The System Shift that Saved our Sanity

Running a business is hard.

 

For at least 10 years (maybe more) I haven't taken a single day off because key decisions still live in my head.

I also tend to spend at least a few hours every single day at the computer. 

 

I do it because I love it but not because it's necessary.

 

If I decided to take a month off, I probably could (now that I've built systems in my business).

 

But I'd be lying if I said there would be no consequences. There probably would.

 

My business still needs me in day to day operations, but far less than it used to.

 

Ironically enough, this happened when I stopped clinging to every decision and stopped 'holding' it too tightly.

 

I wasn't running a business.

 

I was babysitting one.

 

The Systems Shift

 

The first real shift didn’t happen in Airtable.

It happened in my head.

 

I stopped asking:

“How do we (my team and I) keep this running?”

 

And started asking:

“How do we make it run without us?”

 

Here’s what I started doing that changed everything:

 

1. I started documenting as I went—messy and imperfect

I used to wait until I had time to “properly” build systems. That time never came.

 

So instead, I just hit record on Grain during calls, scribbled quick steps in Notion, and even left voice notes when I figured out a better way to do something.

 

Half of it was ugly. But it was enough for someone else to follow.

 

That simple shift—saying, “Here’s how I usually do this”—was the unlock.

 

2. I automated the stuff that didn’t need me thinking about it

I looked at every task and asked, “Does this really need my brain, or does it just need to happen?”

That’s how I set up simple triggers:

• When a client books, onboarding kicks off.

• When payment clears, confirmation sends.

• When a project status changes, updates go out automatically.

No code. No fancy tech. Just fewer pings pulling me back in.

 

3. I shared my judgment, not just my tasks

At first, I thought delegating was enough. Hand off the task, free up my time.

 

But I realized people kept coming back to ask how I would handle things.

 

So I started giving them my brain, not just my to-dos:

• “This is what I’d prioritize first.”

• “If X happens, lean toward Y.”

• “The part that matters most is this.”

It wasn’t about replacing me. It was about teaching people how I think so they could make decisions without me.

 

And what did this give me?

 

Margin.

Breathing room.

A business that keeps running—even when I'm not checking Slack.

 

It didn’t happen overnight.

But it started with one choice:

 

We’re not here to hold this up.

We’re here to build something that stands without us.

 

A Quick Gut Check

What part of your business still lives only in your head?

 

That’s your next system to design.

 

Not so you can “scale.”

 

So you can breathe.

 

Because building something sustainable isn’t about doing more.

It’s about needing less from you.

 

Start there.

 

Ciao for now,
Ash