What Is Your Time Worth?
Every day, business owners and executives across Australia sit down at their desks with the best of intentions. But by the end of the day, many ask themselves: What did I actually achieve?
This is where the concept of “value-driven activity” becomes essential. Inspired by the thinking behind Dollar Productive Behaviour, I challenge clients to go a step further. What if you could measure the true value of your time and adjust your day accordingly? Not in theory, but in practice.
As a business coach and virtual CEO, I see it constantly. Leaders confuse motion with progress. But not all tasks are equal. Not all effort drives profit, impact or growth.
Start With the Real Question:
What is one hour of your time worth to the business?
Once you’ve got that figure, whether it’s $100 or $1,000, the next step is simple. Audit your day. How many hours did you spend doing activities that actually return that value? Meetings, admin, emails, putting out fires — none of these count unless they’re driving outcomes that match your hourly worth.
Replace Busy With Productive
Productivity is not about being full; it’s about being focused. That’s where business coaching and mentoring make a real difference. Together, we:
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Clarify your high-value activities
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Eliminate or delegate tasks that don’t belong on your desk
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Restructure your calendar to serve your goals
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Identify behaviours that look productive but deliver little
This is not just about time management. It’s about value alignment.
The Virtual CEO Advantage
When I step in as a virtual CEO, I bring both strategy and accountability. My job isn’t just to help you manage tasks. It’s to challenge the structure of your work and lead with intent. That includes aligning every key person in your business to the same standard: what value are you producing, and is it worth your time?
With clear metrics and a results-focused plan, teams move faster, decision-making sharpens, and your role evolves from operator to leader.
A Simple Test
If you’re not sure where to begin, here’s a quick exercise:
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Write down everything you did in the last two days.
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Highlight what directly generated income, growth or key progress.
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Circle the rest. It’s either getting in the way or belongs to someone else.
This exercise often reveals a truth few are ready to admit: we are our own bottleneck.
In Summary
If you want your business to scale, your time must reflect that intention. Every hour should reflect your value, your goals and your best contribution to the company.
Stop measuring your day by how busy you felt. Start measuring it by how valuable you were.
A good business coach or virtual CEO won’t just tell you what to do. They’ll help you stop doing what doesn’t matter.