The Real Reason You’re Always Busy
Maybe you’re making good money, but you’re stuck in the cycle of “get the work, do the work.” Especially at this time of year, when it feels like everything’s on fast forward.
Let’s talk about a couple of frameworks to help you think about time differently – so you can generate higher profits in a way that’s easier.
Time as a Target 🎯
When we think about time, we tend to think of it in linear terms, but a more helpful metaphor is a target. Each day we have the chance to throw some darts at the board:
On the outer rings:
Not urgent – not important tasks: Scrolling YouTube, TikTok, etc.
On the inner rings:
Urgent – but not important: A colleague dropping by, or an email ping that doesn’t need an immediate response.
Urgent – important: The tasks you must do to generate revenue.
The Bullseye:
Not urgent – important: this is the real leverage zone. Tasks that don’t need doing today but improve the engine of our business over time – e.g. refining sales processes, adjusting pricing, improving team culture.
When things get busy, non-urgent-but-important tasks often vanish. You get caught up in urgent work, and the long-term value projects never happen.
Sound familiar? Maybe it’s seasonal, maybe it’s every week. Either way, it’s a huge barrier to growth and profit.
The three hats 🧢
Here’s a tool to reframe your thinking around time - and show you how important it is for your profit to do so. Michael Gerber talks about three hats in his book The E-Myth:
Technician hat – doing the technical work you started your business for. Someone else could often do this for $25–$40/hr.
Manager hat – overseeing people and resources, making sure work is done well. Worth a bit more, $45–$50/hr.
Owner hat – working on the business itself: high-value projects that pay off in thousands per hour over time.
As an example, yesterday I sat with one of my clients who is an engineer. We talked about some pricing changes in terms of his charge-out rates. It's going to take them about an hour to implement, but the increase in profit worked out to about $5000 per year, per person.
Other examples could be refining sales processes to capture lost leads, improving team culture, or training a key employee. One hour of work here can generate tens of thousands of dollars over time.
If you’re honest, you know this makes sense. The problem isn’t understanding – it’s actually allocating the time to do it.
So ask yourself: what fills your average week?
If it’s mostly technician time, you’re capped at $25–$35/hr. Some managers’ tasks might push that up a little, but if you never spend time on high-value, owner-level projects, you’re limiting your business – short-term and long-term.
Many owners reflect at year-end: “I made some money, but I could’ve made a lot more if I’d focused on high-value tasks.”
I get it. Shifting your focus is hard, and actually making the change takes planning. But it starts with awareness.
If this is something you’ve struggled with – not knowing how to prioritise projects or allocate your time – get in touch. I’m confident we can help!