Do you start Monday with a clear plan only to reach Friday wondering where the week went? Are you constantly firefighting instead of moving your business forward? Do you know exactly what you should be doing to grow, but somehow those tasks never seem to happen?
I share what I've learned about why our weeks disappear into client work and admin, and what actually works to break the cycle. In this episode, I talk about the truth that your brain is actively working against you, and why willpower alone will never be enough to get the important work done. You'll hear the practical systems I use to make sure growth tasks actually happen, even when the urgent stuff is screaming for attention.
What you'll learn in the podcast episode:
- Why business owners spend 68% of their time working IN the business when 73% would prefer to flip that ratio
- The science behind why your brain prioritises urgent over important, including the 'Mere Urgency Effect' that hijacks your attention even when you consciously know better
- How to build a Growth Plan that actually drives action, not just good intentions sitting on a piece of paper that you never look at
- The accountability framework that increases your success rate from 10% to 95%, and why a Monday morning check-in is non-negotiable
- My approach to time blocking that reduces overwhelm by 41% and cuts weekend work by 33%, including when to schedule your blocks and how to protect them
- What to do when you inevitably have a bad week, and why treating failure as a data point rather than beating yourself up is essential for long-term progress
Related episodes:
You’re not running a business, you’re running an expensive job (and how to change this): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/182867523?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished
Working harder won’t get you there (here’s what will in 2026): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/182227399?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished
Why we feel the compulsion to overwork (and how to stop): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/171535895?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished
4 micro habits to stop burnout (before it starts): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/167596494?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished
Useful links:
- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up
Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club
Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.
