Outputs, outcomes and one clear move

Time to read: 4 minutes

Hi [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]

Let’s talk about a challenge that hides inside momentum.

You're building on success, making moves, exploring options. It feels like traction.

But if your ambition is spread across ten promising directions at once, you're not hedging your bets. You're diffusing your power.

And that scatter creates a particular kind of frustration: everything moves (a little), but nothing fully lands. You make progress in multiple areas, but the breakthrough that would elevate things to your next level remains just out of reach.

This pattern shows up in two subtle ways: chasing too many priorities at once, and refining things that never see the light of day. So let's tackle them both.
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High-effort, low-impact

This challenge isn't caused by laziness or indecision. It's often that your growth has led to you seeing more opportunities. Every new connection, every market insight, every skill you develop opens another promising avenue. And each one looks valuable enough to go after.

In corporate environments, I saw this pattern repeatedly: Leadership teams proudly announcing their "top 20 priorities." The result? Scattered effort. Everything in motion, nothing truly finished. My role was to help them identify what truly mattered and focus the right people behind one shared direction. And that led to feedback like "We've made more progress in three weeks than in the previous 7 months".

Founders and entrepreneurs can fall into the same trap too, just through a different door. That freedom to pursue anything can quietly become the reason you finish nothing that moves your impact forward. When every good idea gets a piece of you, none of them reach escape velocity.

And the emotional toll builds. You're capable. You're moving. But the next level still feels just out of reach, no matter how much you do.

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Outcomes vs Outputs

A polished deck. A content calendar. An extensive roadmap. Dozens of Slack threads or voice notes about "next steps." These are all outputs – artefacts that circulate inside your system, giving the illusion of momentum.

Outcomes look different. They create real-world shifts:

• A proposal that triggers a yes or no
• A test that reveals new insight
• A message that reaches someone who needs to hear it

Great ideas often stall not because they're wrong, but because they never leave the building. The work that creates movement isn't perfect but it makes something happen. A decision. A response. A step forward.

We confuse activity with achievement when our creations never cross the threshold from "in progress" to "in play." Outcome work isn't about polish – it's about creating signal. And often about being willing to let your work be seen before it's fully ready.

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Shaping fast outcomes

Last week, I committed 75% of my available hours to one initiative. The result? More progress in four days than in five weeks of fractured attention.

It became outcome-ready, far sooner than expected. And that momentum came from focusing on one meaningful thing instead of juggling a dozen partial ones.

But it wasn't just the practical progress – it was the clarity, energy and exhilaration of seeing something important take shape. And that came from giving the work space to breathe and the focus to land.

It's not easy though. This approach requires ruthless clarity about where your unique impact lies: What deserves your undivided attention, what can wait its turn, and what belongs in someone else's hands. It means accepting that some worthy projects will remain on hold while you drive one thing to completion.

So ask yourself:

Your next breakthrough doesn't need more effort. It needs a narrower focus and the courage to let your most impactful work leave the building.

Stay ambitious.

Rob

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