“I Just Need to Get Organized…” and Other Lies I Told Myself

A real look at systems overwhelm and how I learned to do things differently

There was a time in my business when I was constantly saying, “I just need to get organized.” I really believed that if I could just block off a weekend, sit down, and finally “get it together,” things would calm down.

Spoiler: that weekend never came.
And when I did find a few hours? I’d move tasks around, try another color-coded system, and download yet another tool that promised to fix everything—but didn’t.

Eventually, I had to face the truth: it wasn’t a time management issue.
It wasn’t that I needed to work harder.
It was that the way things were set up behind the scenes just wasn’t working.

What systems overwhelm really feels like

If you’re running a business and constantly feel like you’re chasing your tail, you’re not the only one.

For me, systems overwhelm looked like:

• Onboarding clients differently every time because I had no real structure

• Repeating the same steps manually because I hadn’t streamlined the process

• Trying to keep too much in my head

• Feeling like I was always behind and reacting, instead of being in control

And then there’s the guilt.
Because I should be able to figure this out, right? I’m smart, capable, and motivated—so why did I feel like everything was on the edge of falling apart?

Why this happens to so many business owners

Here’s the thing: most of us start our businesses with passion and skills—but not a clear operational foundation. We patch things together as we go, doing what works in the moment, and it does work… for a while.

But as your business grows, so does the complexity.
What used to take 15 minutes now takes 45.
What was once manageable starts to feel overwhelming.

That’s not failure. It’s just growth bumping up against a structure that hasn’t caught up yet.

What actually helped me

I didn’t fix everything overnight. It was a gradual shift. But I started by asking better questions:

• What am I doing over and over again that could be automated or templatized?

• What information lives only in my head?

• Where are things falling apart—and why?

• What would this process look like if it were simple?

I also leaned into what I’m naturally good at: spotting problems and figuring out easier ways to do things. And I stopped trying to white-knuckle my way through the chaos.

If this sounds familiar…

Please know you’re not doing anything wrong.
Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re not good at what you do. It means your business is ready for stronger support behind the scenes.

At Catalysts & Co., this is the work we love most—helping business owners like you untangle the messy middle and rebuild your systems so they actually work for you.

Because you don’t need more hustle.
You need systems that support the way you work.