Stop Feeling Overwhelmed: 3 Simple Steps to Focus on What Actually Grows Your Business

Feeling like your to-do list is never-ending? 😩

Emails to send, invoices to follow up on, orders to manage, content to post… oh, and somehow you’re supposed to grow your business on top of all that?!

Here’s the truth that A TON of business owners make when trying to “grow their businesses”: being busy doesn’t mean being productive. And if you’re spending all your time putting out fires but not hitting your sales goals, not increasing your revenue, barely making a profit off your products and services, I need you to read this twice…

DON’T CONFUSE ACTIVITY WITH RESULTS.

Why You’re Overwhelmed

When your brain is juggling 97 things at once, it’s easy to default to “busy work” - tasks that make you look productive but don’t actually move the needle. Things like:

• Responding to non-urgent emails
• Redesigning your Canva graphics for the 5th time
• Scrolling “for inspiration” but ending up on TikTok

Sound familiar? 🙃

YES, you probably do have a lot of things going on outside of your business. MOST people do, but it's what you do with the time you're given that sets apart the successful business owners vs. from the ones who struggle. Busy work gives you the illusion of progress… but in reality, it isn’t getting you any closer to your goals. Focusing on the things that will actually move you CLOSER to your sales goals, or the things that truly need to get done, is the only way to see true RESULTS.

The Problem with Staying Busy

Busy people are RARELY successful. Why? Because BUSY PEOPLE are so “busy” trying to juggle so many things, they don’t have TRUE FOCUS. Successful business owners know this: 80% of your results come from 20% of your actions.

If you’re not clear on what those high-impact actions are, you’ll end up:

• Overwhelmed
• Distracted
• Stuck in the same cycle, month after month

Leaving you feeling burnt out, frustrated, and STUCK. If you are able to figure out what that 20% looks like (and the actions you need to take to get there), then you can create IMMEASURABLE results! That means you’ll spend more time doing the things that really drive you toward your goals, and not just “things” that make you feel “busy”.

3 Steps to Focus on What Actually Matters

1. Get Clear on Your Big Goals

Ask yourself: “What’s the ONE thing that, if I finished today, would move my business forward?”

If your BIG goals are to increase your sales, then we need to do SALE GENERATING activities. If your goals are to attract new customers, then we need to FIND ways to get in front of new people. If your goals are to plan out your menu for the remainder of the year, then we need to actually be INTENTIONAL and make the time to do that.

Whatever your BIG GOALS are on a given day, make that your priority. Everything else is noise. Your to-do list will be there when you decide to dive back into it.

2. Identify Your 20% Tasks

Not all tasks are created equal. Focus on revenue-driving actions like:

• Following up on leads or customer inquiries
• Creating marketing campaigns for future holidays and events
• Improving your pricing strategy (data doesn’t lie. The numbers are the numbers. If you aren’t seeing the results you’ve been hoping for or expecting, you need to dive into your numbers.)
• Building customer loyalty systems (So we aren’t GHOSTING our customers. Instead we’re creating lasting, fulfilling relationships.)

3. Protect Your Focus

Set boundaries with your time. Turn off notifications. Block out “CEO time” every week for you to work on your business, not just in it.

You don’t need to do more to grow your business - you need to do less, but better. You need to have a STRATEGY.

So if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed and stressed out about all the things piling up on your plate, ask yourself:

“Am I being busy… or am I being productive?”

By narrowing in on specific tasks on a daily basis, creating structure, and making decisions with INTENTION and PURPOSE- you’ll feel so much more clear, organized, and fulfilled as you run your business.

If you’re ready to stop drowning in “busy work” and start scaling your business with intention, join me inside Power Hour - my monthly group coaching community for bakers and creative business owners. We meet EVERY SINGLE WEEK to tackle your biggest business challenges and work together to build strategies that work for your unique business.

👉 Click here to learn more and join Power Hour

At the end of the day, success isn’t about how many things you cross off your to-do list- it’s about choosing the right things and doing them with focus and intention. The moment you stop wearing “busy” as a badge of honor and start working with a strategy, you’ll finally create the freedom, profits, and growth you’ve been chasing.

So, take a deep breath, let go of the busywork, and lean into the actions that actually move the needle. Your future self (and your business bank account) will thank you.