Many moons ago, an amazing teammate of mine walked into my office and started collecting all of my post-it notes from my desk. She was one of the kindest, most passive human beings you'd ever meet, yet she looked at me with a stack of post-its in hand and said, "You can't have these anymore!" and angerly walked away. That was the day that changed how I did business. It set me on a path to achieving more in less time with greater communication and efficiency.

Paper was no longer an option. I had to leverage our CRM for what it was designed for rather than defaulting to what appeared to be easiest for me. I quickly realized that my habit of jotting down notes and reminders was not just a personal inefficiency—it was hurting my team and wasting valuable time.

The Hidden Costs of Inefficiency

Being an independent business owner, responsible for every hour of your day, brings challenges that many of us don’t consider when stepping into that role. Without a clear system in place, inefficiencies creep in, leading to inconsistent results.

Who is measuring your productivity? Without accountability, are you truly operating at your highest level?
Do your business results have peaks and valleys? Is a lack of consistency in key activities leading to unpredictable success?
What non-negotiable daily expectations exist for you and your team? Have you defined them, or are you just hoping for the best?
Do you have a post-it note habit of your own? Are you relying on outdated methods that create more work in the long run?

The Power of One Discipline

One discipline leads to another. The simple choice to transition all my notes into a CRM led to the next logical step—scheduling follow-up activities in the same place. Eventually, my CRM began to drive my entire day and all related activities, creating a structured, repeatable system.

Too often, we focus on the end goal and feel overwhelmed. It’s easy to think, I’m too far off. There’s too much to do. And frankly, tackling everything at once is too much. But progress isn’t about making one massive change—it’s about making small, intentional choices that build momentum over time.

One Bite at a Time

You’ve heard the saying, The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. The same applies to breaking bad habits and building new, productive ones. With a new quarter approaching, consider this challenge:

Pick one small habit each week to focus on.
Invest just 30 minutes a day in making that change. (Yes, we can all find 30 minutes if we truly prioritize growth.)
Track your progress. Small wins add up, and by the end of Q2, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come.

Start Today

Most improvements don’t require an immediate overhaul—they require a commitment to start. What’s one inefficient habit you can replace today? What’s one system you can refine to create consistency and long-term success?