Why Everything Feels Urgent (Even When It’s Not)

If you feel like you’re juggling a dozen hats—marketing, sales, tech, content, clients, taxes—you’re not wrong. Even with a small team, you might still feel like a solopreneur with your hands in everything.

But let me remind you of something I tell my clients all the time:

Just because something wants to be done doesn’t mean it needs to be done—now or by you.

That constant urgency you feel? It’s not a productivity problem. It’s a nervous system response.

Your brain evolved to survive, not to run a business. It can’t tell the difference between a tiger in the bushes and a looming email deadline. So it reacts the same way: fight, flight, freeze…or frantic multitasking.

When your nervous system is running the show, you’re operating out of survival mode. You stop using the rational, planning part of your brain and start making decisions from the emotional part.

That’s why everything feels like a five-alarm fire—even when it’s not.

Focus on the Needle Movers

In my free Profits, Not Problems class, I share a simple analogy:

Imagine your friend Susie wants to start a tomato business. She pulls weeds, builds a scarecrow, tweaks her website, networks with other tomato growers, posts on social media…

But she never plants any seeds.

Would any of us be shocked if Susie didn’t grow any tomatoes?

This is what so many small business owners do. We get caught up in the busywork, the shiny objects, the “shoulds”…and skip the stuff that actually brings in revenue.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Income-producing activities: These are the “seed-planting” tasks—sales, client work, marketing that leads to conversions.

• Income-supporting activities: These help your business look good or feel organized, but don’t directly grow your revenue.

The trick is recognizing your patterns. What keeps pulling you away from the money-making work?

Start a running list. Notice what throws you off course. Then troubleshoot.

👉 Example: One of my clients struggled to protect her work time because clients kept asking for off-hours appointments. We solved it with one simple system: a booking calendar. Now she hands clients a tablet in-office or sends a link via email. They book available slots—no more back-and-forth.

Small tweak. Huge difference.

Try This: The 4-8 Prioritization Filter

I go deeper into business systems inside Breakthrough Boss®, but here’s a simple habit that can make a huge difference:

🕒 Spend 5 minutes at the end of your day reviewing tomorrow’s plan. Ask yourself these 4 questions:

1. What can I eliminate?

2. What can I automate?

3. What can I delegate?

4. Where should I concentrate?

The goal: Stop doing what doesn’t matter. Protect time for what actually grows your business.

Post those questions on a sticky note. Schedule a daily 5-minute check-in. Try it for a few weeks and see what shifts.

Maximize Your Best Work Hours

You’ve heard the phrase “eat the frog,” right? Mark Twain said:

“If it’s your job to eat a frog, do it first thing in the morning.”

Why? Because your brain is primed for focus and motivation at the start of your workday.

Even if your day starts at 10 a.m. or 10 p.m., your first work hours are your best. Protect them.

That means:

• No meetings

• No notifications

• No distractions

Personally, I don’t check messages or team chats until almost noon. It takes communication and boundaries, but it’s 100% worth it—and it empowers my team to do the same.

If you’re currently stuck working at night, I get it. Sometimes that’s what life requires. But long-term, late-night hustle takes a toll. Do what you need to now, but work toward consistent, healthy hours that align with your energy and biology.

Need Help Prioritizing? Join My Free Class

If you’re still wondering what to focus on—what’s actually moving the needle vs. wasting your time—join me in my free training: Profits, Not Problems.

You’ll learn my 6 Top Hats Method that simplifies your entire business into just six roles—so you know what to wear, when to wear it, and what to take off your plate.

🎯 Click here to save your seat.

You’re Not Lazy. You’re In Survival Mode.

You’re not scattered. You’re not undisciplined. You’re just overwhelmed by a system designed to protect you.

And the solution isn’t doing more.

It’s doing less of the wrong stuff—and more of the right stuff.

So ask yourself this:
💬 What’s one thing you’re going to stop doing this week?
💬 What’s one “frog” you’ll tackle first thing tomorrow?

And hey—you’ve got this.