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If you’ve ever looked at your to-do list and wanted to set it on fire…
You’re not alone.
I’ve been there — working 10+ hour days, juggling customers, team issues, ship dates, productivity, marketing, payroll, and still going to bed thinking, “I didn’t get anything important done.”
That feeling? It’s not about laziness or lack of discipline. It’s about overload. And more often than not, it comes down to this:
👉 You’re treating everything like it’s equally urgent.
👉 And when everything is a priority… nothing is.
What Most Business Owners Get Wrong About To-Do Lists
A lot of the business owners I work with are drowning in responsibility. They’re strong operators — gritty, dependable, always finding a way to keep the wheels turning. But they also fall into a common trap:
They confuse activity with progress.
Yes, you’re busy. But are you busy doing the right things?
I remember working with a client who ran a busy auto repair shop. His days were packed — 6am to 6pm — but his business wasn’t growing, and he felt like he was on a hamster wheel. When we looked at his list, it was full of “have-tos”:
- Order filters
- Call five past-due customers
- Fix the broken compressor
- Schedule social media posts
- Find new uniforms
- Price out shop signage
- Look at expansion options
- Do payroll
- Interview two new techs
All legit. All important. But not all equal.
What we did next changed everything for him.
How I Help Clients Ruthlessly Rank What Matters
There are three questions I ask every client when we’re facing a mountain of tasks:
1. What’s urgent vs. what’s important?
Not everything that screams the loudest matters the most. Urgent things are often loud — customer complaints, tech issues, fires to put out. Important things are usually quiet — long-term strategy, hiring the right person, creating systems.
You need to do both. But they can’t share equal space every day.
2. What actually moves the business forward?
If you only completed three things today, what would make the biggest difference in 90 days? That’s what needs your attention — not just what’s easiest to check off.
When we applied this filter with the auto shop owner, he realized calling those two new techs and finalizing the compressor repair had a huge ROI — more work capacity, faster turnaround, more revenue. Social media posts could wait a day. Signage could wait a month.
3. If you didn’t do this for a week, would anyone notice?
This one stings a bit — but it’s clarifying. Many of us fill our time with “good” tasks that aren’t critical. If it’s been on your list for three weeks, maybe it’s not that important after all.
Real Talk: Your List Isn’t Too Long — It’s Too Flat
The goal isn’t to get it all done. It’s to get the right things done, in the right order, consistently.
Start using a tiered system. I recommend:
- Tier 1 (Must-Do): No more than 3 a day. These move your business forward.
- Tier 2 (Should-Do): 3–5 items. Important, but flexible.
- Tier 3 (Could-Do): Everything else. Park it here so your brain stops spinning, but don’t let it run your day.
When you know what matters most, the day feels different. Less frantic. More focused.
Final Thought: Prioritization Is Leadership
At the end of the day, leading your business means knowing where to put your energy.
If you’re feeling stretched thin and unsure where to focus — that’s not a failure. It’s a leadership moment. And the good news? You can learn it, build it, and make it a habit.
This is exactly the kind of work I do with my clients — helping real business owners step out of the weeds and into a role that’s more strategic, less reactive, and way more effective.
