Busy or Productive? There’s a Big Difference

Busy or Productive? There’s a Big Difference

by | Dec 6, 2024 | Busy Trap, Time Freedom

How often do you hear yourself saying, “I’m so busy,” when someone asks how you’re doing? 

It’s become the universal badge of honour!

But let’s pause for a moment.

What if being “busy” isn’t the same as being productive?

Imagine this: your day is packed. You’ve crossed off ten things on your to-do list, answered emails, and attended meetings. But as you sit down at the end of the day, you realise the big, meaningful task you needed to tackle is still untouched.

Sound familiar? 

That’s the busy trap… a whirlwind of activity that doesn’t actually move you forward.

Here’s the truth: busyness often hides a lack of clarity or focus. 

The good news? 

You don’t have to stay stuck.

Here’s how to get unstuck.

1: Recognise the Trap

Did you know that 88% of people procrastinate daily, and 51% of their time is spent on low-value tasks? When you’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to fall into patterns that feel like progress—responding to emails, organising your desk—but don’t create meaningful results.

Action: Take a moment right now to evaluate your to-do list. Identify one task that feels productive but doesn’t truly move the needle. Then, replace it with one high-value task that aligns with your biggest goals.

2: Shift Your Perspective

The key isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters. In Healthy Hustle, we talk about balancing action with intentionality. When you stop running on autopilot and start prioritising tasks that align with your goals, you’ll notice a meaningful shift in your productivity and clarity.

Action: Pick one task you’ve been putting off because it feels challenging or uncomfortable. Commit to tackling it first today. Often, the most valuable tasks are the ones we avoid, and taking action on them builds momentum and clarity for the rest of your day.

3: Create Space for Focus

To escape the busy trap, you need to give yourself permission to pause. Reflect on your priorities and take small, purposeful steps toward them. It’s not about doing everything, it’s about doing the right things.

Action: Take a moment to pause and ask yourself, “What would success look like for me at the end of today?” Write down one clear outcome you’d like to achieve, and set aside uninterrupted time to work on it.

Our book Healthy Hustle dives deep into how you can ditch the busyness and design a life where your time is aligned with your goals. 

It’s about working smarter, not harder, and finding the flow that lets you thrive in business and life.

If you’re tired of feeling busy but unfulfilled, now is the time to make a change. 

Grab your copy of Healthy Hustle here and discover the blueprint for a more productive, balanced life.

Let’s move from busy to thriving, starting today!

Ness is a Business and Leadership Coach and co-author of Healthy Hustle – The New Blueprint to Thrive in Business and Life. Her approach is grounded in practicality and empathy because she believes in the power of careful, thoughtful decision-making that respects your needs. Having run successful coaching businesses since 2015, Ness is obsessed with helping business owners and leaders thrive. She helps her clients install smart business growth strategies and leverage leadership for peak performance.

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Could Your Beliefs Be Limiting Your Business Growth?

Could Your Beliefs Be Limiting Your Business Growth?

by | Nov 8, 2024 | Busy Trap, Juggle Street, Peak Performance, Smart Growth, Time Freedom

You might not realise it, but the beliefs you hold (consciously or subconsciously) are playing a huge role in shaping your business outcomes.

Whether it’s your mindset around money, your views on success, or how you approach sales, these beliefs are influencing every decision you make.

Let’s explore three key areas where your beliefs might be holding you back, and how changing them can create real business transformation.

  1. The Invisible Money Beliefs

How you view money can dramatically affect your business. Many of us unknowingly carry limiting beliefs like “money is scarce” or “you have to work hard to make money.” These mindsets can lead to decisions based on fear, like underpricing your services or avoiding investments that could help your business grow.

Shifting this belief to “money is a tool to create value” can open the door to greater financial abundance.

  1. The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Hard Work

Do you believe that success only comes from working harder? Many business owners are stuck in the hustle mentality, convinced that long hours and constant effort are the only way to achieve their goals. This belief often leads to burnout and inefficiency.

The truth is, working smarter—not harder—produces better results. It’s about finding ways to leverage your time, streamline operations, and focus on high-value activities, so you can grow your business without sacrificing your well-being.

  1. Challenging Long-Held Beliefs from Childhood

The beliefs we adopt in childhood—whether about hard work, success, or leadership—often go unchallenged throughout adulthood. These beliefs shape how we approach our careers and businesses, but they may no longer serve us.

By actively questioning and replacing outdated beliefs with more empowering ones, you can create a mindset that fosters growth rather than limits it.

Changing your beliefs isn’t easy, but it’s essential if you want to grow your business in a meaningful way.

Start by reflecting on what’s driving your decisions—are those beliefs helping you move forward or keeping you stuck?

