Getting things done as a founder: how to focus on what matters

Some days you work constantly and still finish feeling that the important things have barely moved.

As a founder, there is usually more you could do than you have time for. Customers need answers, colleagues need decisions and your own plans compete with whatever arrives during the day.

I find lists useful. Writing things down helps me organise my thinking and follow through. But a list cannot decide what deserves my attention. I still need to make that choice.

If you are struggling to get things done, start by looking at the work itself, the commitments you have made and what might be getting in the way.

Decide what needs to move forward

Before reviewing every task, ask what progress would make the biggest difference over the next few weeks.

Perhaps you need to understand why customers are leaving, resolve a hiring decision or prepare for an important conversation.

Be specific about the outcome. “Work on sales” leaves you with plenty of activity to choose from and little way to judge progress. “Understand why three recent proposals stalled and decide what to change” gives the work a clearer purpose.

Choose a small number of priorities that fit the time and resources available. If everything stays on the priority list, you have postponed the decision about where to focus.

Get the commitments out of your head

Use somewhere reliable to record tasks, ideas and promises. Choose a method you will actually maintain, whether that is a notebook or a digital tool.

Separate things you might do from things you have committed to doing.

An interesting idea does not need the same status as a customer promise. Treating them equally can make your workload look larger and more urgent than it really is.

Review the list regularly. Remove work that no longer matters and reconsider commitments that circumstances have overtaken.

For each active item, make sure you understand what needs to happen next and who is responsible.

Make the next action clear

Some tasks remain unfinished because they describe a large project rather than an action you can take.

“Sort out recruitment” could mean deciding what role you need, agreeing a budget or reviewing applicants. Each requires different information and a different amount of time.

Break the work down until you can see a sensible next step.

That might be:

• Write down the outcomes the new role needs to deliver.

• Ask a colleague for feedback on the proposed responsibilities.

• Review whether the budget supports the hire.

• Book a conversation with the candidate you need to assess.

You do not need to map every step in advance. You need enough clarity to begin and learn what comes next.

If the problem has several connected parts, sketching them out can help. I find a simple mind map useful for seeing those connections before choosing where to start.

Notice what you are avoiding

Sometimes you know exactly what to do and still keep moving it to tomorrow.

Be curious about that pattern.

Are you missing information? Worried about someone’s reaction? Unsure what a good result would look like? Does the task force you to make a decision you have been delaying?

A difficult conversation can sit on a list for weeks because the obstacle is discomfort rather than organisation.

Name what makes the work hard, then decide what would help. You might need to prepare, ask for support or accept that you cannot remove all uncertainty before acting.

Also check whether the task still matters. Repeatedly avoiding something can be a reason to examine it, rather than automatically adding more pressure to complete it.

Give important work a realistic place in the week

Look at your calendar alongside your priorities.

If the week is already full of meetings, there may be very little room for the work you expect yourself to complete between them.

Set aside time for work that requires concentration. Decide what you intend to do during that time and reduce avoidable interruptions.

Keep some room for the unexpected. A plan that only works if nothing changes is unlikely to reflect the reality of leading a business.

When urgent work displaces a priority, make the trade-off visible. Decide what will move, who needs to know and when you will return to it.

Stop accepting work without considering the cost

Saying yes can feel easier than explaining why you cannot take something on.

But each new commitment uses time that was available for something else.

Before agreeing, consider whether the work belongs with you, what it would displace and whether the timing is realistic. You may be able to help by clarifying a decision or pointing someone towards support without taking responsibility for the whole task.

If someone in your team owns the work, discuss what they need to move it forward.

Giving them space to act may initially take more patience than doing it yourself. Repeatedly taking over, however, can leave the business depending on you for work other people could learn to handle.

Use support and accountability thoughtfully

I have found it useful to spend time with other business owners, both to learn from them and to discuss my own challenges.

A trusted colleague, peer, coach or mentor can help you examine a commitment and follow through on it.

Be clear about what you want from that support. You might ask someone to challenge an unrealistic plan, help you prepare for a conversation or check in after an agreed action.

If you miss a commitment, use the discussion to understand why. Was the task unclear, the week overloaded or the priority wrong? What needs to change?

Accountability is most useful when it improves the next decision.

Review what happened

At the end of the week, look at what moved forward and what did not.

Consider:

• Which actions made a useful difference?

• What took more time than expected?

• What repeatedly interrupted important work?

• Which commitments need changing or ending?

• What deserves attention next week?

Notice progress as well as unfinished work. Resolving an uncertainty or deciding not to pursue something can be valuable, even when it does not produce a visible deliverable.

Use what you learn to make the next week more realistic.

Take your capacity seriously

If the plan repeatedly requires more time or energy than you have, reconsider the plan.

You may need to reduce the scope, change a deadline, bring in help or have an honest conversation about expectations.

Trying to compensate indefinitely by working longer can leave less room for the thinking and judgement your role requires.

Pay attention to the conditions that help you work well. That includes opportunities to rest and step away, as well as time to concentrate.

Start with one worthwhile commitment

Choose something important that has not been moving.

Define the next action, decide when you will do it and identify any support you need. Then review what happened before adding more.

If the difficulty keeps returning, look beyond the task list. There may be a question about your priorities, responsibilities or expectations that deserves attention.

If you would value space to work through those questions and make commitments that fit your business and your life, explore working with me through founder coaching and mentoring.

Cheers,

Duncan