The One Thing NOW Reset: Build Traction, Not Just Action
Late last year, I made a deliberate choice.
I blocked out a big chunk of time, not to tackle my inbox, not to manage my admin, not to tweak things that didn't need tweaking. I carved out the space I needed to bring to life something I'd been missing in my work - a group program, brand new for 2026.
Why? Because during the year, I’d begun to realise a few things.
How much I missed using my facilitation skills (drawing out people and ideas thrills me)
How my love of learning was not being leveraged (there was SO much I had up my sleeve to teach)
How the only group work I was doing (beyond my Spark Table breakfasts and dinners) was at my Business Retreats, and 3 times a year was just not cutting it anymore
I knew that the women I worked with loved getting together in person, that the connection and encouragement, exchange of ideas and experiences, and generous sharing of resources, which seems to naturally flourish in small groups, was a dynamic that energised and delighted me.
It harked back to the days when Business masterminds were at the core of my services. I’d stopped offering them after my sabbatical in 2023, because I was a wee bit burnt from the emotional demands of a complex family situation and felt managing the energy of a group was not what I needed.
It was the right decision then. But things change. People change. And so does your business. And the beauty of running your own business is that YOU get to choose how that business looks!
And so I sat myself down on the big table out on our deck (my Creativity Central) with an A3 sketch pad, coloured markers and Post-It Notes galore, an icy cold Diet Coke and time aplenty with no interruptions to map out an experience at the intersection of what I most wanted to deliver and what would most serve my clients.
And over the next few hours, Ignite emerged.
Working with a 4D Lens
This exciting new membership community quickly took shape because I gifted myself the space to develop it.
I’d had to fiercely protect the time I’d diarised, time that could easily have been eaten up by the dozen other things that were circling in my brain. Too often, we cancel out commitments to ourselves with an ease that we’d never allow if it were a client appointment!
I knew I had to narrow my focus to deepen my impact. And I knew the likely positive outcome if I practised what I preach by working with a 4D Lens.
I’d had so many sessions with clients where they’d confessed to being sidetracked or overcommitted, stuck in delivery or admin, and rarely finding the time to commit to the marketing or other growth strategies we’d developed.
I knew how they felt, because I’d been in their shoes 101 times myself.
So, to try and break this pattern I’d created the One Thing NOW Reset resource, testing it out myself before sharing it.
If you're juggling a dozen tabs in your brain (and your browser), trying to do and be everything and everywhere at once, the 4D Filter that’s at the heart of the reset is for you. It’s designed to help you create traction, rather than just taking action.
The 4D Filter: Where Is Your Energy and Focus Actually Going?
When your week feels like a blur of busyness, chances are you're operating in just two zones: Delivery and Details. Both are essential, but become exhausting and unfulfilling over time if they’re unbalanced.
And more concerningly, when Development gets crowded out, or Downtime is dismissed as "unproductive", your momentum will stall. Your visibility will dip. Your pipeline will begin to run dry.
And that’s when fear and self-doubt can sneak in.
These are the 4D Filter categories:
Delivery – Client work and commitments (the stuff you get paid for)
Details – Admin necessity and inbox demands (the stuff that keeps the wheels turning… and often… spinning)
Development – Marketing, messaging, and growth work (the stuff that builds traction)
Downtime – Time deliberately spent completely away from your business (a vital and underused strategic tool)
Now you have the 4D’s, grab a blank piece of paper, set a 5-minute timer, and scribble everything circling in your head right now.
Examples might include: Finalise client proposal, update sales page, tackle inbox of doom, book networking event, send/chase invoices, write newsletter, schedule social posts...
Just brain-dump it all. No judgment, no prioritising yet - just catch all the things..
Then, use the 4D Filter Categories to Sort Them
Grab three coloured highlighters and start categorising. Under which of the 3 Ds does each task or thought sit? Delivery, Details, or Development?
Is it Difficult to Discern Which Goes Where?
If it’s hard to tell with some of the items, think of it like this: Action is checking things off your list. There’s little discernment as to what those things are, but they’re often just squeaky wheels that demand your attention
Traction, on the other hand, spotlights activities that move you and your business forward in a way that builds momentum, moving you towards your big goals.
Answering 47 emails? Action.
Writing one piece of content that positions your expertise? Traction.
Reorganising your Canva folders? Action.
Reaching out to three potential collaborators? Traction.
Perfecting a proposal that's already 90% there? Action.
Booking that speaking opportunity you've been considering? Traction.
The 4D Filter helps you distinguish between the two so you're not just busy, you're building.
Choose Your One Thing NOW
Here's the magic question:
Which Development task would make the biggest difference to your growth?
Consider things like:
Will it increase visibility?
Build authority?
Strengthen an offer, nurture a lead, open your work to a new audience?
If there's a yes, that's your focus. That's where momentum begins.
Not five things. Not "when I have time." One thing. Now.
I chose developing Ignite as my One Thing Now, and in that focused time, I:
Outlined the structure of the experience
Defined the in-person and virtual sessions
Confirmed the GORGEOUS venue in Bowral for the conferences
And so much more…
An extra note to my fellow sparky brains…you likely already know what hyperfocus feels like. When something captures our attention, we can dive deep and create magic. The challenge? Directing that superpower of ours toward the RIGHT thing, the one Development action that will actually move the needle. The 4D Filter definitely helps with that, but it’s not a magic wand, we still have to design the environment to help - hence my Creativity Central Deck spot.
Working With Your 4D Filter over time
This isn't a one-time fix. It's a compass you return to again and again.
Using the 4D Filter consistently looks like:
Regularly checking where your energy is going, not just what's on your to-do list
Noticing when Development work is being squeezed out by client needs or admin chaos
Making space each week for traction - visibility, content, or offers - a healthy sales pipeline is a business reality
Pausing before diving into Details to ask, "Is this truly the best use of my time right now?"
Ensuring Downtime is a core part of your plan
Keen to identify your One Thing?
You can download the One Thing NOW Reset worksheet here and start building traction today.
And if you’d like support to apply this consistently, I’d love to welcome you into The Ignite Community. When you join, I’ll help you pinpoint your traction-building focus areas for each quarter, and you’ll be part of a community that helps you stay accountable to it.
Let's chat about whether it's right for you.
