Let’s start with a painful truth: your colour-coded Google Sheet is not the streamlined “system” you think it is. 

It’s a glorified to-do list. 

And yes, while it might make you feel organised for about 3.5 seconds, deep down you know it’s not the backbone your business actually needs.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. 

So many ambitious founders are using what they think are systems, when in reality they’re juggling randomly put together solutions that only  work because of sheer willpower (and because they haven’t been tested to their max).

But you’re not running a GCSE group project anymore. You’re building a business. 

And businesses don’t thrive on vibes, spreadsheets, and crossed fingers.

They thrive on systems that work even when you’re not looking at them.

So let’s talk about the biggest lies you might be telling yourself about your “systems,” and more importantly, how to fix them.

Lie #1: “Google Sheets = Project Management Tool”

I get it. It’s free, it’s familiar, and it’s got those satisfying little cells you can colour in like a digital bullet journal.

I’m a HUGE Google Workspace fan too, but here’s the cold, hard truth: Google Sheets can’t send reminders, manage dependencies, automate handovers, or track progress in real time.

Translation? Every time you rely on a spreadsheet to run a client project, you’re choosing:

• More manual effort for you or your team: You’re the one who has to update every status, change every colour, and manually tell people when a task is ready for them.
• More things slipping through the cracks: When a deliverable depends on another task being completed, how do you track that in a spreadsheet? With a sticky note on your monitor or…?
• More late-night “where the f* is that deliverable?” emails: Or worse, you’re the one answering them at 11 PM because your team is lost in the digital mess.

The Fix: A Real Project Management System.

What you actually need is a proper PM tool (ClickUp, Asana, Notion, Monday – take your pick) that does the heavy lifting for you. These tools are built for teams and for business. They send reminders, assign tasks automatically, and keep comms tight without you playing traffic controller. The key is to move from a static document to a dynamic system.

Actionable Tip: If you’re not ready to commit to a paid tool, start by using a free tier of a dedicated PM tool (Asana and Notion both have amazing unlimited free plans for you to try and get comfortable).

The 10 minutes you spend learning the basics will save you hours of manual updating. Set up a simple project with 5-10 tasks. Assign them to yourself and set due dates. You’ll instantly feel the difference.

Lie #2: “I’ll Just Remember It”

👀 Your brain is not a filing cabinet. It’s a limited resource already clogged with 400 open tabs, your entire client list, and whatever’s for dinner tonight. And yet so many founders still run their business like it’s a memory test.

You tell yourself, “I’ll just remember that deadline / client note / important invoice.” Spoiler alert: you won’t. You can barely remember to take the chicken out of the freezer.

That’s why you end up in reactive mode, ping-ponging between Slack and your inbox like a caffeinated squirrel. 

You spend more time looking for information than using it. 

This is why your systems need therapy.

The Fix: Build a “Second Brain.”

Your business needs one central hub where everything lives, your goals, your KPIs, your processes, your templates, your client notes.

When everything is out of your head and into a system, anyone on on your team can access it, even if you’re offline having an impromptu day off.

Also, as a CEO, your creativity deserves to be freed up for strategy, not wasted on remembering who owes you what.

Actionable Tip: Start small.

Pick one area that’s currently living in your head (client onboarding, social media content ideas, the steps in a launch, etc.) and create a single, simple page in a tool like Notion or ClickUp, and write down every step you take. This one small action will be a huge mental relief.

Lie #3: “It’s Faster If I Do It Myself”

Ah yes, a line I know well and often use (normally when trying to plan something with my brother).

On paper, it makes sense right: by the time you’ve explained it to someone else, you could’ve just done it yourself. 

But here’s the thing: that’s true for the first time. By the fifth or fiftieth time? You’ve wasted hours you’ll never get back.

Every “quick task” you hold onto is costing you time that could have been spent building, selling, or — god forbid — resting.

The Fix: Documented Processes and Smart Automations.

Write it once, record a quick screen recording (Loom or Komodo), or create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that lives in the same system where the work happens. Then delegate or automate it.

