The Hidden Tax You’re Paying

Most entrepreneurs I know are not “lazy.” But a lot of them, are tired.

Not the kind of tired that a nap fixes. But the kind of tired that comes from constantly carrying invisible weight.

The mental tabs. The open loops. The half-decisions. The “I’ll deal with it later” list that quietly grows teeth.

And what’s wild is… you do not notice the tax while you’re paying it. You just start living slightly more rushed. Slightly more reactive. Slightly more behind.

Here’s the pattern I see over and over:
– You wake up with good intention.
– Then your day gets hijacked.
– Then you try to catch up at night.
– Then you wake up tired.
– And by mid-week you’re just trying to survive.

That’s not a motivation problem. That’s a systems problem.

Breakthrough Idea of the Week

Most stress is not caused by too much work. It’s caused by too many open loops.

Open loops are unfinished decisions.

Things your brain keeps carrying because there is no container for them.

“I should get back to that person.”
“I need to review finances.”
“I should plan my week.”
“I need to fix my sleep.”
“I need to start marketing again.”

When there’s no system, your brain becomes the system. And your brain is not meant to be a storage unit. It is meant to be a creator.

Pause & Reflect

What is the one open loop you keep carrying that drains you the most?
If your week had one simple container for it, what would that container be?

Coaching Tool of the Week

The Open Loop Sweep (10 minutes)

Set a timer. Dump every open loop onto paper. No specific order. Free flow.

Then do only this:

Circle the top 3 loops that drain you the most.
For each, write one of these next to it:
- Do (takes under 10 minutes)
- Schedule (put a date and time)
- Delegate (assign it to someone)
- Delete (it’s not real, it’s guilt)

That’s it. Clarity is not a feeling. It’s a decision.