"What should I do first?”
“There are so many things to choose from.”

Too often, days are spent fighting fires instead of making real progress. Firefighting feels productive, but it’s one of the worst ways to prioritize.

With a limited amount of time, knowing what’s urgent, what’s important, and what truly matters requires clarity, preparation, and intentional decisions.

Hot fires are a good way to get burned. The better prepared you are, the less intense the fire, and the faster it can be put out.

I Know, This Sounds a Little Backward

Most people plan by guessing how much time or effort something will take and then wonder why they’re always rushed or behind.

Planning backward flips that on its head by starting with where you want to end up and mapping the steps needed to get there. Whether you’re managing your time or building toward a major business goal, this approach puts you back in control. Start with the outcome, work backward, and take action today.

There are certain moments in life that split everything into before and after.

For me, one of those moments came after my accident in 2012.

Before then, I had concluded that my bland, ho-hum life was simply what it was. I was just trudging through life with little hope that things would ever be different. Mentally, I felt stuck in a rut with no way out.

That feeling of being stuck was real, but it wasn’t the end of the story.

If you’ve ever looked at your to-do list and thought, “Where do I even start?” you’re not alone.

Goal setting and planning sound great… until everything feels important and nothing gets done.

Progress comes down to making a choice. You can only do one thing at a time, and prioritizing helps you decide what that next step should be. Learn a simple, realistic framework for deciding what deserves your attention so you can move your business and life forward with confidence.

A clear plan makes all the difference when it comes to building a life and business you’re proud of.

Most of us have a picture in our heads of what our dream life looks like. It can be frustrating and depressing when things don’t turn out as planned or when our expectations exceed our accomplishments.

Setting goals is easy. Staying the course for the long game is hard. When it gets difficult, it’s tempting to give up. Giving up causes goals to die.

Don’t give up! Focus on the first next thing.

Sometimes the biggest disruptions don’t come from major failures, but from small, everyday actions. One minor delay sets off a chain reaction of schedule changes, conversations, and adjustments for multiple people. And it's all because of something that seemed insignificant at the time.

It’s a reminder that our actions, communication, and attention to detail matter more than we often realize. When we understand how small decisions impact others, we can lead better, plan better, and respond with more intention.

This is about awareness, responsibility, and why the little things deserve more respect than we usually give them.

Find the Balance of Planning and Doing

Planning feels productive… until you realize you’ve spent more time thinking about the work than actually doing it. If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company.

We’ve all had those moments when a simple task suddenly becomes way bigger than expected. Before you know it, you’re in over your head wondering how you got there.

There’s a fine line between preparing wisely and overthinking your way into a standstill. The key is recognizing when preparation turns into procrastination and choosing to act anyway.

It Helps Cut Down on the Dizzy

Running your business all by yourself feels responsible until it becomes the very thing holding the business back. Sharing the load can change everything, but only if the shovels are placed in the right hands.

And that’s the part most folks overlook…