6 Ways to Stop Being Busy and Start Making Progress S17ep8
6 Ways to Stop Being Busy and Start Making Real Business Progress
In this episode, Zulfiqar Ali gets brutally honest about a common entrepreneurial trap: being busy without actually moving the needle. It is easy to spend eight hours on “work” that doesn’t advance your business an inch. Running TrustedCreators.org has revealed that most of what we call business is actually just a polished form of procrastination. This episode serves as a focus reset for the 2026 business year, turning mindless motion into measurable results.
Zulf breaks down the “Treadmill Effect” where you can run five miles and sweat, but end up in the exact same spot. We explore the 80/20 rule, the danger of over-consumption, and why “eating the frog” is the only way to beat productive avoidance. Whether you are a solo creator or an aspiring director, learning to protect your creative hours like a non-negotiable appointment is the difference between burnout and breakthrough.
Key Takeaways
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Episode Chapters
1:23 – The uncomfortable truth about motion vs progress
2:32 – The 2026 Reality Test: Currency of focus
3:23 – The Treadmill Effect: Running 5 miles to stay in the same place
4:14 – Escaping the Planning Trap and tutorial hell
5:10 – The Ratio: Creation vs Consumption
6:12 – Productive Avoidance: Why we choose small tasks over real work
7:31 – Deep Work: Structuring your day for flow
8:13 – Identifying the Needle Movers (The 20/80 Rule)
11:02 – Using your own past content for motivation
11:52 – Preview: Why more money does not make things easier
Key Takeaway Points From Episode Transcript
- Motion vs. Progress: Activity that doesn’t change your audience size, your skill level, or your output is just motion. Real progress moves you forward.
- Execution is the Job: Planning feels productive but it is often just a mask for procrastination. The job is execution, not research.
- Eat the Frog: Tackle the most uncomfortable, hardest task first thing in the morning before your brain has the chance to negotiate its way out of it.
- Protect Creative Hours: Creative time should be treated as an appointment you cannot cancel. Separate your deep work from your admin tasks.
- The Needle Movers: Find the specific 20% of actions that drive 80% of your results. For creators, this is usually titles, thumbnails, and hooks.
- The Goal Reset: Burnout happens even when reaching milestones if you are overwhelmed by things that don’t matter. Focus on effective output over “busy” hours.
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About the Host
Zulfiqar Ali
Zulfiqar Ali is the Managing Director of Trusted Creators. With over 15 years in the financial industry and a successful transition into full-time content creation, Zulf specializes in practical, no-fluff business strategy. He focuses on helping entrepreneurs build professional foundations by prioritizing discipline, high-value execution, and mental clarity over simple “busyness.”
See full author bioResources & Community: Think of this podcast as if you are sitting and chatting with friends. I share the business tips and insights that helped me transition from a 9-5 office role to the Director of my own company. This show documents my career journey and the lessons learned along the way. Be sure to reach out if you have any questions!
This season has its own dedicated show notes and resources available at www.ZulfTalks.com. If you join our community, I will only send you emails directly relating to the topics covered in the podcast.
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