This Can Be A Hard Question To Answer. If you’re anything like me, your to-do list probably never ends. Between projects, clients, estimates, and everything else that gets piled on your plate, it’s easy to feel like everything’s urgent and nothing can wait. In this episode, I’m talking about how to figure out what’s actually most important. I’ll walk you through a simple tool that helps me sort through the chaos, focus on what matters, and quit wasting time on things that don’t move the needle. We’ll talk about why prioritizing isn’t just about getting things done, but knowing your purpose, your “why,” and using that to make better decisions every day. If you’re tired of feeling pulled in a hundred directions, this one’s for you.
It Starts with Not Giving Up We all have big dreams for our businesses, our lives, and our future. But what happens when the results don’t match our expectations? In this episode, we'll dig into what it really means to stay productive when progress feels slow (or nonexistent). You’ll learn how to turn big, overwhelming dreams into practical, bite-sized goals, how to keep moving even when you’re discouraged, and why giving yourself grace is just as important as discipline. Whether you’re building a construction company or rebuilding your confidence, this conversation will help you dust off, refocus, and take your next step forward. If you’re ready to get clear and consistent in your construction business, I'm offering a free 30-minute consultation to help you set goals you’ll actually achieve.
Achieving Goals Doesn’t Happen by Chance It takes consistent review, accountability, and a system that actually works. We’ve all set goals and fallen short, and it’s easy to get frustrated or even stop setting them altogether. But progress isn’t about perfection. It’s about building habits and systems that help you move forward, one intentional step at a time. When you take time to regularly review your goals, prioritize what matters most, and stay accountable, you create the structure needed to actually reach them. It’s about being flexible enough to adjust when life changes, but rigid enough to keep your priorities at the top of the list. Whether you’re trying to build better habits, take more ownership, or simply get unstuck, consistent reflection and accountability are what turn goals from good intentions into real results.
So How Should You Do It? Unless you’re a millionaire … waiting until the job is complete to get paid is a sure way to go out of business. But it can be hard to ask a customer for a progress payment. Partially because there are too many stories of contractors asking for money upfront and then don't come back to complete the work for an extended period. So you can’t blame customers for being hesitant to pay, or for honest contractors being nervous to ask. This is why it’s important to have business tools and systems that communicate clearly and let all parties know what to expect.
The Simple Thing We Did That Turned Our Finances Around One small shift can make a big difference. It wasn’t complicated. It came down to being aware, understanding the problem, and taking intentional action. With the right tools to track progress, it became much easier to stay on budget, stay on schedule, and keep building for the future.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could tell the future? In this episode, I share the behind-the-scenes struggles of building my coaching and consulting business, and the doubts that creep in when the path isn’t clear. From the idea of a “genie in a bottle” to the lessons I learned after my 2012 accident, I’ll walk you through why persistence matters, even when you don’t have all the answers. If you’ve ever wondered if you’re on the right path or felt like quitting, this conversation will remind you that sometimes the uncertainty is part of the adventure.
But I Don’t Want To! We like the warm, safe feeling of our comfort zone. A comfort zone is a safe space where we don’t take risks, but we also don’t grow. It’s not simply a physical space, but a mental concept. It’s not just a wall we’ve built, but it’s also our daily routines and way of thinking. The danger is that a comfort zone becomes the perfect excuse not to do something, not to take risks, not to grow, and ultimately…not to really live.
And This Happens Way Too Often Nothing happens if you don’t show up. I saw it just the other day: rain in the morning, clear skies by afternoon, and still no crew on site. It’s a good reminder that the same thing happens in our businesses and lives. We let distractions or excuses keep us from doing the important work. Clarity comes when you decide what your priorities are and commit to them. You won’t always get it perfect, but even the wrong step moves you forward. If you want to build the life and business you want, you have to show up.
What Should I Do First? We all get caught in the whirlwind of busy days, scrambling to fit everything in. But what if the problem isn’t time, but priorities? One of my favorite lessons from Stephen Covey is the “big rocks” analogy. Imagine a jar filled with rocks, gravel, sand, and water. The order you put them in makes all the difference. If you don’t place the big rocks first—the most important things in your life and business—you’ll never find space for them at all. This picture really hit me during a packed week, reminding me that without clarity on priorities, we burn hours on the small stuff and lose ground on what matters most.
Ever feel like your to-do list is so big you don’t even know where to start? Productivity isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about doing the first next thing. This is why it’s important to have a process for breaking big things down into smaller bitesize pieces.
So … Do the First Next Thing So much of the time being unproductive comes down to doing nothing. We get so overwhelmed by all the things on our to-do lists that our brains start spinning out of control. Should I do this? Should I do that? And then … we get stuck in limbo … and do nothing.
You Can’t Be Really Productive Without One Being productive starts with being aware. A list gives you direction. A calendar gives you a plan. But it’s the clock that helps you take action. When you start paying attention to how you’re spending your minutes, those minutes start working for you. Little bits of focused time, used consistently, snowball into big results. You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. Just start by being intentional, and that’s how you get control of your time.
Productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most. A solid list keeps your priorities clear. A calendar turns those priorities into action. And when you build in urgency, things actually get done. With the right tools and a little intention, you can get more of the right things done every day.
OneNote Is One of Those Tools When we think of tools, we usually picture saws and nail guns… not digital notebooks. But productivity isn’t just about building stuff, it’s about staying organized. OneNote has become one of my favorite tools. It’s like a supercharged binder that keeps everything in one spot, syncs across devices, and helps me keep the chaos in check. Even if you aren’t a recovering perfectionist like I am, OneNote can help you be more productive.
Productivity isn’t just about getting things done. It’s about doing the right things with efficiency and excellence, for a purpose that matters to you. If you treat everything like it’s a top priority, nothing really is. This week, we'll break down how to shift your focus, set clear priorities, and stop wasting time on the wrong stuff. Start by asking: what’s the first next thing I need to do?
Here’s How I Do It I see my daily routine of journaling as one of the most productive things I do. My journal has evolved from simple prompts in 2013 to a tool that helps me look back to see what I did well and where I need to do better. If you’ve ever thought journaling was just a diary, this might change your mind. You don’t need to journal like I do. You just need to start.
Today was not the day I planned. You ever have one of those days where your calendar might as well have been written in disappearing ink? The reality of running a construction business is that your schedule will get hijacked, but you've got to keep moving forward anyway. If you don’t build flexibility into your plans, your plans will break. Learn how to shift gears without losing direction.
Ever feel like journaling is just another thing on a never-ending to-do list? You’re not alone. Most people never stick with it and I used to be one of them. But after a life-altering accident in 2012, everything changed. In this episode, I’m sharing why journaling became a daily habit, how it helped me get clear on my purpose, and why it’s one of the most powerful tools I use to stay focused and build a better life and business. If you’ve been feeling stuck, scattered, or just worn out by the chaos—this might be exactly what you need.
Here’s Why I Do It Journaling. What does it really mean to journal? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. I journal three times a day and I’ve been doing this consistently for a little over twelve years. But why? Before then, I had made a few weak attempts at journaling. But to no avail. There were always other things that I needed to do, keeping me from making it a habit. Then something changed.
This Can Be Hard to Do We tend to be binary thinkers. We assume things have to be one way or the other, ignoring the nuances and complexities of life. But that kind of thinking doesn’t work well in balancing your life. So how do we find that balance? Sure, sometimes there are only two choices. When choosing between right and wrong or good and evil, I believe this is the case. But most of life? It’s lived in the middle. And if we only see two options, we’ll stop trying to find balance altogether.