Busy, But Getting Nowhere?
Why Time Management Isn’t About To-Do Lists
We’ve all heard it, “I’m just so busy.”
But busy doesn’t always mean productive. In fact, most of the women that come to me for coaching are spinning plates, replying to DMs, checking emails, answering WhatsApps… and still feeling behind.
If that’s you, know this: you’re not alone. But also, it doesn’t have to stay this way.
Busy Fool Syndrome: Doing Everything, Getting Nowhere
Here’s the truth: a lot of us are being busy fools.
Reacting to whatever shouts the loudest.
Winging it from one task to the next with no clear direction, no boundaries, and no strategy.
We mistake movement for progress, but without clarity, we’re just treading water. One of the biggest productivity myths is that multitasking helps us get more done.
In reality, studies show that multitasking can reduce productivity by up to a massive 40%. Every time we switch from one task to another, whether it’s checking your phone, replying to an email, or jumping between tabs, your brain has to “reset.” This mental reset is called the cognitive switching penalty. It’s the hidden cost of task-switching: your brain uses extra energy to remember where you left off, refocus, and get back into flow. Even tiny switches (like glancing at a notification) can disrupt your concentration and break your momentum.
So while multitasking feels productive, it actually makes everything take longer, feel harder, and deplete your mental energy faster. That’s why you can spend an entire day “doing stuff” and still feel like you’ve achieved nothing.
Real productivity doesn’t come from doing more things, it comes from doing the right thing with your full focus. But that’s hard to do when you’re constantly context-switching, people-pleasing, and firefighting your way through the day. You end up busy from morning to night… but still feel like you’ve barely made a dent.
And let’s be clear… it’s not because you’re lazy.
You’re overwhelmed. You’re holding everything together. You’re trying to build a business, support a family, and maybe even rest occasionally, all without a structure that truly supports you.
That’s exactly what needs to change.
Your Phone Is Hijacking Your Focus (And Your Day)
Let’s talk about the thing in your pocket that quietly steals hours of your life: your phone.
Most people know they’re spending too much time on it, but they don’t realise just how much it’s impacting their productivity, confidence, and energy.
According to research, the average user checks their phone 58 times a day, and spends over 3 hours daily on it, mostly in short bursts. But those “quick checks” come at a cost.
Neuroscientific research shows that even the presence of your phone can reduce working memory and cognitive capacity (Ward et al., 2017). It’s not just a time-waster, it’s a focus-killer.
And here’s the worst part: every time you pick it up to check something, your brain gets a hit of dopamine, the reward chemical, which makes you want to do it again. So you stay in the loop. Distracted. Drained. Behind.
Deep Work vs. Drip Feed
Real progress, the kind that moves your life or business forward, doesn’t happen in the gaps between pings. It happens in focused, intentional time.
Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, defines it as:
“Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit.”
Research shows that deep work improves learning, creativity, and long-term performance, but it requires boundaries. And in today’s culture of hyper-connectivity, that’s not easy!
Getting into a flow state (where deep work happens) can take 20 minutes or more and every notification or interruption resets the clock.
In short: no, you can’t build your dream business while constantly checking WhatsApp.
Winging It Is Not a Strategy
If you’re building a business, raising a family, or leading anything at all, winging it might work short-term, but long-term it leads to burnout, resentment, and feeling like you're always “on” but never finished.
The most successful women I work with have one thing in common: they make time for what matters… on purpose.
Not just by managing tasks, but by managing focus, boundaries, and energy.
Ready to Get Clear?
If you’re done with the chaos, I’ve created something for you:
“Time to Breathe” a free time-management workbook for women who do too much.
It’s not about hustle. It’s not about filling every hour with action. It’s about clarity, calm, and making space for what truly matters, business or otherwise.
You don’t need to do more.
You need to do what matters and this is your first step.
Pop in your email to get my free Time to Breathe workbook, your first step toward focus, clarity and feeling on top of your time again.
