It’s October, which means it’s National Squirrel Awareness Month.
In our house, squirrels bring a lot of entertainment, and more than a little chaos, thanks to our dogs, Bobby and Lily.
As sighthounds, chasing is what they were born to do. The problem is, lately they’ve been dashing about the park in frantic zigzags, trying to chase every squirrel at once. Their eyes dart from one tree to the next, their ears twitch at every rustle, and off they go again – charging around in circles but never catching anything.
It’s funny to watch, but it’s also a perfect picture of how many of us approach business and leadership.
When You’re Surrounded by Squirrels
Running a business is rarely calm and controlled. It can feel more like standing in the middle of a forest alive with movement. Marketing demands your attention, then it’s sales, then hiring, then finance, then the latest AI tool everyone says you “must” try.
Each one feels urgent. Each one tugs at your attention. Before you know it, you’re chasing everything and catching nothing.
That’s the trap – we confuse activity with progress. Being busy isn’t the same as being effective though. In fact, constant busyness is usually a sign that focus has been lost.
Why Doing More Isn’t the Answer
It’s natural to think that if we just push harder, work longer hours, and add more to the list, we’ll eventually get ahead. The truth is, piling on more tasks rarely leads to better results.
Real productivity doesn’t come from adding. It comes from subtracting, from choosing, and from deciding which work is genuinely worth your energy and which is just noise.
And that’s where the 80/20 principle becomes a game-changer.
The 80/20 Rule: Your Shortcut to Clarity
You’ve probably heard the saying: 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. The question is, are you acting on it?
Take a step back and ask yourself:
- What’s the 20% of work that’s really making a difference?
- If I put 100% of my attention into just one high-impact task, what could happen?
- Which “urgent” activities aren’t actually moving the needle, and could I stop doing them altogether?
When you get clear on your 20%, you stop scattering your energy across a hundred squirrels. You pick one and you give it focus. That’s when momentum builds.
Why Focus Wins Every Time
Think about Bobby and Lily…
As long as they’re darting from tree to tree, they’ll stay in a frenzy, burning energy but getting nowhere. Yet when one squirrel truly catches their attention, they lock in. Suddenly, their movements are precise, their energy controlled, and their chances of success multiply.
It’s the same in business.
Scatter your energy, and you’ll stay stuck in busyness. Focus it, and you’ll move further, faster.
A Simple Challenge to Try This Week
Here’s a little experiment for you: make a “stop doing” list.
Pick one activity that’s draining time without delivering results. Pause it, step away and see what happens when you free up that energy and reinvest it in something that actually matters.
You might be surprised at how much lighter and clearer everything feels when you stop trying to do it all.
Choosing Your Squirrel
This month, instead of chasing every opportunity, every distraction, every new idea, choose one squirrel. The one that really matters to your business, your leadership, or your growth.
Give it your full attention, block out the noise and move with purpose.
Productivity isn’t about chasing harder – it’s about choosing better.
So, what’s the one squirrel you’re choosing to focus on this quarter?
