Work that “Counts,” Chasing Talent, & Staying Childish
You sit down at your computer at 9 a.m., work steadily all day, and by 5 p.m. you’re exhausted. But not a single thing on your to-do list is checked off.
You answered emails. Followed up with people. Had a couple meetings. Looked into a new piece of software. Maybe you even went to a networking coffee or read something that will make you better at your job.
You were busy the whole day. And yet it can still feel like…nothing got done.
The problem isn’t that nothing happened. The problem is that much of the work that keeps a business running isn’t the kind we’re trained to recognize as “real work.”
Most productivity systems reward work that has a clear finish line — a report sent, a deck completed, a task checked off. But much of the work of running a business is ongoing rather than finishable. It’s the work that keeps everything else moving.
For us, the work on those days tends to fall into a few categories. Once we started naming them, we realized how much of our time they actually take.
🛠️ Maintenance work
The small things that keep everything running: answering routine emails, following up for responses, scheduling, ordering supplies, etc.
🏗️ Infrastructure work
The behind-the-scenes work of running a business: invoicing, updating a website, evaluating software, cleaning up your inbox or digital files, the list goes on…
🤝Relationship work
Networking, coffee meetings, staying connected with people in your industry. These can feel like a “day off,” especially if you’re an extrovert or meeting somewhere you love. But relationships are one of the main ways opportunities enter a business. Even if you had fun, it’s still work!
💡 Idea work
Brainstorms, strategy sessions, creative meetings. Many of us have worked alongside people - and let’s be real, oftentimes men - who treat meetings as the work itself. In contrast, for many women, meetings are where the work starts. The execution comes afterward: writing the plan, building the deck, recruiting vendors, implementing the idea. But the thinking and collaboration are work, too—it’s the seed from which those deliverables grow, and it deserves respect.
🎓 Learning work
Reading, courses, webinars, experimenting with new tools, developing skills that will pay off later, staying in touch with the cultural landscape. None of these activities produce an immediate deliverable, but your business depends on your skills staying sharp and your offerings evolving with the landscape. And if your business depends on it, that’s work.
So next time the sun sets and you still feel like “ugh, I got nothing done today,” take a look at your outbox—is that true? We bet not.
In fact, we challenge you to track these kinds of tasks for a week—not just the items that feel “productive,” but the maintenance, relationship, and learning work, too. You may discover that the days you thought were wasted were actually full of the work that makes everything else possible.
The goal isn’t to trick yourself into feeling productive. It’s to recognize that you already were.
Want to combine relationship work with checking things off your to-do list? Our next Work With Day is March 26th!
🪢 Laura & Lauren
Things We Loved This Week
LaurA’s Things
🎨 Who wants to loan me $12,000?
😮 Really amazed by this change.
👜 So you’re saying this would NOT be a good use of money?
🤯 This advice!
Lauren’s Things
🎵 The lyric “lonely with a capital H.”
🛒 Always a gentle tragedy.
🧚 Making one of these immediately.