Ness is a Business and Leadership Coach and co-author of Healthy Hustle – The New Blueprint to Thrive in Business and Life. Her approach is grounded in practicality and empathy because she believes in the power of careful, thoughtful decision-making that respects your needs. Having run successful coaching businesses since 2015, Ness is obsessed with helping business owners and leaders thrive. She helps her clients install smart business growth strategies and leverage leadership for peak performance.

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Are you addicted to your business?

Are you addicted to your business?

by | Aug 9, 2024 | Business Chaos, Busy Trap, Juggle Street, Peak Performance, Smart Growth, Time Freedom

You dream of having a smoothly running business, a high-performing team, and the freedom to step back without the constant need for you to be in the business. 

After all, it’s why you went into business in the first place.

But what about when you achieve this ideal scenario? 

Have you stopped to consider the often-overlooked downside?

When your business no longer hinges on your every move, you may find yourself grappling with a surprising challenge: the lack of significance and validation that comes from being the go-to problem solver.

Because you’ve built your business from the ground up, it’s really hard to let go. 

The need to swoop in and save the day, to validate your importance through solving daily issues, can become addictive. 

Even when your team is performing well, it’s tempting to fall into the thought pattern of “I would’ve done it this way,” despite the fact your team is achieving the same results. 

This urge can make it difficult for you to step back and fully trust your team.

But the idea of having nothing to do can be simply daunting. 

Your fantasy of endless beach days can quickly turn into boredom. 

Because you’re wired for growth, always seeking the next challenge. 

This drive is part of your DNA as a successful business owner, but it can also be a double-edged sword, leading to what some experts call “entrepreneurial addiction”.

Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and mental health author, describes addiction as compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences. 

This definition is particularly relevant for business owners who find themselves compulsively working longer hours, neglecting personal relationships, and sacrificing health and well-being for the sake of their business.

Amy identifies 6 warning signs of entrepreneurial addiction:

1. Obsessive thoughts (constantly thinking about your business – getting new clients, introducing new products, the next onboarding round…)

2. Withdrawal (once that big pitch or project is done withdrawal symptoms can occur, boredom, depression, anxiety, a feeling of ‘coming down’)

3. Self-Worth problems (never acknowledging how far you’ve come or celebrating your successes before searching for the next big thing will impact your self-worth, it’s never enough)

4. Increased Tolerance to your substance of choice, in this case unhealthy ways of working (the long hours, no lunch breaks or lack of sleep become the normal way to function)

5. Neglect (other areas of life come second and are neglected – your health, family, time for you, hobbies, sleep)

6. Negative Outcomes (continuing your way of working despite the negative effects on your health, relationships, and life)

Do you see any of these warning signs in you?

If yes, then you need to break the cycle.

You can start this by setting clear boundaries – allocate specific times for work and personal activities, and stick to them. 

Celebrate your achievements and acknowledge your progress to maintain a healthy sense of self-worth. 

Most importantly, remember why you started your business in the first place. 

Reconnect with your initial goals and ensure they’re being met without compromising your well-being.

Taking these steps can help you regain control and create a sustainable work-life balance. 

If you find yourself struggling, consider booking a clarity call with me to discuss strategies to get yourself out of this mess. 

It’s time to move from being indispensable to leading a thriving, self-sufficient business so that you can enjoy the freedom and fulfilment you deserve.

Ness is a Business and Leadership Coach. Her approach is grounded in practicality and empathy because she believes in the power of careful, thoughtful decision-making that respects your needs. Having run successful coaching businesses since 2015, Ness is obsessed with helping business owners and leaders thrive. She helps her clients install smart business growth strategies and leverage leadership for peak performance.

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Navigating Change Fatigue: A Leader’s Guide

Navigating Change Fatigue: A Leader’s Guide

by | May 31, 2024 | Juggle Street, Peak Performance

If you were playing a game of work bingo, how quickly would it take for the phrase ‘change fatigue’ to come up?

I’d imagine pretty quickly.  

It’s the feeling of being weighed down by all the changes happening in the business.

Think about it: the world’s moving at lightning speed, tech’s evolving faster than ever, and then there’s the whole COVID-19 chaos that we’d sooner forget. 

Throw on top of that the agility needed to sustain and grow your business and it’s no wonder you, and your team, are feeling drained.

Why the dip?

According to a Harvard Business Review Gartner Survey, employee support for change dropped from 74% in 2016 to a measly 43% in 2022.

Well, it’s not just about people being lazy or stubborn. 

It’s about them feeling overwhelmed by constant changes and unsure about what’s coming next.

As a leader, it’s on you to create an environment where your team embrace change, rather than become demotivated by it. 

That means having real conversations with your team, listening to their concerns, and showing them that you get it.

Effective communication is your most powerful tool here. 

