It’s a good feeling to check things off your to-do list. But have you ever had a super “productive” day, only to realize you didn’t actually move your business forward? That’s the trap of busy work—and it’s something Stephen R. Covey warns about in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Covey talks about the difference between what's urgent and what's important. Busy work is usually urgent: emails, notifications, small tasks. Real progress comes from focusing on what’s important—even when it’s not screaming for your attention.

Busy Work Feels Productive, But It’s Not Always Progress

Busy work often looks like you're doing a lot—checking your inbox, tweaking your website design, organizing files—but those tasks rarely build momentum. They’re safe and familiar, which is why we default to them.

Real progress often looks quieter: planning your next launch, writing a sales email, setting up a new client process. These tasks might not feel urgent, but they’re the ones that help your business grow.

Use Covey’s Matrix to Choose Better

Covey’s Time Management Matrix has four quadrants. The sweet spot? Quadrant II: important, but not urgent. That’s where real progress lives. These are things like strategy, marketing, relationship-building, and system creation.

Next time you're facing your to-do list, pause and ask: Is this task urgent, important—or both? Prioritize the important. You’ll thank yourself later.

Build Time for Progress Into Your Routine

If you wait until you're “done” with busy work, the important stuff will always get pushed. Block time—even 30 minutes—to work on long-term goals or the next big step in your business. Make it non-negotiable.

Final Thoughts

There’s no shame in doing busy work—every business has it. But if that’s all you’re doing, it’s time to shift gears. Focus on what moves the needle, not just what fills the time. When you lead with intention, progress becomes part of your routine.

 

This article is part of our Business Coaching blog series. At Dataczar we talk to a lot of small businesses. We’ve found a few books that we keep recommending time and again. To better help our customers, we’ve added a Reading List for Small Businesses to our website. We encourage every small business owner to read and keep these timeless business books on their office shelf.

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