How I Stay Consistent in Business (Even When Life Gets in the Way)

(Note: This is a formatted and slightly edited, AI-generated transcript to make it easier for you to read through. Please excuse any spelling, grammar errors and filler words – it’s just how I speak LOL)

What if the reason you can’t stay consistent has nothing to do with your habits, your schedule, or your mindset, but everything to do with that one thing you haven’t set up yet?  

Hey, I am Lucy and I help online solopreneurs stay consistent and productive using simple systems that actually work in real life. And in this video I’m going to pick right back up where we left off in the last episode and break down the type of system that really supports your consistency and what most business owners miss when they’re trying to set it up. 

Before we dive in, if you want help on figuring out everything that is on your plate and what to actually set up systems for, then I have a free workshop, a link in the description that is going to guide you with exactly how to do that in three simple steps. 

Now, let’s go ahead and dive in and talk about what kind of system makes consistency possible. But first I want to start off by saying that when I say this system that you need, I want to clarify what it’s not, because I know that that word in itself can be overwhelming. Trust me, I know because I have been there. Back when it was 2019 and I was first introduced to this concept of project management tools, I had no idea what it was. I even have a student who had emailed me years ago and they said, “LOL. It’s funny because I just heard you mention in one of your,” my first original offers, “that you have no idea what Trello is.” 

And I thought that was hilarious because, you know, fast forward years later, look at me now, right? So I understand where you might be. You might be feeling like, “Oh my gosh! I have to set up this system and it sounds overwhelming and it sounds hard, and ahh!” but I wanna put your mind at ease. So this is what we’re not talking about. Okay. This is not the kind of system that I’m recommending here. 

We’re not talking about complex systems that are completely overbuilt out with a bunch of different tools, with a bunch of different complex automations, or having to integrate multiple tools together. Like we are not talking about any of that. Okay? We are keeping it simple. We are talking about one simple system, one place to manage all of your tasks, to see what actually needs to get done, to see what next step actually needs to take place, and a place that you can come back to  where you left off. And so this is what we call a task management systems, and this is what makes consistency go from feeling hard to feeling doable and here’s why this kind of system makes consistency so much easier. 

You are not relying on memory because everything is captured inside this one place. You’re not guessing what you need to do next because you’ve already mapped it out.  Your current and future version of yourself are gonna be so happy that this past version of you set this up for you, even though yes, it takes a little bit of effort and a little bit of time upfront, but the amount of time that it saves you, the amount of time and effort and mental capacity that it saves you, not just like the next day, but for years to come. I am still using task management systems that I built out in 2019, in 2020. Like what I’m still using those task management systems are still paying off way more than the time that it took me to set off. But I digress. 

You’re not juggling everything in your head because again, everything is there, so you have way less mental load. And how would that feel to finally release some of the things outta your brain and be confident that you don’t need to hold them there anymore? Because that’s why we do it, right? We hold things in our brain because we’re scared that we’re gonna forget. We’re scared that we’re gonna miss something that we’re gonna mess up, but. A task management system takes care of it for you, and you’ll finally feel that mental release, that mental relief. Okay? Things are actually broken down. I hear so often that tasks are much bigger than they feel like, “Why am I not getting things done?” 

And then I talk about the concept of breaking tasks down, and it’s so mind blowing to so many entrepreneurs, which blows in my mind that it’s so mind blowing to other entrepreneurs. But the important part is  task management systems help you break these things down so that things can actually feel doable so they don’t feel overwhelming, so they don’t feel like you’re trying to tackle this huge hour long project in just five minutes, like you will get to see what part of that project actually will take five minutes. So again, you’ll be able to quickly see what is doable in these small pockets of time that I know you have because so many people in my audience, myself included, there’s times when we only have a few minutes here and there. 

When I was in corporate, when I used to have my business and I was still in corporate, I would squeeze in during my lunch breaks, little pockets of time to just get something done. And when my kids are sick sometimes I’m trying to squeeze in that little one hour nap and trying to get something done in one hour, or maybe it’s a five minute snack break. Like there’s things that we try to squeeze into these small pockets of time, but you can’t do that if you don’t even know what those tasks are because then you just wasted those 10 minutes trying to figure out what to even do, and now the 10 minutes is up. And now you didn’t do anything right? Yeah, I’ve been there. I have been there. 

So you also get a clear sense of what’s done and what’s left to do because you are actually keeping track of your progress. And this task management system makes it easier for you to plan out all of the things that need to be done and for you to follow through on them because you can visually see what you’ve done, what you’re currently working on and what is not done yet. So  those are some of the reasons why or how a task management system really, really helps you. But the best part is, in my opinion, is you never start from scratch. Whatever task or project you’re working on, you don’t start from scratch and you can pick back up right where you left off.

So,  all of this, all of this is really what makes consistency feel different because again, we talked about it, right? Consistency is not about doing everything perfectly, showing up every single day, doing the exact same thing over, like we talked about that in the last episode. If you haven’t heard it, go back and listen to it or watch it. Highly recommend it to give you my real definition of what consistency means specifically for business owners. But it’s not about doing everything perfectly or doing the same thing every day. It’s about being able to follow through and pick back up without starting over.  Back in 2020 when I was pregnant with my daughter, I ended up taking an unexpected break for about 10 months from my business. 

