Why Busyness is Killing Your Business

“Busy”. What a dirty word!

I have tried to remove the word, “busy” from my vocabulary completely, when relating to level of activity.?

How many times have you responded to “How’s it going?” or “How was your day?” with:

“Oh, you know…really busy!”

What does busy actually mean?

I’ll tell you: Nothing.

Busy doesn’t mean you’re productive.

Busy doesn’t mean you’re impactful.

Busy just means…you were occupied.

You filled your time, but was it meaningful?

And that’s a huge problem for entrepreneurs especially.?

The Busyness Trap

Here’s the thing about being “busy”: it can feel good. It can feel like you’re getting a lot done. But in reality, busyness is often just a cover for avoiding what really needs to get done. It’s just a softer word for “distracted”.?

Be honest—how many times have you:

?? Spent hours organizing your inbox instead of making sales calls?

?? Worked on perfecting your logo instead of reaching out to new clients?

?? Gotten “lost” in research and education instead of taking action?

It’s not that you’re lazy. It’s not even “procrastination” (we’ll get to that). The truth is, busyness is just distraction in disguise.

Procrastination vs. Distraction

A lot of people talk about procrastination like it’s some big, scary thing. But here’s the truth: Procrastination isn’t real—it’s just distraction.

When you’re distracted, it’s easy to avoid the tasks that really matter—the ones that push you out of your comfort zone, like pitching a big client, launching a new offer, or tackling a tough conversation. When we say we’re procrastinating, it’s because that’s a socially safe way to explain our distraction—because everyone can relate to procrastination as something that’s “out of our control”.?

It’s completely in your control! You’re distracting yourself with simple tasks you know are “low risk” because it’s blocking you from completing your high value tasks, which sometimes come with risk of rejection or resistance. But then you can at least still say you were…”busy”.?

Focusing on “busy work” feels safe. It feels productive. But it’s not moving the needle.

How to Break Free

If you’re tired of feeling stuck in the busyness trap, here’s what I teach my coaching clients:

1?? Define your critical tasks.

Each day, pick 1-3 things that must happen—critical tasks to move your business forward. These are your needle-movers—things like making calls, pitching clients, or delivering on deadlines.?

2?? Cut out distractions.

Turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and create a space where you can focus. Distraction is the enemy of impact. Create time blocks where nothing can interrupt your productivity.?

3?? Ask yourself: Is this busy work or impactful work?

Before you start a task, pause and reflect. If it’s not directly tied to a goal or target, it might not be worth your time right now. Can someone else complete this task for you? If you can have someone else do it, even if “not as well as you can”, consider delegating vs doing.?

What About You?

Here’s my challenge for you this week:

Track how you spend your time for one complete day.?

Then ask yourself:

?? How much of this was truly impactful?

?? How much of this was just…being busy?

Drop a comment and let me know:

What’s ONE THING you’re committing to this week to truly move the needle in your business?

Just stop the busyness—and start the real work.