From Vision to Action: Energy-Aware Planning, Intuition & Delegation

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Was last week wild for you?

It was a rollercoaster over here.

We're going to just dive right in today, lol.

🌱 TIPS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE + BUSINESS

Translating Big Visions into Plans of Action

Have you ever been so excited about an idea that you just jump both feet in until it's all consuming? Where after the initial burst of energy and excitement, getting your hands all the way into it, you start to realize how big the workload is from start to finish? Maybe you get a few weeks into a project (or a few days) and then you stall, looking at the finished project in the future like someone trying to climb Everest, but you never prepped, planned or trained for it?

Yeah? Me too.

The gap between your beautiful, expansive vision and the reality of your Monday morning to-do list can feel impossibly wide.

And this is where most people get stuck, struggling with the "how" – especially if we're recovering from burnout or managing fluctuating energy levels.

I promise you, the secret isn't working harder or longer. It's working differently, through what I call intentional reduction:

Step 1: Distill Your Vision

Before jumping into tasks, it's important to take the big vision and distill it to its essence/essential parts by asking yourself:

What is the core transformation this goal is meant to create?
What are the non-negotiable elements that must happen for success?
What parts could be simplified or eliminated without compromising the outcome?

We do this before ever creating a to-do list to ensure that not only your tasks but your planning process is using your energy strategically and thoughtfully.

Too many times we get stuck on the most complete version of our idea and vision (which has it's merits and a place in the process) but becomes a hindrance to actually building things when we are trying to accomplish everything at once, upfront, and getting it perfect gets in the way.

For example, if your goal is "launch a new program," the core transformation might be "help 20 clients transform their relationship with movement." Non-negotiables might include "create foundational content" and "establish support tools," while optional elements might include "build standalone website" or "create merchandise."

Step 2: Milestone Mapping

Once you've distilled your vision, we resist the urge to immediately create daily tasks. Instead, we map milestones by noting points of significant progress that will help you create momentum throughout the process.

Effective milestones are:

Concrete (you know when they're done)
Consequential (they meaningfully advance your goal)
Controllable (they depend primarily on your actions)

For our program launch example, milestones might include "core curriculum outlined," "beta program tested with 3 clients," and "launch content created."

These milestones become your roadmap, creating a bridge between your big vision and your daily actions.

Step 3: Energy-Aware Task Creation

This is where traditional productivity would tell you to start building out your task list for each milestone but that advice falls short. It treats all tasks as equal when they're clearly not—not in importance and definitely not in the energy they require.

Instead of creating a task list that will have you overwhelmed, try:

Energy mapping your milestones first. Which require deep focus? Which need creative energy? Which are more administrative?
Batch similar energy tasks together to reduce the cognitive load of context switching.
Create decision filters to evaluate tasks daily: "Does this move me toward my next milestone?" and "Is this aligned with my energy capacity today?"
Build in recovery periods between high-energy milestones.

When I was mapping out the build for my Thoughtful Systems Planner (coming later this year!), I mapped out the milestones over months, noting which parts would require intense creative energy (designing templates) versus administrative energy (delivery platforms, tutorial hosting, etc.). This allowed me to schedule the deep creative work during my high-energy weeks while saving the administrative tasks for times when my energy naturally dipped.

The traditional "break it down into tiny steps" advice isn't wrong... it's just incomplete. By distilling your vision, mapping meaningful milestones, and matching tasks to your energy, you create a sustainable path to your biggest goals. A path that honors who you are and how you work best.

Your best self isn't the one pushing through exhaustion to check off tasks. Your best self is the one who knows how to translate vision into action in a way that feels energizing rather than depleting.

✨ TIPS FOR A MORE SOULFUL LIFE

Honoring Intuition in Your Planning Process

There's a voice inside you that knows when a plan feels right (and when it doesn't.) That's not woo-woo mysticism... it's your intuition—a form of pattern recognition based on your lived experience that traditional productivity advice often ignores.

I spent years overriding my intuition with "should-do" plans, wondering why I felt resistance or why my carefully crafted systems eventually collapsed. Perhaps you've experienced this too? Creating plans that look perfect on paper but never quite work in real life.

The solution isn't choosing between structure and intuition, but creating a conversation between them.

Listening to the Patterns:

Start by noticing when resistance appears in your planning. Is it procrastination, or is your body sending a signal that something isn't aligned? Pay attention to physical cues—tension, swings in your energy, even subtle emotional changes when considering certain tasks or timelines. Yes, sometimes it's just a feeling, but sometimes it's a message we've been taught to disregard.

Try this: When creating plans, pause after each major decision and check in with your body. I typically do this by sleeping on it before moving forward (this can be a night, a weekend, etc.) How does this timeline feel? Does this approach energize you or deplete you? Your first response often contains valuable insights.

