Your Brain Is Not a Filing Cabinet: Why You Need SOPs (and How to Start Without Hating It)

You’ve Outgrown the “It’s All in My Head” Stage

You’re reviewing expenses from a recent install, and you notice the freight charge on the tile delivery came in higher than expected.

You want to make sure it’s been logged properly, but now you’re trying to remember:

• Did you add it to the markup spreadsheet?
• Did you pass it through to the client’s invoice or eat the cost?
• Where do you usually track these charges so your bookkeeper doesn’t miss them?

You check a folder. Then a spreadsheet. Then your inbox.

You’ve handled this before, but every time, it feels like you’re making it up from scratch.

You don’t need a complex system. You just need a note that says:
“This is how we handle freight.”

That’s a process doc. Not a manual. Not a burden. Just a guide to make the next time smoother.

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Let’s Redefine “SOP”

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) might sound like they belong in a binder at a corporate office.

For your business, though, they’re really just repeatable how-tos.

No jargon. No fancy format. Just a simple way to capture the steps you take so you or someone else can do them again without guessing.

If you’ve ever:

• Explained how to send a proposal to a new assistant
• Written the same email reply more than twice
• Forgotten how you logged expenses last time

…then you’ve already used a process. You just haven’t written it down yet.

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Where This Shows Up (And Slows You Down)

For solopreneurs and small teams, these are the spots that can cost you the most time:

• Creating content for your own marketing
• Tracking mileage, expenses, and receipts
• Sending follow-ups for outstanding proposals
• Organizing vendor information in one consistent place
• Setting up automations or client onboarding workflows
• Documenting processes that only you know how to do
• Reviewing profit margins per project or product
• Resting. (If that’s even on your calendar.)

You’re switching between roles constantly:

• Creative (sourcing, vision, design direction)
• Logistics (timelines, contractors, procurement)
• Admin (emails, billing, file management)
• Marketing (social content, proposals, visibility)
• Finance (cash flow, pricing, expenses)

It’s not that you don’t want systems.
It’s that there’s rarely enough breathing room to step back and build them.

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Why This Matters More Than You Think

When every detail lives in your head, even simple tasks take more energy than they should.

It limits your ability to delegate. It adds friction to your day. And it drains creative focus that could be spent on actual design.

Processes don’t have to be rigid to be useful. They just need to exist outside your head.

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Why Process Docs Feel Intimidating (and How to Make Them Less So)

Most people put off writing things down because they assume:

• It has to be polished and perfect
• It’ll take too long
• It needs to look like a formal manual

But useful process docs are often just:

• A bullet-point checklist in a shared folder
• A Loom video walking through your screen
• A Google Doc titled “How to update project margins”

Think of it as a note to your future self. Or a shortcut for your assistant.

Something you can hand off. Or follow without thinking.

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Start Simple. Start Messy. Just Start.

The next time you catch yourself thinking, “I should really document this,” hit record or open a doc.

Walk through it out loud. Talk to yourself like you’re explaining it to someone else, clearly, without skipping steps.

Drop the video link and a transcript into a shared folder.
Label it with a name you’ll recognize later.

That’s it.

You’ve just created your first SOP (or as we’re calling it: a process doc).

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Want to Build Systems That Actually Support You?

This spring, I’m teaching a live workshop about SOPs That Stick. It’s a 3-hour deep-dive into creating process docs that are clear, repeatable, and practical.

We’ll walk through what makes a great process doc (and what doesn’t), how to create ones that reflect the way you work, and how to stop being the only person who can move your business forward.

You’ll leave with your first real SOP, a template you can reuse, and a plan for building systems that give you time, clarity, and breathing room.

Click here to get course updates

Start small. Start messy. Just don’t keep it all in your head.