In this episode of Build Your Business, Matt Reynolds reflects on a crucial lesson for entrepreneurs: when you neglect what’s most important—your family, your fitness, your business vision—those priorities eventually become urgent. Through personal stories and strategic reflection, Matt shows how to prioritize what truly matters by clearing your calendar, removing distractions, and taking action before the pressure builds. This is your reminder that your most meaningful work can’t always wait.

The Quadrant Problem: Urgency vs. Importance

Matt begins by laying out a timeless framework: the four quadrants of task management. He explores how entrepreneurs often fall into the trap of reacting to what’s urgent while avoiding what’s truly important.

He shares how his mornings are structured to knock out urgent and important tasks early—especially those that halt progress for others. But the danger, he warns, is allowing “important but not urgent” priorities to stagnate so long they become emergencies. Learning how to prioritize what truly matters is the only way to stay ahead of that curve.

Clearing the Deck for Deep Work

After months of travel, Matt returned home and made a bold decision: no meetings, no calls, just execution. With help from his assistant, he cleared his calendar for nearly two full weeks.

What followed was one of the most productive stretches of his year. He tackled 30–40 tasks that had been hanging over him. This mental unload—combined with clear focus and zero distractions—freed up not just his to-do list but his capacity to be present and energized. It was a strategic move rooted in how to prioritize what truly matters.

When Family Moves from Important to Urgent

Matt candidly shares how his absence had affected his family life. While his marriage and home were stable, small signs of disconnection and tension had crept in—proof that even the strongest relationships need tending.

By recognizing this shift from “important” to “urgent,” he used his time off to intentionally reconnect with his wife and kids. Long walks, shared meals, and relaxed conversation became critical, restorative routines. This isn’t just about managing business—it’s about leading at home.

Fitness and Focus as Feedback Loops

Fitness was another area quietly slipping into urgency. Matt describes how poor habits during travel—fast food, alcohol, erratic training—began to stack up.

He shares how daily movement, consistent training, and better sleep on vacation helped restore his physical and mental edge. These aren’t vanity routines—they’re foundations of performance. Reclaiming his fitness became another exercise in how to prioritize what truly matters, not just professionally, but personally.

Call a Stop—Before the Crisis

Matt wraps with a call to business owners: clear your schedule before the crisis hits. If you wait until everything is urgent, it’s too late. Taking back control starts with identifying what’s most important and choosing to act on it—even when no one’s demanding it yet.

He urges listeners to block time, turn off the noise, and confront the things that are quietly weighing them down. This isn’t just a productivity strategy. It’s a life strategy—and it’s the key to building a business that serves what you value most.