No matter what kind of work you doâleading a team, creating art, managing a household or familyâyou are eventually going to end up doing "admin work." The often invisible, but essential work and tasks that keep everything else running smoothly.
We make careers out of it. Entire degrees specializing in a variety of administrations. Corporations build whole departments dedicated to ensuring these functions run efficiently.
So why is it that admin work is often met with a sigh when it appears on our to-do list?
The answer lies in the overlap between historical stereotypes, visibility of the role, and outdated portrayalsâand of course, good ol' fashion personal preference. Admin work has traditionally been viewed as less prestigious (or skilled) and is often reduced to the most simplified clerical tasks. Not only do these views not account for what those roles have always beenâcritical positions that utilize emotional intelligence, adaptability, ability to anticipate needs, collaboration, and early adopters (and proficiently so) of most technologies. They also don't account for the pace and breadth of evolution that admin roles have gone through to become what it is todayâa role that now involves complex organizational systems, technical skills, and critical thinking on top of what it has always been.
There's also the invisibility factor. Admin work is the behind-the-scenes ⨠magic ⨠that keeps the wheels of business movingâfrom HR and finance to project management tasks in delivery to customer onboarding. When it's done well, it becomes seamless and unnoticed. This invisibility creates a feedback loop where the work ends up undervalued precisely because it's functioning properly.
And we can't talk about admin work without talking about gender dynamics. Admin roles have historically been associated with women which creates additional layers of stigma in a society that has a long history of undervaluing work deemed traditionally feminine or "pink-collar" workâadmin work, nurses, teachers, and caregivers. Despite having administrative expertise being the backbone of organizational efficiency, the stigma remains today.
So what if we reframed admin work entirely?
What if, instead of seeing it as the necessary evil that pulls us away from our "real work," we recognized it as the essential infrastructureâthe connective tissueâthat makes all other work possible?
In nature, the most elegant systems have both (1) visible, impressive elements and (2) invisible support structures. Just as the stunning coral reefs don't exist without tiny organisms doing their administrative work behind the scenes, your client's seamless and lauded customer experience doesn't exist without work taking place behind the scenes to make it all flow smoothlyâwhether through technology, people, or a combination. (I bet you thought I was going to go with a tree-root system metaphor here but gotta keep you on your toes, lol)
As you spring clean your home, office, and energy drawers, it's the perfect time to reconsider your relationship with admin work. To recognize that organizing, systematizing, and maintaining aren't just tasks to be tolerated, but skills that are worth being cultivated and prioritized (even if that means hiring out for them.)
This week, we're exploring how to transform admin work from an energy drain to a neutral (or even energizing) part of your workflow, finding mindful approaches to mundane tasks, and creating sustainable maintenance that reduces the administrative burden as you grow.
After all, the most sustainable success isn't built on constantly creating new thingsâit's built on thoughtful systems that support your vision for the long term.
đą TIPS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE + BUSINESS
Recovery Ratios
One of the first things I ask new clients when starting 1:1 energy management work is how long it takes to recover from draining activities. It was also where I started with energy management at the beginning of my own journey because it felt like I always needed more than others. I quickly figured out that I generally needed twice the amount of time as the event/activity in order to recoup. For example, spending 2 hours bowling with friendsâeven when I enjoyed itâmeant 4 hours of low sensory recoup time.
When I learned of my neurodivergence later in life, I started realizing that it wasn't just big loud activities that drained me, but specific types of tasks as well. It's no secret that the fastest way to get me to complete admin work is to put something overwhelming in front of me (check out my cleaned out screenshots folder when I need to make an appointment for a heart scan đ)
But I've learned that considering recovery times for all tasks meant I was less likely to put them off. I enjoyed them more and admin work went from massive energy drains to neutral tasks because I wasn't building them up into something "bad" beforehand.
While there will always be some admin tasks that are an energy drain, finding ways to make the routine tasks require less decisions and take less energy will leave you with less guilt, stress, and procrastination around admin tasks that only you can do.
