procrasti-cleaning, costs of perfectionism, and the art of self-trust

First, thank you to everyone who voted 🖤

I'm really excited for the first issue of our updated format! We'll continue to cover all your favorite topics through our three lenses of sustainable energy, soulful intention, and scalable business. 

Let's dive in 👏

🌱 TIPS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE + BUSINESS 

caught cleaning instead of focusing again?

Your energy fluctuates throughout the day—naturally. Whether it's from sleep, your Basic Rest-Activity Cycle (BRAC), sunlight, hormones, or food, there will be times that feel like swimming upstream if you are working against these patterns. 

These natural energy shifts affect how we experience different types of tasks. Notice how some work feels energizing at certain times of day but draining at others? That's your body's way of telling you something.

One task type that consistently reveals these energy patterns is administrative work. Most my clients dread admin work. Hell, even I dread admin work sometimes.

Yet I also know many people (myself included) who end up using admin work as a crutch when they are stressed on a more important project or task. When this happens, admin work becomes the professional version of cleaning your house instead of doing an important task.

But how can admin work be both draining and the preferable distraction when stressed?

Let's look at the mechanics of an admin task—most often it's a low-reward task with high mental load. When we're stressed out from something else, this high mental load makes us feel productive while otherwise stuck and frustrated about lack of progress elsewhere. When we aren't stressed out, admin work is seen through a more true lens: way more effort than reward. 

There are way worse things to do when you're stressed out than admin work so no shame here. We aren't out here trying to be perfect, but we do want to make things a bit easier on ourselves.

So how can we work with our energy patterns to make admin tasks less draining?

The key lies in understanding what's actually happening in your brain during these tasks.

What makes admin tasks particularly taxing is their fragmented nature. Most admin work involves short tasks across multiple areas coming together resulting in a massive energy cost. Every time you jump from invoicing to email to scheduling to bookkeeping, your brain has to reload the context, rules, and processes for each task. This "switching cost" is massive, which is why 30 minutes of focused admin work feels less draining than the same tasks scattered throughout your day.

The solution? Creating intentional admin blocks where you batch similar tasks together (and we'll talk about creating processes that are designed to support energy and prevent burnout another day.) For example, designate the second hour of each morning to client communication, Thursday afternoons for financial tasks, etc. When you group similar cognitive processes, you reduce the mental load significantly—sometimes turning your most dreaded tasks into ones that actually flow.

ACTION ITEM: Create a simple WEAL cycle to witness and note your energy level (1-10) around just your admin tasks during the day for one week, along with what task you were doing before each check-in.

 

Then explore the information and look for patterns. Ask yourself (1) which tasks consistently drain you and which ones energize you and (2) how does energy change with batched admin work vs. spread out?

 

Then adapt your admin system by batching similar tasks during your natural energy peaks. Not sure where your energy peaks are? Grab the free workbook to chart your BRAC.

✨ TIPS FOR A MORE SOULFUL LIFE

the cost of faking flawlessness

The most expensive thing I've ever done was convince myself that the expectations I had of myself were just "high standards," when it was really just perfectionism.

Perfectionism hits differently depending on who you are. For women, neurodivergent folks, and those navigating multiple intersecting identities (like race, gender identity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status,) perfectionism isn't just a personality quirk—it's armor. When you're constantly navigating systems not built for you, perfectionism becomes less about excellence and more about survival.

This armor, though, comes with a massive hidden cost: your energy and self-trust. Your perfectionism might show up as constant preparation, obsessing over completed work, or mentally replaying interactions for days. What began as self-protection transforms into one of your biggest energy drains.

The constant hypervigilance erodes the very self-trust you need to be resilient when facing challenges.

The funny thing is, after years of recovering from people-pleasing and perfectionism, my standards are actually higher than ever—for myself and others.

The difference? These standards now come from internal clarity rather than external validation. That shift has given me back more energy than any productivity hack ever could and I want the same for you.

REFLECTION PROMPT: When you notice yourself stuck on making something perfect, pause and ask: "Who am I trying to prove something to right now, and if I decided I was already enough, how would I move forward?"

 

It takes time to rebuild that self-trust muscle. You have to make choices and see them through—proving to yourself that future you can handle what comes without taking time away from the present to "prepare."

📈 TIPS FOR A MORE SCALEABLE BUSINESS

the false economy of pushing through

Setting realistic expectations isn't just kind—it's strategic. One of my CEO clients discovered this when they extended their typical project timeline from 12 weeks to 20. Counterintuitive? Maybe. But clients were happier, the team produced better work, and—here's the kicker—they won more repeat business.

When your goal is to be the best part of your client's week, they actually want to work with you longer.

This exemplifies a fundamental truth about scaling: sustainable growth requires energy-aware systems, not just efficient ones. Yet the pushback I hear most often is, "How can I possibly support varying energy needs across an entire team?"

