Why Your Priorities Aren’t Working (And the Missing Piece No One Talks About)
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
The biggest mistake people make after events (and in 90-day planning)
What “micro steps” really look like in real life
A simple way to map out your next moves without overcomplicating it
We talk a lot about priorities. Set your top 3. Focus on what matters most. Don’t try to do everything.
And while that’s all true… there’s a missing piece that I realized recently after getting real-time feedback during a workshop I hosted.
Because when I told a room full of women to narrow it down to three priorities for the next 30 days… I got resistance.
A lot of it.
“I can’t narrow it down.”
“There’s too much.”
“How am I supposed to choose just three?!”
And honestly? I get it. But what came out of that conversation revealed something deeper, something I had been doing intuitively, but hadn’t fully explained.
The Missing Piece: Micro Steps
One of the women in the room said something that stopped me in my tracks.
She said: “You might want to explain that each of these priorities actually has multiple steps underneath it.”
And I laughed… because she was absolutely right. To me, that part felt obvious.
But to her, and to many others, it wasn’t. Because we’re so used to looking at the big thing we want to do, that we forget: That one priority might require 5, 10, 15, even 20 smaller steps to actually complete.
What This Actually Looks Like
Let me give you a real example.
One woman’s priority was: Hiring and onboarding a social media manager.
Simple, right? Not exactly. (And to be honest, I’m going through this myself with 3 new hires so very, very fresh in my mind!)
Because underneath that one priority are micro steps like:
Creating accounts and logins
Granting access to platforms
Sharing brand voice and expectations
Training them on your systems
Reviewing and approving initial content
Setting communication rhythms
That’s not one task. That’s an entire process.
Another example someone shared: Creating and distributing bracelets for their brand.
Sounds simple. But in reality, that includes:
Sourcing where to order them
Designing the product
Ordering in bulk
Building connections to distribute them
Creating a plan for visibility
Again… not one step. Many.
Why This Changes Everything
When you don’t account for micro steps, two things happen:
You underestimate how long something will take
You overload yourself with too many priorities
And then? You feel behind. Overwhelmed. Frustrated that nothing is getting finished.
But the problem isn’t your work ethic. It’s your structure.
The Right Way to Approach Priorities
Here’s how I want you to start thinking about this:
Step 1: Choose Your Top 3 Priorities
Whether it’s for:
the next 30 days
the next 60 days
or post-event integration
Limit it to three. Not because you’re incapable of more… But because focus creates momentum.
Step 2: Break Each One Down Into Micro Steps
Take each priority and ask: “What actually needs to happen for this to be complete?”
Write it all out. Even the small, obvious steps. Especially the small ones.
Step 3: Start Taking Action (One Step at a Time)
You don’t need to know every step upfront. You’ll discover more as you go.
But the key is this: Start.
Because clarity comes from movement, not from overthinking.
Make It Simple (So You Actually Follow Through)
You don’t need a complicated system. You can use:
Asana
Trello
Monday.com
Or…
A simple Google Doc with a checklist. That’s what I use with one of my clients.
Because sometimes the simplest system is the one you’ll actually use.
Just remember, you are not overwhelmed because you have too much to do… even though some days this is exactly how I feel.
You’re overwhelmed because:
everything feels equally important
nothing is clearly broken down
and you’re trying to hold it all in your head
So instead: Choose fewer priorities. Break them down smaller. Take the next step. And then the next. That’s how things actually get done.
AND if you are seeking support or you read all of this and think, I don’t know if I can do this alone. You don’t have to.
This is exactly the support I provide inside of IME, specifically around setting your annual desires, then breaking this up into both 90 day and 30 day priorities with micro action steps, masterminding with other women business owners, and more. Learn more HERE and apply for the next journey kicking off in May 2026!
Cat Roten
Intuitive Leader & Mentor