Why a review of your systems could save your energy
A friend recently said to me, “I feel pulled in every direction.” I could relate.
Because most of us have felt that moment when our energy feels scattered, our mind overwhelmed, and we’re quietly exhausted. When the to-do list keeps growing and there’s no space left to breathe.
Whether you are a creative, planner, project managers, leader, or small business owner. Everyone carry’s a lot.
We care deeply about the work we do and because we care, we try to hold everything. Often a brain dump can help, or we try to priorities our list. , yet it still seems never ending. We keep pushing forward. Yet sometimes we’re still operating from a subtle state of panic.
I know this because I lived there.
As an event planner, I used to plan every detail. I captured everything. I kept pushing until I was forced to rest. Though, when I finally stepped away and created space to think clearly again, I realised something important. My mental capacity was full. Plus, my ideas were living in too many places.
Notebooks. Emails. Documents. Proposals. Project planners. The 2am notebook beside my bed.
No wonder the pressure kept building.
Building Calmer Systems
So I did what I often guide others to do, I reviewed my systems. Not to add more structure, more to simplify. I had tried different tools before top. Some worked, some didn’t, though none quite solved the real problem of my fragmentation and that pulled in every direction feeling.
Until I built my own integrated workspace in Notion. Finally, everything in one place. Ideas stored not in notebooks or my head. Project notes, emails, conversation or timelines, together with my ideas. I could forward plan together with a space for creative flow, especially when creativity came when I was not near my computer. I could link it all together.
Then something shifted for me. I softened. The pressure dropped. My mind felt lighter and I had space. Space for progress and calm and perspective together.
Over the years I’ve learned that rigid planning alone doesn’t create calm. Plans change, unexpected happens, and then life happens. And my system allowed structure together with flow and brought the joy back into the work.
It created space to capture inspiration on a walk. A place to record a voice note after a conversation. A way to link that inspiration directly to the next five practical steps. A place to record meeting notes. Or no longer hunting through emails to find that key information you were searching for.
If you’re feeling pulled in every direction, maybe you don’t need to work harder.
Maybe you need to review your systems and bring everything back to one place to land.
This is the kind of work I love supporting. Helping leaders and creatives create grounded systems that allow their work (and their energy) to shine.
You can explore my systems and toolkits here.