How to Stop Feeling Busy and Start Getting Things Done

You start the day with good intentions—you’re ready to be productive! You’ll tackle everything! But by lunchtime, you’ve answered 15 emails, watched a random YouTube video about “How to Train Your Goldfish,” and reorganised your desk… but somehow, your actual important tasks are still untouched.

Been there!

If your to-do list makes you want to set it on fire and walk away, here’s why:

Most of us spend our days fighting urgent fires instead of making progress on what truly matters. If we’re not careful, we’ll spend all our time putting out tiny fires. 

Let’s talk about how you can stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress without adding more to your plate.

Instead of attacking your to-do list like a squirrel on caffeine, try this:

The Rule of 3 – Instead of a never-ending list, pick three priorities per day. Just three. (If you need help sorting your priorities, I’ve got you! Just hit reply and ask for my FREE Priority Matrix and I’ll send it right over with simple instructions on how to best use it)

I fought this at first—“But what if I need to do more?!”—but trust me, it’s a game-changer. You’ll actually finish things instead of half-starting 15 different tasks.

The “Would My Future Self Care?” Test – Before adding a task to your list, ask: “Will this matter in a week?”

If the answer is meh, it’s probably not as urgent as you think. (Sudden urge to declutter my entire office instead of finishing client work!)

The “Eat the Frog” Method – Do the hardest, most important thing first. Otherwise, you’ll spend all day procrastinating (and maybe even convince yourself that alphabetising your bookshelf really needed to happen first).

(If you’ve not heard this expression before, go check out Brian Tracy, ‘cause who wants to eat a frog, yuck!)

The “Not My Problem” Filter – Just because someone asks you to do something doesn’t mean it’s your responsibility. 

I used to say yes to everything—random favours, unnecessary meetings, extra work that wasn’t even mine—until I realised half my stress came from other people’s priorities, not mine.

Learn to say no, delegate, or (politely) ignore. (You can read more about how to do that HERE.)

The 80/20 Rule – 80% of your results come from 20% of your tasks. Figure out what that 20% is, and focus on it first.

Example: I used to spend hours tweaking my planner layout instead of actually planning my tasks. Turns out, doing the work matters more than perfecting the system. (Shocking, I know!)

The reality? Most of what’s on your list can wait. Or be ignored. Or (gasp) be delegated.

Confession: I used to think being “super busy” meant I was productive.

 My days were packed. I was always doing something. But at the end of the day? I felt exhausted and had nothing to show for it.

 So, I changed my approach:

And guess what? I actually got more done—without feeling like my brain was going to explode.

This week, I challenge you to practice prioritising, and focus on what truly matters.

Every morning this week, try this:

By the end of the week, you’ll feel lighter, more productive, and way less overwhelmed.

 Let’s make progress without adding more stress.

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