Speaker 1 0:01

One , two , three , four . Welcome to the Systemized Business . Here we dive into strategic productivity to help you overcome entrepreneurial overwhelm . I am BK and I do not believe that you have to be a slave to your business . You can streamline both your business and your life with simple systems . So , whether you're a female entrepreneur navigating the fast-paced world of business , this podcast is your go-to resource for simplifying processes , optimizing efficiency and achieving more with less stress . Let's get started on building the systems that will take you from overwhelmed to in control . Hi there , friends . Welcome to the systemized business , and I'm so excited to be back after a bit of a break . If you are a returning listener , thank you so much for sticking with me through this journey , and if you're new , I'm thrilled to have you join me , and if you're new , I'm thrilled to have you join me . Okay , so I'll be honest .

Speaker 1 1:11

The podcast has been on a bit of an unscheduled hiatus , and I'll be talking about that in today's episode . You know , sometimes , even when we're focused on productivity and we have the systems , life happens , systems fail and we ultimately lose momentum . And that's okay , because today we're going to talk about how to pick yourself up and get back on track when things don't go according to plan . So if you've been following the show for a bit , you might notice something new . We've gone through a bit of a rebrand , and what was once BK Talks Business is now the Systemized Business . You might be wondering why the change ? Well , as entrepreneurs , we are always evolving and I wanted this podcast to really reflect what I'm passionate about and what I know . So many of you are dealing with strategic productivity systems and kind of getting past and getting over that feeling of being overwhelmed by all the moving parts of your business , even your life . So , moving forward , you can expect action-packed advice as well as interviews with inspiring business owners and experts . And what better way to kick off this new chapter but by talking about what happens when systems fail . Even those of us who love a good system , there are times when things break down , when the unexpected throws us off course , and we can , you know , find ourselves struggling to regain that momentum . So today I'm going to be sharing a little bit of how I lost momentum and how I kind of got back into the swing of things , and I'm going to give you the exact steps so you can recover when your systems fail . So let's get started , okay when we're talking about losing momentum , because it's something that happens to all of us , even the most organized and the most system-focused entrepreneurs , and I want to share what happened with me so that you know that it happens to the best of us . You are not alone by any means .

Speaker 1 3:40

So for me , the loss of momentum wasn't really due to just one thing . It was a combination of factors that hit me over . You know , a few months , life got really busy . I found myself you know there were a lot of things that I was juggling with , from traveling to managing my businesses and on top of it all , you know , to top it all off , my computer decided to completely give up on me , and I'm sure you know how that feels . Being an online business and your tech fails just throws everything into chaos .

Speaker 1 4:20

And so in the midst of this you know it was during the summer months or the winter months , wherever you are in the world , and generally these months are typically kind of slow so motivation and inspiration kind of just whittled away until it disappeared . Just whittled away until it disappeared . Every time I thought about recording an episode , for example , it felt like this huge task that I really didn't have the energy for . And I wonder , do you know , what do you do ? You has that ever happened to you ? You know , when life keeps piling on , and not that anything significantly devastating is going on , but just things just keep piling up , and even the things that you love to do start feeling a bit overwhelming and start feeling a bit like work , which I hate . That I hate when things that I love turns into work , because then it stops being enjoyable , there's no joy or , you know , fulfillment that you get out of this .

Speaker 1 5:35

So , and it's easy to fall into this cycle where you kind of fall into this inertia and it's hard to kind of get yourself going . So , yes , I have systems in place , but those systems fail , and when they do , you kind of feel a little bit stuck like , okay , what do I do now ? So , for me , when my computer packed up and then you know travel schedule , and there was movement , but not the movement , and not movement in certain directions , if that makes sense , and so those little disruptions threw me off track , and once I was off track , it was really hard to get the motivation , the enthusiasm to really get back on track . And so I had to remind myself , consciously remind myself okay . Why did I start this to begin with ? So what do you do ? What do you do when this happens ? How do you get out of the rut ? How do you regain your momentum when your systems fail and life feels like it is running away with you and that you have lost control , right ?

Speaker 1 6:53

But before we kind of get into that , we need to know why systems fail in the first place . We need to get to the bottom of why our systems fail . Even the best designs system can break down over time and when that happens , it leads to that frustration , it leads to that overwhelm , especially for busy entrepreneurs like us . So there are a few key reasons why systems fail , and recognizing them can help us stay one step ahead and avoid the stress altogether . So now I'm going to be speaking more generally regarding either your business or your life systems .

Speaker 1 7:41

So one of the most common reasons why our systems fail is that we just simply outgrow them . As your business evolves and grows , the systems that worked perfectly fine when you were smaller or just starting out might no longer be able to handle the increased demands . Maybe your team has expanded or the volume of work has increased beyond what your original system was designed to manage . So suddenly things start slipping through the cracks and the feeling of being in control literally disappears . Feeling of being in control literally disappears . Another reason could be just to external factors , things that are outside of our control . This could be anything from an unexpected technology issue . For example , if your computer dies on you or you suddenly change , the business environment suddenly changes , increased client demands that was unforeseen , the market shifting a little bit , or even personal disruptions like illness or family obligations or unexpected travel or unexpected travel .