At the time, I had also quit my corporate job. So it was this big old thing where it was an identity crisis as well, but we’re not gonna get into that. But what I noticed was when I finally came back after my daughter was born.  I was able to pick back up right where I left off. I hadn’t done anything. I had even ghosted my friends, like they know, they apologized, but I hadn’t done anything with the business. I completely like shut down. But when I was ready to come back, my systems were there. I was able to start writing blog posts again. I was able to start posting in the community that I had at the time. I have a new one now, but at the time I had a Facebook group. 

Now I have a Skool community and  I was amazed at the fact that I was able to do that, and it was through a conversation with a friend and realizing that like, “Oh my gosh! This is not normal. This is not something that everyone can do. And how is that not possible? Like how? What?” And this is when I actually pivoted to start teaching systems and productivity because that wasn’t what I was doing back then. And so this is why it’s so, so, so much of a passion of mine because how often are you not going on that vacation or not taking that sick day or worrying because you’re sick, forced you to have a sick day, or you know you want to take that maternity leave, but you’re scared because you are afraid to lose the momentum that you have built up. 

So you take your laptop to the beach when you’re supposed to be unplugged. You are trying to balance the mental load and the stress of caring for your sick relative or your child or yourself. And also trying to squeeze in work where you can because you’re so scared to miss out on this quote unquote, being consistent or this momentum.  But when you have the systems in place, specifically task management systems in place, when they’re simple, they’re detailed, they’re doable, you can literally go take a break for as long or as short as you need, and you come back and you know exactly where you left off, exactly what you have done, what you have left to do, and you can pick right back up as if you never left. 

And this is the thing that is stressing so many people out in my communities and I see it, and it pains me and it hurts. And that’s why I’m recording this episode, and that is why I’m hosting a free workshop because  I want this for you. I want you to know that you can take a break and come back and not feel like you’re starting all over because you don’t have to. And there is one very important step that a lot of people skip when they realize that, “Okay, yeah. I hear you, Lucy. I’ve heard you. I need systems, but I don’t even know where to start.” And that is because there is a step that so many people skip, and that step is really getting clear on everything that you’re managing in one place. So without actually knowing all of the things that you’re actually thinking about ’cause in my head right now, I could probably name a few, but it’s not everything. And it’s probably the things that are most top of mind right now. 

And in two hours I might think, “Oh yeah! Actually no, there’s this other thing.” The next day, “Oh wait, I also have this, this deadline coming up.” “Oh! My kids have, you know, a graduation next week.” You need to know all of the different things that you’re managing before you can even move forward and create the task management systems that you need. Because without it, you’re going to treat every single bigger project like it’s just a smaller task. 

You’re going to assume that things take less time than they actually do, which is going to leave you overscheduling yourself, feeling unaccomplished, having that feeling of, “Why can’t I get things done? All I was supposed to do was write this one blog post!” And you end up overbooking yourself or missing deadlines, and at the end of the day, you feel like you got nothing done that you feel like you were super busy, but like, where’d the time go? What did you actually get done? You have nothing to show for. 

You don’t even have a way to keep track of your progress, to visually see, “Oh wait, I got these things done. I did something.” Because it’s all living in your head and you’re only thinking about that bigger project that you didn’t get done, and dismissing all of the little steps that it took that you have already done, even though the full outcome isn’t there. So all of this then leads to you feeling overwhelmed, feeling like you’re behind  and feeling like you might not even be cut out for this. 

Like, have you thought about that before? Have you thought like, “Maybe I just can’t do this. Maybe it’s not for me.” These are all negative thoughts that are not… No, we are not going to think like that. Okay? You are not the problem. You are not the problem. It’s just that you’re trying to manage everything without even knowing what everything is. So, do you see how that can be a problem? Do you see how that can be a problem? You’re trying to manage everything, but you don’t even know what everything is. So before you even start setting up a system, you need to get a clear picture of everything that’s on your plate, and you need to get it outta your head and into one place. 

Don’t just keep it all in your head because again, that’s creating more mental clutter, that’s creating more things that you’re trying to remember and keep up with. You need to get clear of what’s on your plate and put it somewhere. And if you want help doing this, this is exactly what we’re covering instead of the free workshop that I mentioned earlier. So I’m gonna show you how to get everything out of your head so that way you can see what you’re actually managing and start creating a real starting point for creating your own task management system. So if you want help with that, the link is in the description. I would love to walk you through those three simple steps, and did I mention it’s free? Did I mention it’s a free workshop? Yeah. 

So go to the description or the show notes and grab that link. So just to recap,  you don’t need a complicated system. You need a simple way to manage your tasks, and before you even set up your task management system, you need a clear picture of everything on your plate, which is what I cover inside of my free workshop. So that is all I have for you today. You can be consistent, you can take those breaks. You don’t have to stress out over sick days. All you need is a task management system, and that starts with knowing what is on your plate. 

All right. I am so excited that you are tuning in. Please remember to subscribe wherever you’re listening, whether you’re watching on YouTube or via the podcast, and leave a rating and review and let me know how you’re enjoying this podcast. I read every single one and I’m so excited to talk to you in the next one. Bye.