Doing Less, Better: Why Intentional Prioritisation Changed How We Work at Custom Neon
- Feb 9
- 3 min read
By Jess Munday
People & Culture Manager and Co-Founder, Custom Neon
One of the biggest shifts that elevated both productivity and wellbeing at Custom Neon didn’t come from hiring faster, working longer hours, or adding more to our plates. It came from doing the opposite.
We moved from reactive multitasking to intentional prioritisation, and it changed everything.
Like many growing businesses, there was a time when “busy” was worn like a badge of honour. Full calendars. Overflowing inboxes. Constant context-switching. On the surface, it looks and feels productive. In reality, it's inefficient, exhausting and unsustainable.
The turning point came for me personally, when I learned about the Pareto Principle. This prompted me to start asking a simple question at the start of each day:
Of today's tasks, which 20% will drive 80% of the outcome?
Those tasks go straight to the top of the list. Everything else becomes secondary, or gets questioned altogether. Otherwise it's so easy to prioritise tasks we enjoy most, or those that are easy. That shift alone brought clarity, focus, and a sense of control back into my workday.
We supported this mindset change with practical action.
We brought in a time-management coach to give our team some practical advice on how to structure their days and get the most from their work and home time. We introduced tools like Hubstaff, which gives a great insight into where we drain most time and we also introduced Bascamp to create visibility and accountability around workflows.
Internal email dropped by over 50%! This was a huge productivity score! Fewer interruptions, more focus and clearer communication.
We also muted notifications. a small change with a big impact. Constant pings train our brains to stay reactive. Removing them gave people permission to focus, think, and actually finish meaningful work.
For me, success has never been about who clocks the most hours or who replies to emails at 11pm. Being “always on” isn’t a sign of commitment, it’s often a sign that systems aren’t working.
In a world shaped by AI, burnout, remote work, and shifting values, the most effective professionals aren’t doing more. They’re doing less, with intention.
At Custom Neon, success means building something sustainable. That means streamlined systems, realistic workloads, and work that energises rather than drains. It means visible workflows, clear expectations, and fostering genuine trust and autonomy, whilst giving people control over how and when they do their best work. It's a win, win.
We’ve also embraced AI to support this approach. By using it for admin, reporting, and repetitive tasks, we’ve freed up our team to focus on high-impact, creative work,the kind that actually moves the business forward and keeps people engaged. AI hasn’t replaced our people; it’s given them their time and headspace back.
From a People & Culture perspective, this shift has had a significant impact. When people feel trusted, supported, and clear on expectations, they don’t need to be micromanaged. They take ownership. They collaborate better, producing higher-quality work, with more satisfaction and without burning out.
The mindset shift that matters most isn’t about hustle or optimisation. It’s this:
Stop doing more. Start doing what matters.
And give your team the tools, clarity, and trust to do the same.
This isn't a strategy just for work. It translates to all areas of our lives.
When you prioritise intentionally, productivity and wellbeing stop competing with each other. They start reinforcing each other. And that’s where truly sustainable success lives.
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