Most business owners don’t actually have too much to do.
They have too many decisions they haven’t made.
And here’s the trap: they confuse thinking about a decision with doing the work. They’ll replay the same scenario for weeks, run it through their head in the shower, talk about it in meetings, mention it to their spouse, make a note, revisit the note, and call that “progress.”
It isn’t.
That’s not thinking. That’s perseveration; mental spinning with no output. And it quietly becomes one of the most expensive habits in a business.
Indecision is the real weight.
Execution is usually easy once you commit. Not effortless, just straightforward. Clarity removes friction. Decisions create movement. Movement creates results.
So here’s a diagnostic I use often:
If you’re carrying the same to-dos week after week, it’s not a workload issue.
It’s a decisiveness problem.
And you’re the root cause.
Because most recurring “tasks” aren’t tasks at all. They’re symptoms of a missing choice:
- A role that needs to be redefined.
- A standard that needs to be enforced.
- A client that needs to be released.
- A process that needs to be documented.
- A priority that needs to be cut.
Owners love managing problems. It makes them feel busy and important. Leaders eliminate problems.
So ask yourself this question:
What decision would eliminate this problem instead of managing it?
Then make the decision.
Yes, it might be uncomfortable. Yes, it might upset someone. Yes, you might be wrong.
But you’re not etching it into granite.
If the decision doesn’t work, you can adjust. You can correct course. That’s leadership too.
But if you never decide, the energy you spend “thinking about it” is gone forever. You don’t get those hours back. And that, friends, is a massive cost to you, to your team, and to the business you say you want to grow.
Ownership is not about doing more.
It’s about deciding faster.
Lighten the load by making the choices.