The answer is simpler than most leaders expect.

Start by acknowledging that your team members aren't machines with uniform output. They're humans with natural energy fluctuations. The beauty is that these differences can become your competitive advantage—if you design for them rather than against them.

Creative work needs space for inspiration that rarely arrives on command in front of a blank screen. Administrative tasks benefit from intentional workflows that reduce switching costs. Both approaches work for any knowledge-based field, but their priority shifts with the work type.

The most powerful lesson I've learned through my clients? Working hard matters, but pushing beyond your available energy creates a false economy. I've watched countless professionals struggle with a problem for hours, only to solve it in 20 minutes the next morning with fresh eyes. Our brains need processing time—sleep and stepping away from "doing" are parts of the work, not breaks from it.

True sustainable scalability comes when you design systems that honor these realities instead of fighting them. Your teammates need autonomy over their schedules and approaches—it's not just about preventing burnout (though it absolutely does that); it's about creating conditions where your team can consistently deliver their best work.

After all, time is expensive, but so are high turnover rates, lost institutional knowledge, and the healthcare costs that inevitably follow burnout.

ACTION ITEM: Try the 90-minute focus block experiment: Have team members schedule 90-minute uninterrupted work blocks during their self-identified peak energy times, followed by intentional 20-30 minute recovery periods. Compare output quality and team satisfaction with your standard workflow.

BEHIND THE SCREENS

When I started recovering from burnout, I knew I had to make time for non-work activities again. I knew hobbies were healthy, but I had this absolute BEAST of a brick wall between my knowledge of needing and desire to do. 

This brick wall was anxiety driven by perfectionism and the thing that got me out of my own way... I stopped placing any expectations on myself around hobbies. 

Instead, I asked myself one question:

"Does the idea of trying/starting/doing X bring me joy?"

If it did, I would try it.

I spent a year and a half trying different hobbies and like the true ADHDer I am, every year I pick up a couple more. I aimed for setting aside an hour each week to do activities just because.

Some seasons I'm better (or more consistent) than others. And as I was coming out of the holidays this year, my partner and I started cozy coloring together once every week or two. It made me realize how much more fun it was to make things together.

And it sparked an idea.

I shared this nagging idea with my Close Friends list on Instagram last month about starting a virtual club called Amateur Hour. A place where we did things we sucked at without pressure to be great at it and they gave me some great feedback. 

Unfortunately (or fortunately,) I've been in business long enough that I go check trademarks before I build something on a name I can't own, which is how I found out that I could not call my hypothetical club, Amateur Hour. lol

It ended up being the best thing to happen. It forced me to noodle on the idea and journal more on why this idea had such a strong hold on me. I realized that I didn't just want to do things I sucked at with more intention, I wanted to do things for joy—whether I sucked at it or not—and without pressure.

Which is how I ended up here, starting a club...

✨ The Just Because Club ✨

A weekly virtual playdate for recovering perfectionists and creatives who want to make without pressure, connect with purpose, and create... just because. 

We meet every Tuesday at 5pm PST/8pm EST for 75 minutes so we have time to get settled, set down our perfectionist monsters, and connect before we start crafting, making, and focusing for 60 minutes. You can find all the details here.

For $10/month, you'll give yourself the gift of protected creative time and the gentle accountability of showing up alongside others.

As my favorite people, I wanted to share here first and invite you to the first meetup this Tuesday, March 11th and share this special link to get 20% off your subscription forever 🫶

I hope to see you there!

CURRENTLY OBSESSED

• this creator makes disability-friendly (mental and physical) food content that requires no knives, no stoves, and no standing. Not only have they done the mental labor to create recipes with methods already adapted but they are also sharing diverse cultural options through their inclusive approach. As a neurodivergent person who struggles with safe foods, overwhelm around cooking, and thus defaults to cottage cheese when I get laid out, this has me 🥹
• with finding a new book after I finished Scythe and Sparrow this weekend. While it wasn't my favorite of the trilogy, it was still really good. It was definitely a dark (or at least gruesome) romance and yet felt like the least disgusting of the three 😂 Read at your own peril.   
• with eating salted caramels and strawberries with whipped cream like a trash panda on a bender in a doctor's clinc. iykyk 
  
  

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!

Hey there! You're receiving a copy of The Purposeful Pause in your inbox because you opted in for this weekly newsletter. Every Sunday, I'll share a blend of practical wisdom, actionable advice, and personal insights—all designed to help you create a more sustainable life and business.

To make sure you don't miss out on these purposeful moments, add [email protected] to your address book.
​
Received this from a friend? You can click here to subscribe!

Need to step away? Totally understand! You can unsubscribe below right now, no hard feelings. Remember that this will remove you from all email communications so if you only want a break from certain topics, feel free to reply here and let me know!