The Enemy of Purpose Is Distraction Disguised as Productivity
Why doing more is often the thing keeping you from what matters most
There’s a lesson I learned this year that I keep coming back to:
When you’re working - whether it’s in business, in your job, or on yourself - do the thing that provides the most value for the least amount of effort.
There are two kinds of work, especially when you're just starting something new - a business, a side project, a content brand: Busy work and needle-moving work.
Busy work is the stuff that makes you feel like you’re doing something - organizing files, tweaking your website, creating a logo, perfecting colors. It needs to get done eventually, but not right now. It’s low-leverage. It doesn’t drive results.
Needle-moving work, on the other hand, is high-value. It’s usually uncomfortable. It's making the sales call. Sending the pitch. Posting the video. Writing the email. Publishing the page. It’s the stuff that builds momentum - even if it’s not your favorite task.
We love to glorify hard work. And yeah, hustle matters. But the thing that actually sets you apart isn’t how much work you do. It’s how smart you do it.
Early in my marketing career, I was doing a lot of busy work - checking if my Instagram post got more likes, tweaking a website no one was visiting, scrolling “for inspiration.” And sure, that’s technically work… but it wasn’t moving the needle.
I was busy. But I wasn’t building.
I was working in my business, not on it.
Learning that distinction changed everything for me.
Busy Work Is the Enemy of Impact
The truth is, busy work can trick you. It makes you feel productive. But in reality, it keeps you stuck in the shallow end.
I’d scroll through content and tell myself I was researching. But deep down, I was avoiding the real work - the uncomfortable stuff. The lead follow-up. The sales call. The landing page I didn’t want to build.
That’s the work that matters.
That’s what creates leverage. It’s the difference between spending an hour cold-calling five people… versus spending that same hour writing a single email that reaches five hundred. It’s putting systems, tools, or content in place that keep working after you’re done. Leverage isn’t about doing more - it’s about building smarter so your effort compounds.
Like one of my mentors said, “Do the thing that brings the most value for the least amount of effort.”
That’s not laziness. That’s strategy.
Do What Actually Moves the Needle
Are you chasing clarity by scrolling, or are you pursuing it by acting?
Are you pretending to be busy - or are you building?
It’s easy to look busy. Harder to be effective. But one brings results. The other just drains you.
You can spend your day designing a new logo, tweaking the colors on your site, or watching productivity videos. But if the one thing you really need to do is pick up the phone and close a deal… then do that.
Final Reminder: Action Over Activity
We don’t need to do more. We need to do what matters.
Don’t let busy work become your hiding place.
Do the real work - the hard, boring, high-leverage work.
And remember: The enemy of purpose is distraction disguised as productivity.