postponing.
Energy Fillers – These fill your tank so you can show up fully. Your morning walk, that pottery class, reading before bed, or yes, even a guilt-free Netflix binge.
Now here’s where it gets real: some tasks won’t fit neatly into any of these buckets, and that’s okay. Maybe it’s filing taxes, updating your website security, or dealing with that insurance claim. These tasks might not energize you or directly bring in money, but they keep your business running.
The key isn’t to force everything into a bucket, it’s to challenge what stays on your list. For those things that don’t fit into the three buckets, ask yourself: “Does this truly support where I want to go?” If it’s a genuine necessity that keeps your business or life functioning, it earns its place. But if the answer is a hesitant “well, I guess I should…” or “someone said I need to…” that’s your cue to dig deeper or put it on a parking lot list to revisit later if you’re not ready to fully cross it off.
Question it. Challenge it. And be honest about whether it’s actually serving you or just taking up space because you think you “should” care about it.
You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule, but let me share how this plays out in real life: about 20% of what you do creates 80% of your results. The trick is figuring out which 20%.
In my experience, those high-impact tasks are often the ones we avoid, not because they’re time-consuming, but because they feel vulnerable. Making the sales call. Publishing the blog post. Recording a video. Raising your rates. These tasks require us to be seen, to risk rejection, to own our expertise.
But here’s what I’ve discovered: those uncomfortable tasks are usually exactly where the magic happens. They’re your needle-movers disguised as scary monsters.
This simple grid has saved my sanity more times than I can count:
Assign each task on your list as Important/Not important and Urgent/Not urgent.
Important + Urgent: Do these first (but honestly, if you’re always here, something’s off with your planning)
Important + Not Urgent: Schedule these. They’re your gold mine tasks that prevent fires later
Not Important + Urgent: These are perfect for delegating or automating if you can (or questioning why they’re urgent in the first place)
Not Important + Not Urgent: Permission granted to delete these without guilt
The game-changer question before tackling anything: “Will this move me closer to what I actually want to achieve?” If not, it gets bumped down the priority ladder.
Every morning, before checking email or social media (I’m looking at you), identify your Top 3 Most Important Tasks. These are the tasks that, if completed, will make you feel like you truly moved forward today.
Why three? Because your brain can actually focus on three things. Not twenty-three. Not thirteen. Three.
Write them at the very top of your list, maybe even on a sticky note that stares at you all day. These three tasks get your best energy, your clearest thinking, your full attention.
Everything else? Bonus points if you get to them, but these three are non-negotiable.
Every Friday (or Sunday, if that’s your planning day), take ten minutes for an honest conversation with yourself:
This isn’t about perfectionism or beating yourself up. It’s about noticing patterns and making adjustments. Maybe you realize you’re spending two hours daily on social media when thirty minutes would be plenty. Maybe you discover that batch-cooking on Sundays saves you three hours during the week.
Be ruthlessly honest. If something keeps showing up on your list but never creates results, it might be time to let it go, permanently.
Your time and energy aren’t unlimited resources, no matter how much we sometimes pretend they are. Protecting them isn’t selfish, it’s strategic.
This means learning to say, “I can’t take that on right now, but let me suggest…” It means blocking time for deep work and treating those appointments with yourself as seriously as client meetings. It means recognizing that burnout isn’t a badge of honor, it’s your body and mind waving a white flag.
Sustainable success requires you to show up consistently, not just intensely. And that requires boundaries.
Who says productivity has to feel like punishment? Here are some ways I’ve learned to add joy to the process:
Keep a “Done List” alongside your to-do list. Celebrate everything, from sending that email to remembering to eat lunch at an actual mealtime.
Use colorful pens or fun stickers for your Top 3 tasks. Sounds silly? Maybe. Does it make me slightly more likely to tackle them? Absolutely.
Create tiny rewards for letting go of busywork. Deleted five unnecessary tasks? That’s a fancy coffee. Delegated something that was draining you? Time for that book you’ve been wanting to read.
Reframe your end-of-day reflection from “Did I get everything done?” to “Did I move the needle on what matters today?”
Here’s the truth I wish someone had told me earlier: you don’t have to do it all to be successful. You just have to do the right things consistently.
This week, I challenge you to try this approach. Pick your three needle-movers each day. Notice what you can let go of. Pay attention to what gives you energy versus what drains it.
And then, here’s the important part, tell me how it goes. What surprised you? What felt hard to let go of? What gave you more time for what actually matters?
Because here’s what I know for sure: when you focus on moving the right needles, everything else doesn’t just fall into place, you create space for what you actually want your life and business to look like.
And that? That’s worth celebrating.
Want more support in growing your business with clarity and purpose? [Connect with me here] to explore how we can work together.
Saying yes to everything means saying no to what actually matters. Unknown
Saying yes to everything means saying no to what actually matters.
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