It’s all about keeping your team in the loop, explaining why changes are happening, and reassuring them that you’re all in this together (and demonstrating that through your actions). 

Consistency is key – whether it’s regular updates or sticking to established routines, it all helps to ease any anxiety that people are feeling.

But here’s the thing: not everyone reacts to change in the same way. 

Some people are all about embracing the new, while others need a bit more time to warm up to it. 

So, you’ve got to be flexible and meet people where they’re at.

The Conscious Competence Model is a helpful tool to apply during times of change.

  • Unconscious Incompetence – you’re unaware of the skill and your lack of proficiency
  • Conscious Incompetence – you’re aware of the skill but not yet proficient
  • Conscious Competence – you’re able to use the skill but only with effort
  • Unconscious Competence – performing the skill becomes automatic

Having had teenagers, the best example I can think of here is learning how to drive a car. 

From before they got their L plates (unconscious incompetence) to the first scary drive out of VicRoads having just sat a computer test but never actually driven a car (conscious incompetence). 

Then onto P plates (conscious competence) to driving for years and not even remembering driving down that main road you go down every night to home (unconscious competence).

Some of the changes in your business (for example, new processes or new technology) will feel like learning to drive all over again for some people.

Normalising the discomfort of change and giving people the support they need can make a world of difference.  

Being empathetic, communicative, and taking care of yourself and your team, will help you navigate everyone through change, with less fatigue.

Talking about support, do you want to double your team’s sales and get more yes’s, even in a tough market? If so, then grab The Yes Code™️ at the special rate before it reverts to full price on 6th June. Click here to find out more.

Ness is a Business and Leadership Coach. Her approach is grounded in practicality and empathy because she believes in the power of careful, thoughtful decision-making that respects your needs. Having run successful coaching businesses since 2015, Ness is obsessed with helping business owners and leaders thrive. She helps her clients install smart business growth strategies and leverage leadership for peak performance.

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Grow Smart, Not Hard: Secrets to Building a Thriving Business 

Grow Smart, Not Hard: Secrets to Building a Thriving Business 

by | May 16, 2024 | Business Chaos, Busy Trap, Juggle Street, Peak Performance, Time Freedom

Smart growth in business isn’t about relentless hustle or sacrificing your well-being for the sake of performance. 

Instead, smart growth focuses on combining strong leadership and effective people strategies to ensure that you, your team, and your business thrive.

If you want to reclaim time and step away from being everything to everyone, so that you can work smarter, not harder then it’s time to lean into smart growth.

Let’s look at how you do this.

Strong People Leadership

By fostering a culture where your team can make decisions independently, you free yourself from daily operations.

This takes a commitment to empowering your team, coaching and supporting their skill development.

It also means you drop any micro-management behaviours that could have snuck in.

The payoff? 

Enhanced productivity and increased job satisfaction for you and your team. 

Redefining Business Success

What does success mean to you?

Is it just about turnover targets getting achieved at all costs?

Or does it include caring about your team’s mental health?

Is it about reacting to economic uncertainties at all costs? 

Or do you embrace challenges without compromising your health and that of your business? 

True success combines profitability with well-being, steering clear of burnout and building resilience against whatever challenges get thrown your way.

Strategic Focus for Daily Challenges

Managing a business or a team requires constant attention to operations, client delivery, and lead generation. 

It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex of the whirlpool and feel like you’re drowning.

The challenge is to remain proactive rather than reactive.

For you to remain forward-thinking and robust you need to step on the balcony and focus on the bigger picture.

Without the ability to take time to work on your business instead of in it, you are leaving yourself open to feeling like business is chaotic.

Empowerment Through Decision-Making

What would you rather – a team of decision-makers or a team of doers? 

Decision-makers need structures to follow to set them up for success.

They need to be able to make mistakes and learn from them, be supported to grow and learn.

This shift not only empowers your team but also ensures that the business can continue to operate effectively, even in your absence. 

When you have a team that operates autonomously, you get the time freedom to focus on whatever is next for you.

Where do you sit right now?

We’ve created a 60-second quiz for you to identify which phase of business growth you’re in.

Your results will identify which one of these four categories you fall into – Crisis, Build, Growth or Momentum mode.

And we’ll give you the blueprint to move to Momentum from whichever phase you’re in.

The blueprint includes our favourite tools (you’ll get access to them straight away) that are working for our clients at the moment with sales productivity, profit planning and team engagement.

Click here to do the survey now – https://businesstogether.typeform.com/smartgrowth?typeform

Ness is a Business and Leadership Coach. Her approach is grounded in practicality and empathy because she believes in the power of careful, thoughtful decision-making that respects your needs. Having run successful coaching businesses since 2015, Ness is obsessed with helping business owners and leaders thrive. She helps her clients install smart business growth strategies and leverage leadership for peak performance.

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