To try for yourself, start with your biggest recovery examples like events, dinners, etc. and plan time to watch how long it takes to feel recouped for the next one. If you already feel like you know this answer, you can dig deeper into your energy costs using the Energy Cost Calculator from this past issue.
⨠TIPS FOR A MORE SOULFUL LIFE
Flow in the Mundane
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is the pioneering psychological scientist who first identified and studied "flow." He defined it as, "a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.â
Picture creativity and productivity as two overlapping circlesânot enemies, but dance partners. Right in that sweet spot where they meet? That's the flow state: when your brain stops overthinking, your hands seem to know what to do without you telling them, and time feels both endless and nonexistent. It's that magical middle ground where focused effort doesn't feel like effort at all, and suddenly the spreadsheet or work that could have drained you becomes... dare I say it... enjoyable.
But here's where mainstream productivity advice becomes a bit of a puff pieceâit says we should expecting or find flow state in all our work. It's unrealistic (also see, creating an entire life of ease.) Don't get me wrong, I love flow state. When I work with 1:1 clients on custom energy tracking, flow is one of the factors they answer on during check-ins.
However, admin tasks seem to be directly opposed to flow because they're frequently interrupted, procedural, and even sometimes tedious. As Csikszentmihalyi reminds us, "The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow. It is not a moving up but a continuous flowing."
This brings us to a fascinating possibilityâwhat if we could design our approach to admin work not to force flow, but to create the conditions where it might then naturally occur?
Just as finding awe in mundane tasks makes them more enjoyable, creating the right environment around admin work can sometimes open unexpected doorways to flow.
Through the years I've experimented and the following three approaches (sometimes used together in various combinations) have transformed my relationship with administrative tasks and the simultaneous pursuit of flow:
- Intention over Reframe: If you've spent any amount of time on social media, you've heard someone talking about using "get to" instead of "have to" and while this is absolutely good adviceâit might not work for some of us. For my neurodivergent brain, where literal truth is paramount, I can't make a "have to" become only a "get to" because it's both. So the reframe isn't as successful as gurus tout it to be for me. What does work? Intention. When I ask myself how something connects to my larger intention for my presence, goals, and quality of life, I can always see ways that even the most mundane tasks contribute. Even if it doesn't lead to flow state for that task, it helps me get to the tasks where flow state does arise, faster and with less stress.
- Ritual, Ritual, Ritual: For those of us with disabilities like neurodivergence, chronic illness, etc., we spend so much energy on the most basic "tasks" that others brains do automatically. To avoid feeling like a robot just checking off every little step of your routine, find ways for things to be intentional rituals instead of rigid to-dos. For example, every Friday is my Money + Metrics check-in where I focus less on what time I do it and more on where (at the kitchen table or on the patio), with what (my PCOS Palmer drink + headphones), and how I connect to myself (with a few journal prompts at the beginning of my notes page template). Rituals don't have to be extensive or high effort, they just need to set the scene for your mind and body. Not sure where to start? I really like using the 3-2-1 Formula for transitions that can set you up to build mini-rituals.
- Physical Presence: Whether you are at your desk on Monday morning, or reading this on your phone, take a quick 30 seconds to unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders from your ears, and engage your core to sit up a little straighter. (Don't worry, I followed my own instructions as I wrote that đ) (and both times I proofed this email đ) Paying attention to how your body responds to certain tasks helps you build better systems, routines, and rituals. As someone who still carries a lot of my past stress in my body, all my journaling and routine note templates prompt a minute to physically check-in with my body before I get started since relying on my memory to remind me is... questionable sometimes, lol. Whether on it's own or part of your rituals, this deserves a place anywhere in the day you can put it.
As you try these approaches, remember that the goal isn't to turn every admin task into a peak flow experience. It's about creating conditions that can reduce resistance and sometimes open unexpected doorways to merge challenge, skill, and autonomy to enhance both productivity and creativity. How might creating conditions for flow in your admin work ripple out to benefit other areas of your life and business?
