Embracing Adaptation: The Wisdom of Wobbling in Life & Business

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I'm writing the intro to this week's newsletter last. Truthfully, I've really struggled with writing intros lately and have wanted to just get right into the weeds—it is where I'm most comfortable. But after finishing this week's draft, I'm realizing that I needed to read this issue as much as I needed to write it and I hope that means you might need one of the messages here as well.

So consider this week's newsletter a permission slip to embrace adaptation rather than fight it. To wobble willfully instead of seeking perfect stability. To acknowledge when you've worn too many hats for too long.

There's incredible freedom in recognizing your patterns... not as problems to solve but as natural rhythms to flow with. As you read through today's sections, pay attention to which area feels most relevant to your current season (of life, business or both!) and let yourself linger there. See what you find...

What you uncover might be the ah-ha moment you've been looking for. 🫶

🌱 TIPS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE + BUSINESS

Adapting Systems with Ease

I recently asked my audience on Instagram what their biggest barrier to implementing systems was. 57% of people said struggling to know how to adapt their systems was their biggest barrier. As a neurodivergent entrepreneur, I feel this deeply because it's also mine.

What makes this so hard?

From my experience (and for the 29% of people who voted for the second highest answer to that question), it's often perfectionism. From before we can remember, it is absolutely ground into our minds that getting it right the first time is better than growing over time—better than adapting.

Maybe you were like me and had an adult (or a few) that at one point or another in your life had a favorite saying... something like, "Don't be sorry, just don't do it." (Insert blinking neon vegas sign pointing as this moment when perfectionism was ingrained 😅)

This is the number one thing we have to unlearn in order to truly build supportive and flexible systems as people with variable energy—whether that's from chronic illness, neurodivergence, disability, or even raising families in today's environment.

You have to cultivate a joy for the process so you can build the self-trust that allows that perfectionist part of yourself to see that you'll be okay. When we can find joy for the process, the WEAL Method cycle of Witnessing, Exploring, Adapting, and Learn + Loop becomes a comforting guide through the process of adapting your systems.

Try these prompts to help find your unique way of enjoying the process:

Think of a time when 'imperfect action' led to a better outcome than waiting for something to be perfect. How might this memory give you permission for working through future adaptations?

If adapting your systems was a creative art form rather than a productivity task, what would it look like?

✨ TIPS FOR A MORE SOULFUL LIFE

Wisdom in Wobbling

When was the last time you had an ah-ha moment when everything was going your way?

🦗🦗🦗

Yeah, me either. The same is true for my clients as well.

We often learn the most when we are required to navigate the breakdown of something—processes, communication, relationships, etc.

I've found some of my best creative breakthroughs when work and life have been at the most difficult, and I've had the most clarity in something structured when I've struggled with my creativity most.

As I get older, it gets easier to see that there is wisdom to be found in the instability. When we aren't trying so hard to change (or avoid) what is, we can begin to see the lessons we can learn from it.

📈 TIPS FOR A MORE SCALEABLE BUSINESS

Too Many Hats, Too Long

If you've been running your own business for any amount of time, you've probably run across someone in the online space telling you to "process and document everything!"

To be clear, I don't disagree with them. You can't scale sustainably or healthily if you don't have clear ways of doing things and the ability for someone else to take them over. But I want to talk about a part of the process that I don't see often when solopreneurs move into leading teams:

You have to separate your hats.

Whether you are a true solopreneur or running a lean team, the reality is you are wearing multiple hats. Each hat represents the most necessary parts of sometimes 5 or more roles.

But they don't talk about how long you end up wearing multiples hats. This is part of what makes you exceptional at being an entrepreneur, but it can cause challenges when you try to scale because you need to hand off those hats/roles/responsibilities as your team and business grow.

Except no one seems to be talking about how difficult this process becomes when you've been wearing this many different hats long enough—hats that would otherwise be a person's entire role in a larger organization—they all start to become a patchwork beanie stitched together so tightly, you might need surgical precision to start to unravel where one role starts and another role begins.

My recommendation? As much as you worry about how you do your work, keep notes on what work you are doing. In the process of growth and scaling a business, you will eventually be required to give most of it away and you'll need to know the "what," so you can clearly define what you're asking and expecting from others coming in to help you.

WHAT I'M LEARNING

Back in March 2024, I deleted all social media apps off my phone and spent 5 months completely off social media. No posting, no consuming, and only logging in on my computer once a month to check messages (it is a business page afterall.)

It was... magical ✨

For my mental health, but there are downsides professionally.

I'd noticed my social media screen time increasing over the last couple months, reading was getting replaced with doomscrolling and my focus was destroyed from anxiety. Both telltale signs for me that I'm spending too much time on social media.

So here I am a year later and I've deleted all Meta apps and TikTok off my phone again. (I did keep pinterest and substack because those feel like coming home instead of getting thrown off a cliff and tossed around the rapids like everywhere else.)

I don't plan to disappear from things completely again, I just will have more separation. Set times to check in to intentionally connect and set things down. Sharing more stories than in the moment randomness. This isn't a commentary on the best way to exist on social media, but what feels best for me personally right now.

As I approach the later half of my 30s this year, I'm learning it's time to redefine everything I thought I knew about who I'm becoming, what I want, where I'm going, and how I thought I'd get there. And I'm excited to see what happens as I embrace what feels like the process of both becoming and unraveling at the same time.

CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH

These mushroom chairs that I wish were real. They are conceptual art pieces that have been making rounds again recently on social media and man, I need someone to to actually make them.
These Noah Verrier oil paintings. I am partial to the uncrustable (the original painting sold for $4,999!) and then I was going to try to list all my favorites and realized this section would be the whole newsletter, so feel free to enjoy some unproductive time and browse all 108 in the comfort food art series.
How Jon Bellion handled the release of his new single "Wash" this week. Not only am I obsessed with this site, beautifulmind.club, which is quintessential Windows 95 design, but it's really just a forum. A forum where he released the full music video 2 days early for his OG community alongside production notes, behind the scenes production videos, exclusive images, and more. It was a wonderful example of someone catering to their dedicated audience in the simplest and most intentional way.

HAVING A GREAT TIME HERE?

Here's a few ways you can let me know:

Option 1: 💌 Share with a fellow creative or business owner. Community starts with each of us and friends don't let friends chase their dreams at the expense of their mental health! If you know someone seeking more sustainability and harmony in their life and/or business, send this their way.
Option 2: 👋 Say hi! Hit reply and share a sentence or two about anything you enjoyed or hit home for you. I always hope these words find the right people at the right time, but it's always makes my day to hear from you!

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