This is how you escape the trap of being the bottleneck in your own business. Think of it as an investment – spend a little time now to save a whole lot of time later.

Actionable Tip: Pick one recurring task you hate doing (like sending a follow-up email or posting a social media caption). Document the process step-by-step; what fonts to use, what email template to use, add in any AI prompts.

Then, either assign it to a team member or, if you can, use a tool like Zapier or a built-in automation to handle it. This is your first step to getting your time back.

Lie #4: “My Team Knows What’s Going On”

Are you sure? 

Because if your team is constantly blowing up your Slack with “Where’s that file again?” or “What’s the deal with X?”, the answer is no. What you think is clarity is actually a never-ending cycle of you being the middleman.

If your business can’t run without you being online 24/7, then guess what, you don’t have a business, you have a VERY demanding job.

This is the difference between having a team and having a support group for your chaotic ways. Your team deserves workflows that don’t make them cry.

The Fix: A Shared Ops Suite.

A shared operations suite means clear roles, documented handovers, and visibility on who owns what.

When people know exactly where to find the information they need and what’s expected of them, your business stops being a circus and starts being an orchestra.

Actionable Tip: Hold a 15-minute meeting with your team. Ask them what information they struggle to find. Then, work together to create a single place in your shared system (e.g., a “Team Resources” page in Notion or a shared folder) where all critical documents live.

Make it a rule that this is the first place they check for information.

Lie #5: “I’ll Sort My Systems Later”

Let’s be real, “later” never comes, does it?

Later is code for “I’ll keep firefighting until something breaks.” 

And spoiler: something will break. 

It might be a client relationship. It might be your cashflow. It might be you, burnt out and questioning why you even started this whole thing.

The truth is, you don’t get to scale “later.” You scale now by putting systems in place that support you before you’re drowning in clients or team drama. The most successful founders are the ones who build the infrastructure before they need it, not after.

The Fix: See Systems as the Backbone of Your Freedom.

You need to stop seeing systems as boring admin and start seeing them as the backbone of your freedom. Systems are what let you step away from your laptop without the business imploding. They’re what give you the headspace to think, create, and actually enjoy your success.

Actionable Tip: Schedule a 2-hour block in your calendar next week. Label it “Systems Audit.” During this time, identify your top 3 pain points. Is it client communication? Onboarding? Project management? Just by clearly naming the problem, you’ve taken the first step toward finding a solution.

So, What Is a System?

Let’s clear this up once and for all. 

A system is not:

• A spreadsheet held together by hope.
• A colour-coded diary.
• A VA with a strong WiFi connection.

A system is:

• A set of processes that run without you babysitting them.
• Clear documentation and ownership so no-one’s guessing.
• Automations that remove repetitive admin.
• Tools that talk to each other and actually save time.

In short: a system is something that works when you’re not looking at it. If you have to poke and prod it constantly? It’s not a system. It’s another task on your to-do list.

The Takeaway: Stop Playing at Business

I don’t mean to sound like a bi*ch (there’s a great gif for this, but I’m all giffed out right now), but you can keep pretending your Google Sheets and “winging it” are good enough, but deep down you know you’re stuck. 

Stuck in the weeds, stuck in firefighting, stuck wondering when business ownership stopped feeling like freedom and started feeling like a full-time apology.

You don’t need more sticky notes. You don’t need another VA. You don’t need “entrepreneurial energy.” 

You need actual, scalable, tailored systems.

Systems that save you hours, make your team hum, and give your clients a seamless experience. Systems that let you stop spinning plates and start leading.

Ready to Ditch Spreadsheet Systems?

If this post has you side-eyeing your “systems”, GOOD! That means you’re ready. Because winging it will only get you so far. 

If you’re serious about building a business that actually works (and allows you to live the life envisioned), then it’s time to stop faffing and start streamlining.

✨ This is exactly what I do with female founders in The Infrastructure Edit and The Seamless Systems Suite. No more duct tape. No more vibes. Just systems that finally work.

Take a look, see which one catches your attention, I’ll bring the systems, you bring the snacks.