đ TIPS FOR A MORE SCALEABLE BUSINESS
Maintenance Mindset
I'll be really honest... for someone who craves structure, I often absolutely detest routine which causes lots of internal struggle. It's why I'm so passionate about flexible systemsâI have to design my systems to not only prioritize "the work" but regular maintenance AND then find ways to make it fun. Because while I wish that every file could be put away perfectly while a task is being completed, there will be times when speed wins and other priorities will slip in front.
This is where regular admin audits come in. From adding "file everything in my downloads folder" during your weekly close out to "do you accounting weekly, monthly and quarterly" instead of doing a year's worth of accounting in March to file your taxes, admin audits can be whatever you need them to be. đ đđ
Not only does this reduce decision fatigue, but let's be honestâI'd rather spend 5-10 minutes a week on filing my downloads folder for example (this week it took 17 minutes because I skipped a week) so I don't end up with 3 hours worth of filing to do when I get bored during the slow season each year. Because I can and I will end up calling file bankruptcy.
This isn't part of your existing admin work, but a little add-on at whatever interval is neededâweekly, monthly, or quarterlyâthat will save you DAYS of admin work in the future when it finally catches up to you and it goes from something you "need to do" to "have to do" because the IRS is knocking on your door for receipts.
I know none of us get into business because we want to do this part of the work, but it is part of running a healthy, sustainable business that doesn't create hurdles for scaling, because it's hard enough without them.
My challenge to you: Set aside 15-20 minutes at the end of week and use the Soulful section ritual recommendation to get started doing an admin task (or a handful of small ones) you've put off. Just see how far you can get in that time. It's okay to intentionally leave something incomplete so aim for good enough, not perfection.
BEHIND THE SCREENS
It's 3:33pm on Friday as I type this. The breeze is ebbing in and out like waves today making the 76F temp warm just to have a cool breeze roll through right when it's needed most. Plus, it's not overly humid.
It's perfect weather that happens about 5 days a year here.
I'm sitting on the deck finishing this week's issue up while the hawks have been circling for the better part of the past hour. And I'm just sitting here mesmerized by them... wishing I could float on the wind like that.
So this is a reminder to get off your screens and find awe in the little things when and where you can. Because just a few minutes in the breeze or watching the bees can do more than you think.
p.s. Ask me again on Sunday if it was worth it because my allergies may disagree with me on this one.
(took a quick video of them before I packed up and headed back inside, click the image for nature sounds and a video clip)
CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH:
I hoard digital stuff since I can't stand physical clutter đ specifically newsletters, so I thought I'd share with you some of my favorites that are worth some real estate in your inbox:
- I first found Lovette on Threads and have been voraciously reading everything she writes since. You can find her on Substack with The Lovette Jallow Perspective where she writes "sharp essays on structural violence, race, and neurodivergence" and I cannot recommend it enough.
- Next, The Seated Take, is one of my favorite recent additions. It's written by Ali at Seated Perspectives about "fresh perspectives on disability, advocacy, and life as a disabled woman and wheelchair user." She works in brand building and this is a business newsletterâeven if you aren't working for yourself or building a brand, her insights are worth the subscribe.
- My client, Allie, has been writing a newsletter for ages and is probably one of the few I've read religiously through all it's iterations (I have 263 emails in a gmail label dating back to the end of 2019 đ¤Ť) It's called Offline Recess and it "invites you to pause from digital distractions and rediscover the joy of finding inspiration on your own terms, away from the algorithm." Nothing but the highest of recommendations. Oh and, yes, the icon for the newsletter is absolutely Spinelli.
HAVING A GREAT TIME HERE?
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- Option 1: đ 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 well-being! If you know someone seeking more sustainability and harmony in their life and/or business, send this their way.
- Option 2: đ 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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