Category Archives: Career Growth

Have you ever had one of those days where you’re constantly busy – emails, errands, notifications, half-written to-do lists – but at the end of the day, you realize… you didn’t actually do anything?

No real progress.
No sense of accomplishment.
Just exhaustion and a vague feeling of guilt.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
So many women I work with feel busy but not productive, and it’s one of the most common patterns I help clients break.

Let’s talk about why this happens – and what you can do about it.

Why we feel busy but not productive

In a world that rewards constant motion, we often confuse being busy with being productive. Multitasking gets praised. Overworking gets framed as dedication. And filling every minute of the day looks like success.

But here’s the truth:

Doing everything at once doesn’t make you productive. It makes you scattered.

When you’re juggling multiple tasks – answering messages, checking emails, switching between apps, jumping from one idea to another – your brain has to reset every single time.

Each reset costs time and mental energy.
Multiply that by dozens (or hundreds) of switches per day… and it’s no wonder you end up feeling busy but not productive.

You’ve spent the entire day moving, but not moving forward.

The deeper reason why you are always busy

Many of us grew up believing that our worth is tied to our output.

We feel guilty when we rest.
We avoid slowing down.
We equate stillness with laziness.

This leads to a painful illusion:
You’re constantly busy, but not actually accomplishing anything meaningful.

This isn’t a productivity problem.

It’s a pressure problem.

When your actions are driven by guilt, fear of falling behind, or trying to “prove yourself,” you end up doing everything except the things that truly move you forward.

How to stop feeling busy but not productive

Here are coaching-based techniques I use with my clients to break this cycle and help you shift from frantic busyness to intentional productivity.

1. Clarify your true priorities

Before your day starts, ask yourself:

“If I could only complete one thing today that genuinely moves me forward, what would it be?”

This simple question cuts through noise, guilt, and false urgency.
It forces you to identify impact tasks, not just effort tasks.

Once you know that one thing, build your day around it.

2. Use the ‘One-Tab’ Rule

Multitasking is one of the fastest paths to feeling busy but not productive.
Your brain performs best with depth, not division.

Try this:

Close everything unrelated.
One tab. One task. One window of focus.

Even 25 minutes of uninterrupted work can produce more progress than an entire day of scattered half-efforts.

3. Redefine what productivity means to you

Productivity doesn’t mean doing more.
It means doing what matters.

Try this journaling prompt:

“What actually makes me feel fulfilled and accomplished, not just busy?”

Use whatever you write as your compass.
That’s your definition of productivity.

4. Schedule space to pause

This one surprises people, but rest isn’t the opposite of productivity.
It’s part of it.

When your brain is constantly stimulated, your clarity drops and your creativity collapses.
Leaving intentional space – a walk, a slow morning, five minutes between tasks – resets your mind.

Your best ideas come from stillness, not stress.

The real takeaway

If you’ve been feeling busy but not productive, there is nothing wrong with you.
You don’t lack discipline.
You don’t need to “try harder.”
You simply need more direction, not more activity.

True progress happens when your focus, energy, and actions align toward what truly matters – not when you scatter yourself across endless “urgent” things.

You don’t need to do everything to move forward.
You just need to do the right things consistently.

Ready to break the cycle?

If you’re tired of ending your days feeling busy but not productive – this is the moment to change that.
Not by doing more.
But by learning how to direct your energy where it actually counts.

In coaching, we work on:

• identifying the real priorities that move your life forward
• building simple structure you can actually follow
• breaking the habits that keep you overwhelmed
• and creating steady, meaningful progress you can feel every week

If you want support with this, you can book your first session here – and get 20% off as you begin.

I’d love to help you focus your energy on what truly matters.

Making decisions can be tough, especially if you’re someone who overthinks every choice. You might even experience analysis paralysis – a state of over-analysing where you feel unable to make any decision. The fear of choosing “wrong” can be debilitating. The good news is that decision-making is a skill, and like any skill, you can get better at it with practice. Below are three easy coaching techniques to make better decisions. Even for big life choices.

1. Blend your head and heart: combine logic with intuition

One common dilemma is whether to trust your gut feelings or to rely on logical analysis.

In reality, you don’t have to choose one or the other – the best decisions often blend intuition and reason. Research suggests that neither purely emotional nor purely analytical thinking is inherently better; considering both factual evidence and gut feelings together leads to more successful outcomes. In other words, “trust your gut, but check the math with your head.” This means you can listen to your inner voice about what feels right, then verify it by looking at the facts or making a quick pros-and-cons list. By combining your heart and mind, you leverage the strengths of both systems – your intuition can guide you to what you truly want, and your logical side can confirm it’s a sound choice.

How to use this: Next time you’re stuck, take a moment to identify which option you feel drawn to, and why. Then, step back and look at the data or write down a few pros and cons for each option. This gives you confidence that you’ve covered both what matters to you emotionally and what makes sense rationally. By blending these approaches, you’ll make choices that feel right and work well in the long run.

2. The regret test

Big life choices like changing careers, moving cities, or starting a business can be overwhelming. To gain clarity, try the “Minimum Regret” technique. The idea is simple: imagine yourself in the future and ask, “At the end of my life, will I regret NOT having done this?”. If the answer is yes (or even maybe), that’s a strong signal to go for it.

Framing your decision this way shifts your perspective to what truly matters in the long run, taking some pressure off the short-term fears. In fact, this method helps you momentarily take the emotion out of the equation so you can see the choice more clearly and focus on your long-term values and goals.

How to use this: Imagine yourself at the age of 80, looking back on today’s decision. Which choice would make you proud and fulfilled, and which might leave you with a lingering what if? Our day-to-day anxieties (like fear of failure or opinion of others) decrease when we view them from the perspective of a lifetime. This technique is especially powerful for the big life decisions because it highlights the option that aligns best with your deepest desires and minimises future regrets. By choosing the path your future self would thank you for, you’ll likely feel more peace and confidence now.

3. The 10-10-10 rule

Another great strategy to try is Suzy Welch’s “10-10-10 rule”. This method is focused on considering three time frames before making a decision:

• 10 minutes: How will you feel after your decision 10 minutes afterwards? (Immediate reaction)

• 10 months: How will you feel about it in 10 months? (Short/mid-term outcomes)

• 10 years: How about 10 years later? (Long-term impact)

How to use this: When you feel overwhelmed with making a decision, ask yourself these three questions and reflect on the short-term emotions against long-term benefits. We often get caught up in the way a choice makes us feel right now and put ourselves inside a mental box of fears. This can become an obstacle on the way to making a tough yet important decision. The “10-10-10 rule” will help you broaden your perspective, think in multiple time frames, and find the right way forward.

How to make better decisions?

Improving your decision-making comes down to practice and perspective. Remember that making no decision is a decision too – and often not a helpful one. Using techniques like blending logic with intuition, doing the regret test, or applying 10-10-10 rule can break the cycle of overthinking and empower you to act. And don’t be too hard on yourself if a decision doesn’t turn out perfectly! Mistakes are a part of life, they are the basis of learning.

Decision-making is a skill you can strengthen, and sometimes a bit of guidance and support makes all the difference. If you’re feeling stuck or want to build more confidence in your choices, consider booking a one-on-one coaching session with me. I’m here to show you how to apply these techniques to your unique situation and help you move forward with clarity and confidence. Every great decision starts with a little support – let’s take that step together!