Rethinking My Systems

Here’s the thing about having systems in your business…

In order for them to work, you have to have them.

For better or worse, my process and my days have largely been the same since leaving my job.

I work in the mornings, take a break for lunch, work a few hours more in the afternoon, go to the gym, and usually call it a day.

A good portion of my time goes towards urgent activities. Writing emails, blog posts for this daily blog, answering member questions and so on.

And at the end of the day while I may feel like I got stuff done, I usually haven’t done anything to truly further the business.

Back in the day when it was just myself and this little blog, everything I did felt like it was pushing things forward and building the brand.

But at a certain point, when you reach a certain level of success, this changes – and if you haven’t built and adapted your systems to change along with it, you can find yourself totally overwhelmed.

Welcome to my world.

These days, staying on top of life just feels like a struggle.

Breaking Eighty used to be this fun little side project that I did whenever I felt like it.

Then I rolled out the Eighty Club, and now I have nearly 200 members to manage and cater to.

Location Rebel continues to grow, and especially as I’m at a time where I’m working to breathe new life into it, it takes time and focused attention.

I have one big freelance golf client I do copywriting for that pays well and is fun to work on.

A few years back we moved from a 482 sq ft condo to a 2,000 square foot house built in the 20s.

More success, more responsibility – as well as a greater need for more robust systems to manage it all – systems I have yet to adopt very well.

I’m at a point where I’ve clung so tightly to the idea of a small lifestyle business without a huge team or big overhead expenses – and I love that I’ve been able to build this type of business.

But at a certain point, for my own sanity I need to adopt systems that will allow me to focus on the aspects of the business that will help us grow…rather than the urgent things that seem important right now.

In the past I’ve had people recommend books like Work the System, the Rockefeller Habits 2.0, and Traction.

Yet they all felt like they were geared towards businesses much larger than mine, so I never really resonated with them much.

Right now, I feel overwhelmed by everything.

It’s odd, considering it’s all good stuff.

Both Location Rebel and Breaking Eighty are growing! I’m continuing to have success with my copywriting project. We have a great house, great friends, a great life.

Yet despite that, I feel like I’m always treading water and having a tough time catching my breath.

Later this month I’ll write more about the idea of taking on multiple businesses vs sticking with one and growing it, but right now I think it’s time to jump back into some of those books with a fresh set of eyes and new perspective.

A mindset where I’m open to hiring, making drastic change, or simply structuring my days in a radically different way.

Because in the end, systems only work if you have them. And while I might have routines in my life and business, the systems are lacking.

Interested in building a lifestyle business of your own? Check this out.

Sean Ogle

Sean Ogle is the Founder of Location Rebel where he has spent the last 12+ years teaching people how to build online businesses that give them the freedom to do more of the things they like to do in life. When he's not in the coffee shops of Portland, or the beaches of Bali, he's probably sneaking into some other high-class establishment where he most certainly doesn't belong.