Why “I want it done my way” got you to me in the first place
You know that phrase, “If you want something done right, do it yourself?”
Ya… that’s the one that keeps you up at night, drowning in admin, juggling ten apps, and wondering why your business still feels like chaos even though you’re the one “in control.”
I get it, you built this thing from scratch.
You had to do it all in the beginning. The marketing, the bookkeeping, the emails, the client calls, the invoices, the systems.
You were the business.
But now, you’ve got clients, maybe a team, and definitely a lot more moving parts… your business is bigger.
And you’re EXHAUSTED.
Now, “doing it your way” is just a fancy way to self-sabotage.
When “my way” becomes “no way”
You can’t grow while clinging to the exact same methods that got you started.
Maybe you’ve said something like this recently:
“I don’t trust anyone else to do it right.”
“That’s not how I do it.”
“I tried delegating once, it was a nightmare.”
I hate to break it to you, but those are all just different ways of saying, “I’d rather stay stuck than let things change.”
Your way might work… but it’s not working well enough to grow.
You have to make a choice… growth and expansion or safe and familiar.
You can’t have both!
Control isn’t the same as competence
There’s nothing wrong with being hands-on in your business. But if you’re hands on and unwilling to evolve, that’s a problem.
You’re not alone, I see it all the time.
The business owner who insists every client email goes through them first.
The one still manually sending invoices
The one who refuses to use automation because “it feels impersonal.”
The more time you spend controlling the tiny details, the less time you have for the big picture.
And more importantly, the less time you have for doing what you love (unless of course you went into business to draft emails and send invoices… then carry on!)
BUT, I’m guessing you didn’t start your business to get stuck doing all the admin (and becoming the bottleneck).
Change isn’t a threat
If my parents see this blog they’re going to think “um…what? Olivia saying change isn’t a threat??” because for most of my teens and twenties I would have told you I HATE change.
But, what I really hated was unnecessary change.
Other forms of change like improvement and growth are scary… but they’re essential.
When you’re open to improving your systems, learning a new technology that might make life easier, working with people that can take some of the pressure off, it’s about reclaiming your time - NOT losing control.
Imagine walking away from your desk at 5 PM without guilt or better, walking away at 2pm. Taking lunch and deciding you don’t want to go back to work (and don’t have to). Imagine having time for strategy, creativity, or whatever else you feel like!
Automation doesn’t mean being lazy
Templates don’t mean generic
Delegation doesn’t mean giving up
So, now what?
Your way got you this far and that’s something to be proud of.
But if you’ve made it this far in this blog, you’ve probably nodded your head to a bunch of this… and you may also have a full inbox, six browser tabs open, a long to-do list that you just don’t want to tackle because you’ve had enough.
Here’s some quick ways you can start to take back your sanity:
1. Decide what only you can do
Not everything is delegateable.
Make a list of the work that truly needs you and start passing off everything else.
You’re the expert at what you do so the tasks that require that expertise will need to stay in your place.
BUT, there may be parts of that process that someone else can do.
2. Document your way (for everything)
You may have the best way of doing things, and it’s ok to want people to follow that way. But they can’t follow it if it only lives in your head. Write it down, record it, or create a checklist.
Personally, I like to make a document (usually a Google Doc) record myself doing the process while talking out loud, paste the link into the document. Then when I ask someone to do the process, I also ask them to write out the steps so I don’t have to!
Even if you think the task isn’t delegateable, document it! A year from now you might realize it is a delegateable task so you’ll be happy you documented it.
3. Automate what you can
I don’t mean have the robot answer your emails and schedule your life. I love AI but I definitely do NOT trust it to do that for me.
BUT, there are a ton of ways you can automate simple tasks.
Set your invoices up to recur (apps like QuickBooks Online allow you to do this)
Set up automatic invoice reminders
Set up email templates for emails you send regularly (you can then adjust before you send)
Set up email filters that automatically file, label, or delete specific emails
Set up your calendar to auto add your preferred meeting link (Google, Teams, Zoom etc.)
Set up automatic bank transfers for savings or to set taxes aside
Schedule social media through a 3rd party app in advance
4. Be open to other ways
The people around you might have better ideas.
If your team suggests an easier way to do something that gets to the same end result - be open to their idea.
Not every idea will be good, but keep your mind open and be willing to have a conversation about it. You may be able to come to a better idea together.
Always remember…
Your way might be the best for you, but it might not actually be the best way for your business.
