Self-Leadership — Stop Doing It All, Start Doing What Matters
“Booked and busy!”
Sounds familiar?
It’s supposedly the desired mantra of a successful entrepreneur… or so I believed. Now, two years into solopreneurship as a full-time leadership consultant, I’ve unearthed the reality:
As a leader, doing what matters is way more important than busyness. I’d even go as far as to say that prioritization, systems and self-leadership strategies could completely replace the idea of busyness as a goal.
Unfortunately, we’re often not conscious of our tendency to gravitate towards staying busy. That is, until it’s too late.
So before this harmful tendency hits – or hits again – let’s explore healthier, more sensible, and results-focused practices.
Why Doing It All Doesn’t Work
If I had a dollar for every entrepreneur I met who embraced busyness, I’d be able to order ten cups of oat milk latte a day. And I’d have the time to enjoy it. Because in my world, balancing my time is essential, and I’ve made the intentional choices that afford me that freedom.
Here’s why you should, too.
When you try to manage everything, the aftermath is burnout.
Have you experienced burnout in the past?
Whether or not you have, you may still be inclined to attempt to do it all to feel productive. Old habits die hard. And the habit of busyness exists on a societal level, so it can be an uphill battle if you don’t trust and listen to your instincts.
Burnout is no joke. It’s not just one or two days of fatigue. We’re talking about long periods of exhaustion, loss of enthusiasm in your work and personal life, and, ultimately, lowered productivity, the total opposite of our original intention.
Determinedly piling on new “things to do” in hopes of forcing results in your business – especially without a healthy plan and organizational strategy – will inevitably lead to neglect of our other needs.
Instead of putting our emotional, mental, and physical health at risk for little to no results, let’s move away from the idea of wearing all the hats and doing all the things, all the time.
Overwhelm leads to decision fatigue and hampers our progress.
Shifting into a healthier, more intentional mindset also moves us away from overwhelm and the resulting decision fatigue which seriously stunts progress.
Decision-making is a hidden drain of our energy. We don’t see it, but we sure as hell feel it!
No matter who you are, making decisions will involve some level of mental work. Some decisions might also trigger our perfectionist tendencies – another major energy drain – or, we might feel overwhelmed if we’re not versed in something we have to decide on.
How do we properly address these concerns? I adopted the following self-leadership keys and opened the door to a new way of leading my business.
Prioritize Impact Over Busyness
There will always be something on our to-do lists as an entrepreneur, whether they’re written down or not. Especially now when everyone and their mama are sharing marketing ideas, plans, and strategies online.
For us solopreneurs, this multitude of options to try and apply to our biz can either make us feel like a kid in a candy store, or overwhelmed beyond measure… or a mixture of both.
Either way, we’re left conflicted about what truly can move us forward.
How do we determine the best path to take without feeling busy and overwhelmed?
By prioritizing what will make the biggest, most sustainable impact on our defined business goals.
Now don’t get me wrong. The smallest tasks may well have a big impact on our business success. Major results can come from as small of a task as sending a friendly email or as big of a project as launching a new product or service.
However, the way we approach everything we do for our business will determine the outcome gained from it. Let’s talk systems.
Build Systems That Support Growth
I didn’t realize it, but when I took on my business full-time, I practiced certain habits that overwhelmed and stagnated me rather than encouraged growth.
Thankfully, I quickly realized what was happening and righted my rhythm.
I began to make intentional choices, set priorities, and use modern strategies and streamlined organizational systems that advanced my biz in the short and long term.
Here’s what some of them look like today.
The greatest clarity came when I learned how to lead myself in a way that aligns with my goals and values.
This led to another healthier practice which replaced doing all the things and wearing all the hats.
Delegate, Automate, or Eliminate Low-impact Tasks
When I first started running my biz, I took on everything — marketing, content creation, client work, operations, and more. Yes, I gained quite a few new skills, but it wasn’t in proportion with other practices to achieve a balanced lifestyle.
I thought learning one more thing would make me more capable.
Then came paid ads.
After mastering so many other skills, I didn’t have the mental capacity to take on another complex system. Instead of spending hours figuring it out, I hired a consultant.
Best. Decision. Ever.
My brilliant consultant freed me up to focus on what I do best, rather than getting stuck in the weeds.
Leadership isn’t just about reaching for output — it’s about thoughtful decision-making, strategy, and personal growth — not about hustling nonstop.
Use The Yes Filter For Goal-Oriented Impact
Remember, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Before taking on a new task or responsibility, ask yourself these three questions:
Does this align with my long-term goals?
Will this move me forward, or just keep me busy?
Am I the best person for this, or should I delegate or outsource it?
Based on your answers, you can tell if a task is a distraction or a priority. And once you shed those low-impact tasks, you’ll have more energy to take action on what definitively moves your business along and helps you grow at the same time.
My most recent task-shedding involved cancelling a sign up for a free online session, and decided it wasn’t worth my time just cause it’s free. Resist the free, buddy!
Another invitation which was declined was joining a local networking group. This event had a significant fee, actually. But though I support a lot of local businesses in other ways, Ripple Effect Leadership is not local – I’m INTERNATIONAL, BABY! So spending money on this group didn’t align with my long-term goal of building my biz outside of London, ON.
Join My Lead Yourself, Lead Your Biz Upcoming Workshop
In my last workshop, attendees began working on a Plan of Awesomeness. This plan addresses many of the pitfalls of the “always gotta be busy” mentality we explored today.
Here’s what a few of these kick-ass gals had to say about the sesh:
Testimonials from the “Biz Planning That Actually Works” Workshop - Hosted by Ripple Effect Leadership
Of course, sustainable growth involves the ongoing application and improvement of our self-leadership strategies.
That’s why my next workshop is titled Lead Yourself, Lead Your Biz. Because growth does not have an endpoint, and self-leadership is the ground we rise from to gain long-term success.
The investment? Just CAD$47. The value? Let’s be real – working with a leadership consultant who gets solopreneurs usually costs a few hundred bucks. This workshop gives you expert guidance at a fraction of that. No fluff, just real strategies to help you lead yourself and your biz with confidence.
Self-leadership is not just a foundation, it’s a necessity in our business strategy.
Happening on February 25 from 12 and 1 PM EST, this workshop will dive deep into intentional leadership, time management, and confidence building for your biz.
Your confidence and clarity are two major assets to inspire trust in your business, so I encourage you to join me.
In this workshop, I’m sharing 10 beliefs I hold about leadership — ideas that have kept me on track and moving forward in my own business.
Here’s a summary of what else we’ll cover:
Why self-leadership is the secret to making real progress in your biz.
Practical ways to manage your time, energy, and focus without burning out.
How to stay accountable and motivated — even when it’s just you.
Lead yourself first: stay focused, take action, and build a biz you can’t wait to show off — sans stress.
Save your spot today for the February 25 Lead Yourself. Lead Your Biz Workshop.
