It's interesting how quickly we can turn on ourselves when we don't do something we said we were going to do.

I've got a client whose physical therapy clinic is growing like crazy right now. He's hiring, building a great team, and putting new systems and processes in place to support the growth.

But he brought something up on a recent coaching call that he'd been beating himself up for.

He said something along the lines of: "Man, I keep time blocking Tuesday mornings to get my admin work done, but I keep not honoring that time block."

Now, that could absolutely be a problem. But when we started digging into WHY he wasn't honoring that time block, a different picture emerged.

His other two PTs are already fully booked. So when a prospective client comes along who's ready to sign up for a multi-thousand-dollar package but can only come in during that Tuesday time block, guess who needs to step in?

Him.

And that's what he'd been beating himself up over.

Think about that for a second. He's feeling bad because he keeps interrupting his admin work to onboard new clients and bring more revenue into his growing business.

But isn't that the whole point of the admin work, the marketing, and all the other things he's doing behind the scenes? To bring in more clients and grow the business?

Of course it is.

And yet, because he made a commitment to himself to work on the business during that time, he started interpreting those interruptions as a failure of discipline and execution. When in reality, he was making the right call.

It reminds me of a funny story about a guy who comes home from work and notices his lawn is getting pretty overgrown.

"Man, I really need to mow the grass."

So he heads into the shed, pulls out his lawnmower, and gets to work.

Meanwhile, his house is on fire.

Now, obviously that's ridiculous. But we do versions of this all the time in business and life. We get so attached to what we planned to do that we lose sight of what actually matters most.

And sometimes, the right thing to do is abandon the plan. Not because you're being lazy, undisciplined, or avoiding important work, but because something more important has presented itself.

The goal isn't to honor your time blocks at all costs. The goal is to keep the main thing the main thing.

And this is where the Inner Game becomes so important. Because the real problem for my client wasn't necessarily that he was moving his admin work around. It was what happened inside his head afterward.

He'd tell himself he wasn't following through. That he wasn't disciplined enough. That he needed to get better at honoring his commitments.

And suddenly, a decision that was actually moving his business forward became a reason to feel bad about himself.

That frustration and self-criticism would then follow him into the rest of his day, negatively affecting his leadership and execution.

All because he was judging himself against the plan instead of looking at the actual outcome.

There's a big difference between abandoning your priorities because you're getting sucked into busywork (or inventing it yourself to avoid the hard stuff) and changing your plan because something more important needs your attention.

One is a failure to execute. The other is effective execution.

And learning to recognize the difference can save you a whole lot of unnecessary frustration.

So the next time your day doesn't go according to plan, before you start beating yourself up, ask yourself one simple question:

Was I avoiding what mattered most, or making room for it?

Because sometimes the most productive thing you can do is put down the lawnmower.

Big love,

James

P.S. Obviously, my client is building the systems and processes his clinic needs so he doesn't have to keep stepping in for those Tuesday sessions.

But in the meantime, let's not lose sight of what makes the whole business hum. New clients signing on, getting great care, and having an incredible experience. That's the main thing.

P.P.S. Here's how I can help, whenever you're ready…

Work with me privately inside Total Man to get back to performing at the level you know you're capable of, executing what matters most every day and every week, so you can be the leader your business and family need. Learn more here.