In business, in relationships, in life — there are lots of problems to solve.

Some of those problems are big, some are small.

Occasionally, fixing some of the small problems can help lessen the burden of the large problems (sometimes, they're part of an interconnected network).

However, there are plenty of small problems that sit off by themselves. You could spend all of your energy fixing those small problems without having any effect on the big ones.

This has little to do with how much energy you expend, how dedicated you are, or how expertly you work.

It has to do with where you apply your efforts.

If you’re always busy and never really getting much done, take a look at the types of problems you’re solving.