The Power of Working on What Actually Matters

Are you spending time on tasks that actually grow your business? If you're like most entrepreneurs, you might be caught in the trap of being busy without seeing real revenue growth. Let's discover how to identify and focus on the activities that truly matter for your business success.

The Power of Working on What Actually Matters
One of my clients said in a recent coaching session, "I'm working 12-hour days, but I feel like I'm getting nowhere." Sound familiar?

I've been there too. A few years ago, I found myself constantly "busy" – responding to emails, updating my plan and perfecting my website for the hundredth time. But here's the thing: none of that brought me closer to my real goal of growing my coaching business.

The Wake-Up Call
You know what changed everything for me? Taking a step back and actually figuring out what actions would move the needle in my business. It sounds simple, but how many of us actually do this?

First Things First: Know Your Money-Making Activities
Let me share something that transformed my business. I sat down one Sunday afternoon with my favourite cup of tea and asked myself: "What actually brings in money?" As a coach, it wasn't:
• Endlessly tweaking my website
• Creating elaborate spreadsheet systems I never use
• Spending hours perfecting social media posts
It was having conversations with potential clients and making offers. Plain and simple.

Finding Your Focus
So here's what I want you to do (and yes, this is homework!). Grab your journal or open a fresh note on your phone and answer these questions:

What's your biggest goal right now? Maybe it's hitting your first $10k month or finally hiring that VA you've been dreaming about.

Now, what are the specific actions that will directly lead to that goal? Let's break this down with some real examples:

If you're a service-based business owner:
• Instead of spending hours creating the perfect Instagram grid, focus on reaching out to three potential collaboration partners each day
• Rather than endlessly refining your packages, start having actual conversations with your ideal clients to understand what they really need
• Instead of writing and rewriting your service descriptions, spend that time sending personalised follow-ups to warm leads

If you're selling products:
• Rather than obsessing over your product photos, focus on setting up meetings with potential retail stockists
• Instead of reorganising your inventory for the third time, spend time analysing your sales data to identify your best-selling items and scale those
• Rather than crafting the perfect email sequence, pick up the phone and call your best customers to gather testimonials and referrals

Real-World Success Implementation

I experienced this firsthand with one of my clients who runs a large service-based business and works with other businesses. He used to spend most of his time on-site, managing jobs and overseeing day-to-day operations. While this felt productive and important, it was actually keeping his business from growing. When he finally stepped back and focused on building relationships and connecting with potential clients, his business experienced significant growth. He learned that his time was better spent nurturing new business relationships than managing the operational details that his team could handle.

The Real Work
Here's where it gets real – and I'm speaking from experience. Sometimes, we avoid the actual goal-achieving work because it feels scary. Making offers? Putting yourself out there? That's vulnerable stuff.  It's much more comfortable to busy ourselves with tasks that feel productive but don't push us out of our comfort zone.

I had to learn this lesson the hard way. Once I started focusing 80% of my work time on activities that directly led to client acquisition, my business transformed. Was it comfortable? Not always. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Your Turn
Today, I want you to look at your to-do list differently. Circle the items that will directly impact your goals. These are your priority tasks – the ones that deserve your best energy and focus.

Remember, you don't have to do it all at once. Start small. Choose one goal-aligned activity to prioritise tomorrow. Then another the next day. Before you know it, you'll create momentum in the right direction.

Want a systematic approach to identifying and focusing on your revenue-generating activities? I've created The Fast Focus System specifically for busy business owners like you. This free guide will walk you through:

• How to identify your highest-impact activities
• A simple method to prioritise revenue-generating tasks
• Strategies to stay focused on what truly matters
• Templates to make implementation easy

Click HERE to download The Fast Focus System and start working on what actually moves your business forward.