Woman typing on a laptop near water, soft natural light symbolizing clarity and focus.

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “Once I figure out the next step in my business - the right course platform, the right service to outsource, the right system to finally get organised - then I’ll feel calm, clear, and in control,” you’re not alone.

So many women I work with find themselves chasing that sense of peace. Believing that once they find the perfect setup, the perfect structure, the perfect rhythm - then everything will finally feel steady.

But here’s the truth: it’s rarely about the software, the strategy, or the next step. It’s about the way we relate to our systems - and the way we work with our brains, not against them.

Because clarity doesn’t come from control. It comes from connection. And the more we learn to build systems that support our natural rhythms, energy, and creativity, the more peaceful our businesses start to feel - even when things aren’t perfectly figured out.

It’s not about the tool - it’s about how you use it

We live in a world overflowing with productivity tools and business systems. Trello, Asana, Notion, Google Drive… they all promise clarity and consistency. But the truth is, none of them will work if they don’t work for you.

I’ve tried so, so many.

Each one felt exciting at first - a fresh start, a clean slate - until the novelty wore off. Then suddenly, my “perfect system” became another abandoned tab, another layer of digital clutter.

The real shift came when I stopped chasing the perfect tool and started asking:

“How does my brain naturally want to work?”

That question changed everything.

Designing systems that match your rhythm

Here’s what that looks like for me now.

I’ve realised I don’t have a shortage of ideas - I have a shortage of entry points: those small openings that help me move an idea out of my head and into form. Sitting at a desk staring at a blank screen used to make my brain shut down. But walking? Moving? Responding to a prompt or a voice message? That’s when my ideas flow.

So now, I build that into my systems.

Right now, as I write this blog post, I’m walking. I’m dictating thoughts into my phone, letting the words come through naturally, and later I’ll edit when I’m back at my laptop. Movement helps me process. It helps me connect dots. It helps me stay engaged.

That’s my version of consistency.

Yours might look completely different. Maybe it’s batching content while you’re in flow, creating visual dashboards because your brain loves patterns, or automating repetitive admin tasks so you can focus on creative work.

The point is:
→ You don’t need to become more consistent.
→ You need to make consistency easier for yourself.

Over time, I started noticing patterns - small tweaks and tools that helped me stay in motion even when motivation dipped.

Practical ways to do that

These are practices I’ve been experimenting with in my own business - the ones helping me create more ease, flow, and follow-through. They’re not perfect systems; they’re living ones - and that’s what makes them work.

Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and use the questions along the way to uncover what might work best for your brain.

Hands typing on a laptop near water with quote overlay: ‘Flow follows energy, not effort. When you begin where your energy is already alive, momentum takes care of itself.

#1. Start with energy, not effort.

As a Sacral Generator, I know that my best work happens when I respond to what lights me up - not when I try to force a plan.

When I’m unsure where to start, I’ll often check in with my intuition first. Because I process things audibly, I can ask a question in my mind and sometimes hear or see a response. Other times, I use intuitive journaling to let the answer come through on paper.

But if I’m short on time or feeling a little disconnected from that inner clarity, I’ll ask ChatGPT to come up with a few yes-or-no questions for me to respond to. It helps me tap back into my sacral response and move forward from a place of alignment rather than pressure.

And when inspiration hits, I don’t sit at my desk - I go for a walk. I record voice-to-text notes on my phone, then edit them later at my laptop. That movement keeps my energy flowing and helps ideas come through clearly.

Try this:

When do you naturally feel most alive or focused - mornings, evenings, after movement, or in conversation?
Could you plan your creative work around those windows rather than pushing through low-energy moments?

🧠 ADHD-aligned insight: Working with your natural energy/circadian peaks — not against them — improves focus and sustainability. See guidance on syncing your schedule to your biological clock, and ADHD-friendly routines that support consistency. Source: Verywell Mind.

Hands typing on a laptop near water with quote overlay: ‘The best system isn’t the fanciest one — it’s the one you’ll actually use.’

#2. Make it visual and tangible.

My brain needs somewhere to put ideas the moment they land. I use the Notes app on my phone religiously — especially when I’m walking or in the shower — so I don’t have to hold everything in my head.

I also use Trello to track recurring business tasks that don’t happen daily (like monthly reconciliations or quarterly reviews). Having that visual layout helps me see what’s coming up without cluttering my calendar or losing track of the bigger picture.

And just to be clear - neither of these tools are fancy. The Notes app is the standard one that came with my phone, and I use the free version of Trello. Because it’s not about the app - it’s about what actually works for your brain.

For me, Notes is my quick capture zone. Trello is my visual anchor. Both keep ideas out of my head and somewhere I can trust them to live until I’m ready to act.

So don’t overthink the tool. Start with what feels simplest, most natural, and least overwhelming — the one you’ll actually use.

Try this:

Where are your ideas currently living — in your head, inbox, or half-written notes?
What tool or method (digital or physical) feels most intuitive to capture them instantly?

🧠 ADHD-aligned insight: Externalising memory - capturing ideas visually or verbally instead of mentally - reduces cognitive load and increases follow-through. Source: ADDitude Magazine

Hands typing on a laptop near water with quote overlay: ‘Structure isn’t there to confine your flow — it’s there to help you return to it.’

