7 Signs you're too deep in your business's weeds (and what to do about it)
Running your business shouldn’t feel like it’s running you. If you feel overwhelmed, constantly reacting or like you are running on the spot you are not alone.
This guide will give you 7 signs you are stuck in the weeds of your business and give you the practical steps to get back in control.
Sign 1: You create a bottleneck
If when you take a day off and things slow down or stop completely, it means you’ve become the business’s main operating system. Whilst this may feel productive, it can actually cause more harm than good longer term. Think about it, the more you are needed to keep the cogs turning, the more that becomes limited by the finite number of hours you have available. This limits the amount your business can grow.
What to do: List out everything you’re the sole decision maker for. Identify what can be delegated or dropped. Some things may be able to be actioned straight away, some may need some work to get in place.
Sign 2: You’re making all your decisions reactively
If you find yourself making more decisions reactively rather than proactively, it’s time to make a change. You might think it's because you’re short on ideas or “not very creative” but it’s probably because you’re winging it day to day.
What to do: Ask yourself 2 questions this week; What do I want this business to do for me? What’s 1 small thing I could do in the next 30 days to work towards this?
P.S. emphasis on the small! Make it manageable.
Sign 3: You’ve been saying “I just need to get through this week” for weeks
This suggests you’re operating in survival mode, constantly putting out fires and unable to take a step back.
What to do: Add a 1 hour non-negotiable slot into your diary each week without any distractions. This should only be spent on big picture thinking and nothing else. It will feel really tricky at first, and your first few times you're unlikely to see many fruits from your labour but in time this will make a world of difference.
Sign 4: Your effort and output don’t seem to match up
Do you feel like the effort and hours you are putting in doesn't seem to match your outputs? More time doesn’t necessarily have more impact, and it’s easy to fall into this trap without clear priorities.
What to do: Audit your to do list from the last week from the lens of high impact and low impact. Highlight 3 high impact tasks vs 3 low impact tasks and think about how you have spent your time across each. Does this surprise you?
Sign 5: Time off is filled with guilt
Your business needs to have boundaries even when you are sick, reached burn out or on holiday. Without this, resentment breeds and creativity dies.
What to do: Set a non-negotiable switch off time (at a frequency that feels manageable to you currently). Tell everyone who needs to know about it and honour it.
P.S. If you feel completely unable to take time off, this DEFINITELY applies to you.
Sign 6: You don’t know your numbers
If you find yourself either unaware or actually avoiding your metrics, capacity and financials then you need to pay attention. What you don’t measure you can’t manage, meaning you’re inadvertently creating a constant level of uncertainty that lingers. This later manifests as decisions that feel unclear, scary and risky.
What to do: Write a list of metrics you don’t know or understand in your business and make an action plan to learn more about them. Build your awareness before you build a strategy.
Sign 7: You’ve lost sight of your why
If your spark feels distant, or even lost completely, it doesn't necessarily mean you are failing. Sometimes this can indicate it's time to freshen things up.
What to do: Reconnect to your purpose. What did you want this business to do for you?
You’re not failing, you’re just foggy
Getting stuck in the weeds doesn’t mean you are not capable, it just means you’re overdue a reset. This gives you perspective, clarity and support.
This is where business coaching can help.
Ready to get back in control?
Book a free discovery call to explore what's really going on and how I can help you to move forward with confidence.