Speaker 1 8:58

When life throws you these curveballs , even the best systems can be strained , even break under the pressure . There is an issue that it could just be that the system itself is being neglected so that regular maintenance is not being done . Systems , just like any other tools or processes , need ongoing attention . If we set up a system and then forget about it over time it's going to stop functioning at its best . Maybe you've been so busy that you haven't had time to review or update your processes , or maybe you haven't noticed small inefficiencies creeping in until they've become big problems . So when systems and processes are not regularly checked and optimized , they eventually lose their effectiveness , which leads to more work and more stress in the long run .

Speaker 1 10:05

When any one of these things happen , when we outgrow our systems or the external things that happen , or we neglect to keep coming back and maintaining our system , our process , our workflows it leads to overwhelm , instead of freeing us up to focus on what matters . Broken systems then add layers of complexity and stress to our lives . Suddenly , we're spending more time trying to fix issues , chasing down information or dealing with mistakes that when , and that's when burnout starts creeping in . So , as entrepreneurs , we rely on systems to help us manage the chaos of running a business . It keeps things intact and systemized . But when those systems fail , it literally does feel like everything is falling apart , and it can be very daunting to try to pick up the pieces . But the good news is , systems can always be fixed , they can always be refined , they can always be replaced , and that's exactly what we're going to dive into next .

Speaker 1 11:24

How do we get back on track when our systems fail ? Our momentum is lost and we feel stressed . Okay , so let's focus on that , on how do we get back on track when we've lost momentum . It can be tough to restart , to recalibrate once you've hit a roadblock , but the key thing is to take things step by step . So here are four practical ways to do that .

Speaker 1 11:59

The first step is to first of all take a good , hard look at what went wrong . Why did your system fail in the first place ? Was it because you outgrew it ? Was it anything external that kind of affected it ? Did you just forget about it and neglected to keep coming back and refining the processes and eventually fell apart ? So it's important to really be honest about this evaluation . Ask yourself what specifically led to the breakdown . Did you miss deadlines because the whole process is just overly complicated ? Did external circumstances , like a computer breaking down or an unexpected trip , throw things off balance ? If you can identify the root cause , you can then avoid making the same mistakes in the future . So the key question here is where are the weak points and how can I address them ? Moving forward Once you've identified where the breakdown could have happened , the next step is to prioritize .

Speaker 1 13:19

When we lose momentum , everything can feel urgent , but the reality is not . Everything needs your attention right this second , start by making a list of all the tasks or areas where things have piled up and then ask yourself what is the most important task to address first . Focus first on the essentials , where tasks will help you regain control , to move the needle forward , as it were . Simplify where possible . Cut out any non-essential task or process that leads to you feeling stress . You really want to have clarity of mind so that you can rebuild your momentum . So a key tip here is simplicity . Simplicity leads to clarity and clarity leads to progress .

Speaker 1 14:21

So , okay , third step now that you know what went wrong , now that you know what needs your immediate attention , it's time to rebuild or refine your system . This could mean tweaking your existing processes or completely redesigning them based on your new reality . You want to ask yourself is this system still serving my current needs ? Maybe you need to automate more of your tasks . Maybe you need to delegate more responsibility of your tasks . Maybe you need to delegate more responsibility . Perhaps you might even need to invest in new tools to better support you and better to support your growing business .

Speaker 1 15:08

Whatever it is that you identify , this is your opportunity to create a system that is more resilient and adaptable and that you can make sure can handle both the day-to-day and the unexpected . So a key action to make here is make small , gradual changes to your system . Don't be afraid to test new ideas . Nobody's going to grade you . You don't need to put yourself under enormous amounts of pressure .

Speaker 1 15:41

The goal is to create a process that works for you , not against you , and then finally , once you have a system or the beginnings of a system back in place , back in place , the key is accountability and consistency , because it is easy to regain that momentum for a short time , but the real challenge is staying on track , week after week , month after month , year after year and so on . One way to do this is setting up accountability , whether it's checking in if you have a business partner or accountability partner , a coach even , or even something like using a project management software tool , can help you track your progress and keep you accountable to yourself . Keep you accountable to yourself . So having a routine or a system of checks can keep you staying on track , can keep you on track and even when the motivation dips , it reminds you that ah yes , this is what I have committed to do , and you can build that consistency through small , regular actions rather than really big , unsustainable efforts . So establish regular checks with yourself or with a team member to make sure that you stay on track and to set realistic , sustainable goals .

Speaker 1 17:12

It's okay to start small , so evaluating why the process broke down , prioritizing the most essential tasks . To do that can help you get back on track . And then , once you have the basics of a new system , then you refine it . You stay accountable , not only for you to regain momentum , but also so that you create systems that are stronger and more adaptable in the future . So remember , systems are always meant to support you . They're not meant to hold you back . That's not why we create them . We create them for freedom . But when they fail , this is an opportunity for you to take a step back , to see how you can better improve your systems , how you can refine your workflows and to ultimately improve your workflows and to ultimately improve . So I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on where your systems might be breaking down and what you can do to rebuild that momentum .

Speaker 1 18:30

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Systemized Business . I hope you found today's tips valuable and that you are ready to take action towards streamlining your business and even your life . If you enjoy this episode , be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on the next one . If you are ready to dive deeper , visit our website for more resources , strategies and support . All the links are in the show notes . Let's continue building the systems that empower us to succeed . All right , I'll talk to you soon . Bye for now .