What Should I Be Working On Right Now?

When everything feels important — and nothing feels clear

“Just focus on the most important thing.”

Great advice.
Except no one ever tells you how to work out what that is 😠 .

For many small business owners, the question “What should I be working on right now?” loops constantly — especially when:

• advice is coming from all directions
• opportunities feel time-sensitive
• and capacity is limited

When everything feels urgent, decision-making becomes exhausting.

Why advice overload makes things worse

There’s no shortage of ideas in small business:

• marketing tactics
• growth strategies
• system improvements
• mindset shifts

But advice without context creates noise.

You don’t need more ideas.
You need a way to filter them.

Without a framework, you end up:

• jumping between priorities
• starting things you don’t finish
• doubting your decisions
• feeling behind, even when you’re working hard

Clarity comes from understanding where you are

One of the biggest shifts for business owners is realising this:

👉 The right focus depends on the stage you’re in.

What matters early on isn’t what matters later.
And what worked last year might not be what your business needs now.

Once you understand:

• where your business actually sits
• what it’s ready for
• what can wait

Decisions get lighter.
Confidence grows.
And focus returns.

PRACTICAL LESSON FROM OUR COMPASS GUIDES:

Shelley Cox - Founder, Your Business Compass

I remember the years when "busy" was my entire identity. The home to-do-list-mountain was rivaled only by the 2-businesses-project list mountain. Every weekend, I'd wake up with a feeling of dread—a knot in my stomach because I knew I was running out of steam but had a full week of both family logistics and business goals demanding my attention.

I was working flat-out, but nothing felt clear. The real-life chaos of being a mum and a business owner was bleeding into my decision-making. I was putting out urgent fires in the house and the business, but I wasn't moving the needle on the things that mattered most—for my family or my business growth.

The moment I gained clarity wasn't about a new software tool or a fancy new strategy. It was about closing the open loops of my life first.

I started a ridiculous-sounding ritual: The Sunday Weekly Reset

1. The House and Kids Reset (The Edges): Each week I would plan out the shopping list, when I got home I wrote up on our pantry whiteboard the 'doings' I had for dinners that week. Not days or precise recipes, but enough so that if anyone asked 'what's for tea' I could point and say "There's our options - what do you feel like?". With three kids in the house, it was also - what was the least amount of resistance I could handle that day! Hubby focuses on all the school uniforms washed and dried ready for Mondays.

1. The Business Focus (The Needle): Once the food and washing was contained, I’d turn to my business. I would spend about 30 minutes each weekend, in a quiet moment, plot out my Weekly Planner, look at my whole list and ask just one question: "Which three tasks will make everything else easier this week?" Not which three tasks are urgent, but which three will move the needle toward my next major goal. I’d then take a moment to set aside time blocks for those tasks, making the process a little more enjoyable by using a favorite highlighter 🥰 to note when I’d dive in.

It was simple, but instantly powerful. By closing the household loops, I created a calm perimeter around my week. By limiting my business focus to three true priorities, I finally gave myself permission to ignore the 90% that didn't matter. 

That is the prioritisation lens I now teach:

You cannot make clear business decisions from a chaotic, flat-out life. 

Start by simplifying your edges so you can see the centre.

Once your mental load is lighter, choosing what to work on next becomes obvious.

A practical way to decide what matters next

You don’t need a perfect plan.
You need a clear way to decide.

The Business Strategy Guidebook helps you cut through noise and competing priorities by giving you a simple, repeatable way to decide:

• what matters now
• what supports your bigger picture
• what can wait

👉 Get the Business Strategy Guidebook

And if you want a full framework you can return to whenever things feel messy, the Your Business Compass Course brings this thinking together in one clear structure.