Let me tell you the truth: if your day feels like a firefight, you’re not running a business—you’re running a response center.

Most owners I work with live in Quadrant 1 of Covey’s Time Management Matrix. That’s the land of urgent and important: client crises, production breakdowns, payroll panics, and the phone ringing off the hook with drama.

Sound familiar?

They say things like:

• “I just need to get through this week.”

• “I can’t afford to slow down.”

• “Once I finish this crisis, then I’ll work on the business.”

But here’s the kicker: another crisis is always five minutes away.

So how do you escape?

You shift your focus to Quadrant 2—the things that are important but not urgent. That’s your strategic work. Your planning. Your growth activities. Your sales and marketing. It’s the stuff that prevents problems before they ever start.

To do this, I coach clients to install a Default Calendar. It’s not just a schedule—it’s a battle plan. We block time for high-value activities and treat them like appointments with your business’s future. And then? We hold them accountable to it.

🔑 Coaching Takeaway:

If your week feels like a treadmill, stop trying to run faster. Start by installing time blocks for Quadrant 2 activities—and make them non-negotiable.

About Don Vanpool
Don Vanpool is a strategic operations expert who helps entrepreneurs scale, systematize, and sell their businesses for top dollar. With decades of experience across corporate leadership, private equity, and coaching, Don helps business owners turn operations into real assets buyers will fight for.