How to set boundaries
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When we think of work/life balance, words like systems, automation, and outsourcing may not be the first things that come to mind. Instead, you may start thinking about things like exercising more, going to bed early, and keeping your phone on do not disturb in the evenings to avoid late-night work notifications.
You probably also hold on to the idea that you “just need to do it,” right? That to find balance, you have to cut things out, sometimes even things you enjoy, just like that. No ifs, ands, or buts.
But did you know that things like systems, automations, and outsourcing aren’t just for businesses? That you can use them to overcome overwhelm, perfectionism, and imbalance to find simplicity in your day-to-day life?
That’s what we’re covering in this episode of the It’s About Time Podcast! I’m sitting down with Leah Remillet, mom, podcaster, speaker, and business coach to hash this out. And even if you aren’t a business owner, this can still apply to you, no matter where you are in life. Systems can serve you anytime, anywhere!
Meet Leah Remillet
When I asked Leah Remillet to tell us about herself, her immediate response was, “I’m a mom first!” And I just love that because it speaks to everything her business stands for — finding balance as a business owner. You know, to make time for important things, like family for example.
And trust me, Leah knows the struggle of an off-balance life all too well. After spending some time working as a photographer, she scaled up to courses and coaching and soon found that 120-hour work weeks became her normal.
But she came face to face with burnout — and hard. After an eye-opening experience, she pivoted so she could spend more time with her kids as they grew up. And now? She’s helping other business owners do the same. Because sometimes less is better!
Prioritizing family while running a business
For years, Leah was the sole provider of her family, so she really felt the pressure to make her business successful. She, like many of us, held tightly to the belief that she had to do everything herself. I bet you can relate!
But you know just as well as I do that we cannot do it all. At some point, something’s got to give, or we too will burn out.
How Leah Remillet keeps everything managed
Leah says that keeping everything in her home, and business, really boils down to systems, automations, and outsourcing. She regularly creates checklists, has a system in place for all of her workflows, and really knows how to make the most of her time.
Fun fact — instead of calling them SOPs, she calls them BOBs, which stands for best operations breakdown. How clever!
Through this system, she’s been able to learn how to identify the best uses of her time. She says that outsourcing especially has been a huge help. But not just a role like a VA or an assistant, she also means outsourcing help around the house.
The benefit of systemizing your energy levels
One of the biggest things Leah and I talked about was how important it is to use your high energy, low distraction time for the highest impact activities. For Leah Remillet, that looked like hiring a housekeeper for four hours per week, so she could volunteer in her kids’ classrooms, then come back feeling focused and refreshed.
And that brings up a really good point —— friends, whatever is draining you, energy or time-wise, that’s a great indicator of what you can outsource. Because like Leah said, many of us aren’t too busy, we just don’t have the energy.
We continuously hold onto tasks that could very easily be delegated because we hold onto the pressure to do it all. So as a result, we feel drained, when in reality, it doesn’t have to be that way.
If that’s you, know that it’s okay to release some of that control.
Avoiding system overload
Systems can be scary if you’ve never used them — I totally get that. The overwhelm of not knowing where to start, what to use, and how to stay consistent can almost feel like more trouble than it’s worth.
Leah says her trick for making it all less overwhelming was studying McDonald’s. Yep — you heard that right! But what do hamburgers have to do with systems?
McDonald’s is consistently able to create a quality product, no matter where they are in the world. Travel across the globe and you’ll taste the same Hamburger as you do in your hometown. And they do it by keeping things simple.
“Look for the EASIEST way to do something effectively,” is how Leah puts it. It’s how she says she maintains the various systems in her business and her life. She always goes back through a new process, step-by-step, and documents how it got done. No bells, no whistles, just leaving the task for what it is.
Overcoming perfectionism and the fear of not doing enough
One of the biggest battles we all face is our own sense of perfectionism. As women, and moms especially, can attest to, the feeling that we have to somehow do it all is a hard belief to break. We think we are the only ones qualified to handle everything on our lists.
Or that if we don’t do something, it’ll never get done. So we keep those to-do lists piled a mile high, but aren’t ever really able to get anything done.
But staying in this mentality might be what’s keeping us from growing.
Leah Remillet says the first step in overcoming this mindset is to first address what you’re fearful of. For her, it was the fear of not being able to afford outsourcing, or the worry that she already had too much on her plate to delegate and create systems.
For you, it might be something totally different. But you can’t overcome perfectionism without first getting to the root!
Navigating the shifts that come with leveling up
What does that next level look life? For many of us, it’s finding balance. But leveling up isn’t always as easy as it’s made out to be. Sure, it’s exciting, but it can always be really hard to constantly feel the need to top yourself, or others around you. And let’s be honest here — change can be scary!
More is not always better. Less can be so life-giving if we’re giving our time and attention to the right things. Leah, like me, firmly believes that balance comes when you lead with your values. When you make time for what’s best, and not just what’s good.
See, balance isn’t as rigid as we think it is, and it doesn’t always require us to give up things we enjoy doing from time to time. Spending enough time with your family, getting sleep, and knocking out your to-do list doesn’t always require completely cutting out time with friends or cozying up with your favorite TV show.
Leah says it’s more about focusing on what matters the most to us right here, right now, and letting go of what doesn’t. I couldn’t agree more!
If you want to keep up with Leah, you can follow her on Instagram — or you can check out her Podcast, Balancing Busy, here.
In this episode, we talk about:
- How Leah ditched hustle culture once and for all
- Overcoming perfectionism and the need to do it all alone
- Using systems, automations, and outsourcing to find balance
Resources mentioned:
- Follow Leah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahremillet/
- Check out Leah’s podcast: https://leahremillet.com/podcast/
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