- Why you feel busy but still stuck
- The 3-part framework to spot (and stop) fake work
- A checklist for what to cut this week
- A reminder: building a meaningful life requires intention, not just effort
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🧩 Thanks for helping keep Life’s a Game free!
When I stepped away from Twitter (despite 110k+ followers) and focused on LinkedIn, my business grew without growing my burnout.
One of the biggest shifts? I moved all my creation + scheduling to Taplio. It helps me show up consistently without losing hours to the scroll.
Want the exact system I use?
👉 Check out my LinkedIn Content Formula​
🎥 Prefer to watch? Here’s my free 1-hour masterclass
Remember your time is better spent building, not doomscrolling.
♟️ MY TURN:
I was sitting with a friend a few months ago talking about the upcoming book tour, podcast launch, my newsletter business and she stopped me mid sentence and said:
“Where do you find the capacity?!”
I get that question a lot.
From the outside, it might look like I’ve unlocked some secret time machine.
But the truth is way less sexy than that.
I’ve just gotten very good at knowing the difference between real work and fake work.
And most people I talk to?
They're exhausted... but not effective.
They’re checking boxes, tweaking designs, over-researching, under-publishing, and confusing motion with momentum.
Busy is not the same as productive.
Real work moves the needle.
Fake work makes you feel like you're working while avoiding the discomfort of real progress.
Let’s break this down.
The Science of Busy
Here’s the tricky part: your brain loves busy.
Research shows that being busy makes us feel useful, even when the activity itself isn’t productive. The act of filling our time creates a sense of self-importance and reduces the discomfort of sitting still with hard problems.
Psychologists call this an “idleness aversion”..... we’d rather keep moving, even if it’s in circles, than face the unease of doing nothing.
And here’s the kicker: busyness has social currency.
We signal (albeit perceived) status by saying, “I’m so busy.”
It makes us feel needed, relevant, in demand.
But what looks like value is often just noise.
That constant churn of activity gives a dopamine hit without creating real progress.
So when you feel “crazy busy” but also stuck, you’re not broken.......your brain is wired to mistake motion for momentum.
The work is learning how to pause long enough to tell the difference.
Ready to spot the difference?
Keep reading ⬇️
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♟️ YOUR TURN:
Here’s my Real Work vs. Fake Work Framework:
1. GET CLEAR
Two questions to gut-check your to-do list:
- Where am I going in the next 12 months?
- Does the thing I’m working on today actually get me closer?
Most fake work comes from chasing vague goals or someone else’s idea of success.
PS. If you don’t have a clear vision, everything will feel important and urgent.
Does that email really need a reply today?
Does that meeting really need to happen this week?
Does that project really get you closer to your goals?
2. GET FOCUSED
Once you’re clear on where you’re headed, it’s time to separate fake work from real work.
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Fake work is:
- Making things pretty before they’re powerful
- Rewriting the sales page headline 18 times without hitting publish
- Organizing folders instead of sending the pitch
- Taking another course when you haven’t implemented the last one
- Posting content daily but never actually selling
Real work is:
- Publishing the landing page (even if it’s ugly)
- Sending the ask
- Following up with leads
- Creating the product
- Delivering the value
Hot take: If it’s scary or uncomfortable, it’s probably real work.
3. GET GOING
Here's the checklist I use when I feel myself spinning:
- Is this helping me generate income, impact, or insight?
- Is this a top 3 priority for this quarter?
And the big one:
If I only had 2 hours today, would I still choose to do this?
Because here’s the deal:
Real work builds the life you say you want.
Fake work just fills the time in your life.
Stop performing and start producing.
PS this has been CRUCIAL leading up to the book launch. So many things that I wanted to do that felt good on paper but weren't getting me to the goals I set for myself.
Sending hugs!
A
♟️ Let's Win Together:
Thanks for keeping Ambition 2.0 - the new podcast from Girlboss - free!
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