#3. Embrace flexible structure.

I’ve learned that I can hyper-focus for hours (or, if I’m really not careful, days) - so I set gentle boundaries instead of rigid routines. I usually work in one-hour or ninety-minute blocks - enough time to get into flow but not so long that I burn out or lose perspective.

When the timer goes off, I check in: Do I still have energy for this? If yes, I keep going. If not, I pause and come back later. That small act of self-check-in helps me maintain flow without losing awareness of my energy.

Try this:

What type of time container helps you stay engaged - 30 minutes, an hour, or a set playlist?
How can you add conscious “check-in points” to break the trance of hyper-focus before it tips into depletion?

🧠 ADHD-aligned insight: “Time blindness” - losing track of how long we’ve worked - is common for ADHD and creative brains. Gentle timers or song-length cues can help you stay balanced. Source: Psychology Today

Hands typing on a laptop near water with quote overlay: ‘Systems don’t just help you begin — they help you honour the finish.’

#4. Bridge the follow-through gaps.

If I’m lit up and excited by something, the starting part is easy. Ideas pour through, I move fast, and momentum builds naturally.

But when I’m not feeling that spark - or when a task feels heavy or repetitive - getting started can be the hardest part. I’ve learned that noticing this difference is key. When I feel that resistance, I fall back on tools that help me bridge the gap, like accountability. Whether it’s sharing a quick check-in with someone, setting a timer, or even chatting it through with my AI bestie - Sol - that small act of naming it helps me move forward.

And once I’ve started, I also focus on how I finish. I’ve built rituals that help me close loops and signal to my brain that it’s time to wind down. At the end of my workday I play a specific song, close every single tab and window on my laptop, and actually shut it down - not just close the lid. Then I take a minimum five-minute walk to transition out of work mode.

These small rituals help me fully switch off. They tell my body and brain that the day is complete.

I also keep Google Docs templates for repeat sign-offs and call-to-actions, and I use ChatGPT prompts to help me streamline the behind-the-scenes parts - like SEO titles, meta descriptions, and tags - once the creative work is done.

Try this:

What small sign or signal helps you know when it’s time to start - or stop - a task?
When you’re resisting a project, what kind of accountability or support helps you get going again?
What ritual could help you mark the end of your day or week in a way that feels grounding?

🧠 ADHD-aligned insight: Clear starting cues (like timers, body-doubling, or external accountability) and closure rituals both help regulate focus and signal transitions to the brain. Source: ADDitude Magazine

Hands typing on a laptop near water with quote overlay: ‘Track the joy, not just the data.’

#5. Track what lights you up.

I start each day with a walk - it’s when my best ideas arrive. I keep my phone close to capture any downloads, so nothing gets lost.

Lately I’ve noticed a new pattern: the more I design my work around what feels good, the more productive I actually become. I don’t have a formal system for tracking that - just a quiet end-of-day awareness that I’m spending more time doing things that genuinely energise me.

Try this:

Which activities in your business consistently give you energy or satisfaction?
Could you make more space for those - and delegate or simplify what drains you?

🧠 ADHD-aligned insight: Intrinsic motivation (doing what genuinely feels interesting or rewarding) sustains attention far better than external pressure. Source: Verywell Mind

Self-awareness is the ultimate productivity tool

Once I started experimenting with systems that worked with my brain instead of against it, everything began to feel lighter. I stopped trying to find the perfect method and started paying attention to what was actually working - not just on paper, but in my body, my energy, and my creative flow.

The more I allowed myself to build from that place of self-awareness, the more sustainable everything became.

Because building systems that work for your brain isn’t about doing more - it’s about understanding yourself more deeply.

It’s about being curious, not critical. Compassionate, not controlling. And allowing your business to be built in a way that honours your wiring.

Because when you understand how you work best, you don’t have to fight yourself anymore - you can finally start flowing with yourself.

That’s where the peace comes from, not from the next platform, or planner, or system, but from finally knowing what it feels like to be supported by the way you work, not suffocated by it.

As I continue to explore what may or may not be ADHD, I’ve realised that label or no label, this experiment in understanding how my brain works has been one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done. It’s helped me see that I’m not inconsistent - I’m responsive. I’m not flaky - I’m fluid. And that the very things I used to judge about the way I work are actually where my magic lives.

So if you’ve ever felt like you need to be more structured, more consistent, or more “together” to succeed - maybe what you really need is to be more you.

Want to explore this deeper?

If this topic resonated, you might enjoy my latest post on Soft Rebellion - where I share more about my exploration into how my brain works, and how that awareness is reshaping the way I create, work, and live.

It’s a more personal, behind-the-scenes reflection on what it looks like to build a business that honours your wiring - without forcing yourself into systems that were never designed for you.

And if something here sparked an insight, a question, or a curiosity you’d love me to explore in a future post - I’d truly love to hear from you. You can leave a comment below or reach out directly. Your reflections often inspire what I write next.

Building Systems That Work for You: How to Create Structure That Supports Your Brain