Busy Is the Excuse We Use to Avoid Growth (And How AI Fits Into That)

The Comfort of Being Busy

As a business owner, it’s easy to equate a packed calendar with progress.

When I ran my first business, I filled my days to the brim. I’d go to work at 9am, be home at 10pm. I went home exhausted, convinced I’d done a “good day’s work.”

I wasn’t growing my business. I was avoiding the tasks that mattered—sales calls, difficult conversations, strategic risks.

Busy was the shield I used to avoid discomfort.

The Data on Busyness vs Productivity

Science backs up what many of us feel but don’t admit: busy doesn’t equal productive.

• Multitasking reduces productivity by up to 40%. Constantly switching tasks drains energy and focus.

• Every interruption costs 15 minutes of recovery time. That’s hours lost each week to regaining focus.

• After 55 hours a week, productivity flatlines. More time at work stops adding value.

Busyness feels good—it gives a dopamine hit—but it’s not progress.

A Client Who Broke the Cycle

One client told me she didn’t even know which way was up. Her days were packed, but important work never got touched.

She had an admin task that had been sitting on her list for weeks. Finally, she blocked out four hours to get it done.

Instead, she decided to try AI with Your aiTEAM. She guided the system, explained what she needed—and in twenty minutes, the work was complete.

The bigger breakthrough was facing the discomfort she’d been avoiding. And AI was able to do it for her in a 10th of the time.

And once she did, she gained space to focus on strategy, leadership, and growth.

Why Discomfort Is the Gate to Growth

Here’s what I’ve learned, both personally and from clients:

• The sales calls you put off?

• The tough team conversations you avoid?

• The AI tools you’ve resisted?

Hold all the answers.

We tell ourselves we’re too busy. But really, we’re avoiding the uncomfortable work that creates growth.

Not All Busy Is Bad

Some busy is valuable: time with customers, experiments, or team learning.

But bad busy—the kind that fills your day without moving your business forward, is what keeps you stuck.

AI doesn’t just make tasks faster. It helps you clear bad busy so you can focus on the uncomfortable, high-value work that matters.

What I’ve Learned

Even today, I catch myself slipping into busywork. But I’ve learned to recognize it: busy is comfort, productive is growth.

And leaning into discomfort, whether it’s making the hard call or adopting AI, always leads to progress.

Final Takeaway

The problem isn’t that you don’t have enough time.
It’s that you’re spending too much of it hiding from the very things that could grow your business.

Ask yourself:
What uncomfortable thing are you avoiding right now by staying busy?

And what would happen if you faced it, with AI at your side to clear the noise?