Intuition Checkpoint:

Build specific moments into your planning process where you intentionally step back and ask:

Does this plan honor my natural rhythms and energy patterns?
Am I creating this for me, or to please/impress others?
What would make this feel more aligned with what I truly want?

When I was restructuring my coaching program, the spreadsheets and logic said one thing, but my intuition kept nudging me toward a different approach. When I finally listened, the revised program not only felt better to deliver—it resonated more deeply with clients.

Document. Document. Document.

This doesn't have to be intense, historical record keeping. It can be a simple record of when you follow your intuition in planning—and when you override it. Over time, patterns emerge that help you build trust in your internal guidance system.

Can you do this mentally? Sure and for some that may be better, but if you've struggled with overriding that intuition and gut feeling, putting to down somewhere, hits different. Being able to come back and review those past decisions from a future point/perspective really just does something you might not find otherwise.

Your intuition isn't opposing your rational planning—it's offering a knowing that, when integrated thoughtfully, creates plans you'll actually follow through on because they honor who you truly are. Even if the way you get there ends up looking different than you hoped, imagined, or planned on.

📈 TIPS FOR A MORE SCALEABLE BUSINESS

Removing the Bottleneck

One of the biggest bottlenecks in any growing business isn't strategy or capability—it's you. I promise, I don't mean that to be harsh because one of the biggest bottlenecks in my growing business is also me. The visionary, the perfectionist, the one who "knows how it should be done." I say this with love because we have to address it in order to scale and this is one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome for many solopreneurs growing beyond a one-person show.

True scalability begins when your vision can thrive without your constant presence. It's not about dumping tasks on others... it's about thoughtfully transferring ownership in ways that empower both you and your team.

Can it Delegate?

Not everything is ready to be handed off. Ask yourself:

Is this process consistent enough to teach?
Have I documented the "why" behind decisions, not just the steps?
Am I willing to accept variations in how it's executed?

If you answered "no" to any of these, the process likely needs refinement before delegation. That's not a failure—it's clarity.

I initially struggled to delegate content creation until I realized I hadn't clarified what made content "good" in my eyes. Once I created a simple evaluation framework, I was able to bring in a VA that could create with confidence (and minimal time from me reviewing and revising.)

Creating Decision Boundaries

Effective delegation requires clear boundaries around decision-making:

Independent Decisions: Areas where your team has complete autonomy
Consultation Areas: Decisions requiring a check-in before proceeding
Your Domain: Decisions that should remain with you for now

The magic happens when you make these boundaries explicit, preventing both micromanagement and costly mistakes.

Transfers of Delegation

Delegation isn't just handing off tasks—it's transferring three essential elements:

Transfer of Information: Sharing what needs to be done
Transfer of Context: Explaining why it matters and how it connects to larger goals
Transfer of Authority: Giving genuine permission to make decisions and own outcomes

Most delegation often fails because we only transfer one or two of these, leaving team members without the ability truly succeed. Imagine, if someone gave you the authority to make decisions on an area you had no information or context, you'd have a mountain to climb in order to feel confident in your choices.

When built out an admin team for a client and handoff the entire client onboarding process, I shared not just the process and steps but stories of past client experiences and supported them through real-time occurences, the values around client experience, and explicitly stated which elements could evolve based on the team member's judgment. This wasn't just efficient—it resulted in improvements I couldn't have created alone. Not to mention a team that now thrives without my involvement!

The path to scalable systems isn't about creating perfect processes and then finding people to execute them. It's about creating clear frameworks that allow others to bring their unique strengths, maintain the essence of what matters most to your vision, and gives you confidence that letting go is okay and often what's best.

UNFILTERED THOUGHTS

I was doing some journaling over the last week (I have always struggled with diaries and journaling daily but have a consistent practice around the new and full moons each month) and one of the prompts was:

How do you distinguish between intuition and anxiety?

Here's what came up that day:

Intuition is knowing the answer and not liking it. It is a whisper of knowing that happens immediately in a situation that your brain and parts aren't necessarily on board with. It is your heart and root telling you that what feels good in your body but can be drowned out when anxiety gets layered on top. Anxiety is loud, it's rumination, it's overwhelm, it's large pendulum swings from one side to the other. It is trying to make everyone happy in a situation instead of focusing on what you need and then figuring out how to deliver that in a way that is kind, compassionate, and leaves others free to react as they need.

The timing of it with the topic of today's soulful section was interesting so I thought I would share. Does this resonate or do you distinguish it differently?

CURRENTLY OBSESSED

With the snickerdoodle cookies from Green Goodies Bakery in OKC. They have vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and VFGF options. While the snickerdoodles are my favorite, their lemon and lemon blueberry crumble are also drool-worthy. 🤤
The internet can be a scary place but I love when it's not. Here's a few of my favorite from the week: THE fishing spot. Sad girlie. Going to cook dinner.
Sitting in the sun, eating watermelon, crocheting, and remembering that seasons come and go.

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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