Getting Things Squared Away

I almost can’t fully wrap my mind around the fact that tomorrow morning my alarm will stay silent, the first of many mornings that I’ll no longer wake up to the beeping of my phone, but rather to the cries of our baby (not quite yet, but we're officially in the ten day countdown!). It’s simultaneously foreign and freeing to know that today marked my last day in the studio before taking my maternity leave and that for the next several months I can be off-duty and spend this sweet, fleeting time with our little girl. 

I’m surprised at how effortlessly the letting go part came for me, the queen of holding on and getting things “squared away,” a term I use so often at work it’s comically become my catch phrase. For me personally, one of hardest parts of being a boss is delegating;  it’s so tempting to keep taking care of things myself because I worry that they won’t get done or done well (read: how I would do them), which are both so untrue. I’m learning how debilitating and inefficient it is to continue holding on to the responsibilities we’ve hired talented and highly qualified people to take on - it truly stunts our potential to thrive individually and as a company. And what I’ve seen firsthand in the past couple weeks of training our two new members is that each person brings such incredible insight and know-how to the workplace. You know you’ve hired the right people when getting daily tasks “squared away” is the only the bare minimum of their contribution and they’re adding so much value in ways we couldn’t even imagine.

There are few things that have pressed me to let go of the business in the way that this wiggly little munchkin in my belly has. I thought I’d catch myself drafting more emails, making/crossing off yet another to-do list, or repeatedly scrolling through our task management app to make sure that things are “squared away” - habits that are so tough to break when you run a business - but instead I’ve been able to quietly remove myself from conversations and projects that no longer require my attention because they’ve been placed in the most capable of hands. In the space between my desire to be a present mama and the peace of mind that comes from having an amazing, dedicated, and competent team, I’ve felt such freedom in letting go.

Of all the things I’ve “squared away” at Our Heiday, I’m certain this is the most significant: trying my best to set up the business in a way that allows it to thrive even when I can’t be physically present. This includes a host of things, but for brevity’s sake, I think it boils down to these three things: 1) taking the time to create sustainable, operable systems, 2) avoiding shortcuts and quick fixes, and 3) remaining unequivocally committed to investing in people who are willing, able, and excited to take the reigns. We’ve said it before, but having a strong team is everything.

I’m sure in those stretches of bone-tiredness, when I’m knee-deep in laundry and feeling desperate for an adult conversation, I’ll long for the ping of my email notifications or so wish I could be included in a discussion about marketing strategy or new product releases. In these moments, I’ll gently remind myself that not everything must be “squared away” and that my worth is not measured by the number of items I’ve checked off my to-do list; it is more than enough to have accomplished nothing in a day’s work but loving our daughter.

big hugs,
dot