Is Your Business Running You?

20 Oct

Or are you running your business?

You start a business for freedom.
You dram of flexibility. Fulfilment. Flow.

And then, somewhere along the way, you find yourself answering emails at 10PM, working weekends “just to keep up,” skipping meals, missing appointments, and feeling guilty when you’re not being productive.

Sound familiar?

Yeah. Me too.

Let me be the first to say this, not from the mountaintop, but from the messy middle.
There are moments when my business absolutely runs me.

And then, there are moments when I come back home to myself, reset the structure, and start running it instead.

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing recalibration. But there are tools (boundaries, systems, design processes) that help shift the power back into your hands. Let’s talk about how to notice the signs, reset your structure, and reclaim your capacity.

First: The Warning Signs

Here’s how it shows up (for me and many of my clients):

You’re constantly “on” even when you’re not working
Every client request feels urgent
You’re doing work outside of scope and afraid to push back
You don’t have time to reflect on big-picture decisions because you’re stuck in the daily grind
You feel creatively numb or avoidant not because you don’t love what you do, but because it’s become too much

It’s not just burnout. It’s a lack of boundaries and missing systems and carrying a mental load that’s 3x bigger than it needs to be.

Why Boundaries are a Creative Tool

Let’s dismantle the myth that boundaries are cold, rigid walls. In reality? Boundaries are structures that protect creativity and capacity. When you’re constantly accessible, you’re constantly overstimulated. When you don’t have limits, every request becomes a negotiation. When you’re afraid to say “no,” you’re saying “yes” to things that pull you out of alignment.

Boundaries I now use in Angell Designs (and re-learn constantly):

Response times: within 48hrs unless otherwise agreed upon
Limiting design work hours on weekends, even if I’m “free”
Clear scope on every project, documented and agreed to in writing
Scheduled admin/personal branding days where I don’t make anything but rather I manage

These boundaries didn’t make me less creative. They gave me my brain back.

Systems that Save me from Myself

If you’re neurodivergent, chronically ill, or run a solo business, systems are a lifeline. Not because they make you more productive but rather they reduce the decision fatigue and mental clutter that eats your energy.

Systems I absolutely SWEAR by:

Templates: For proposals, social media posts, email replies, onboarding
Notion & Notability: My second brain where I keep project timelines, client notes, task lists, and energy-tracking
Automated booking & reminders: Reduced/limited back-and-forth emails for scheduling meetings
Brand folders: Every client gets a Google Drive folder with all their assets in one place (so I’m not digging for files at midnight)

These aren’t my “productivity hacks",” they’re self-care strategies.

The Design Process (That Helps me Breathe)

Here’s what I know as a designer:
Design is about solving problems with clarity, purpose, and structure.

So I started applying that same philosophy to my own business.

Can I visually map my client journey so I know exactly where someone is at all and what comes next?
Can I design a discovery process that filters for aligned clients before we even speak?
Can I build a brand that communicates boundaries, so people know what to expect?
Can I use design as a way to hold space?

The answer was yes. And it changed everything.

I want to be really honest here.

I’ve figured a lot of this out… and then completely forgotten it. I’ve created boundaries and then broken them. I’ve built systems and then ignored them in a season of overwhelm. I’ve said yes when I should’ve said no.

This is not a story of mastery. It’s a story of maintenance.

There are weeks where I feel totally in charge. Clear, calm, and connected. Then there are weeks when the business is running me again, and I realise I haven’t done anything for myself in weeks.

That’s normal.

It doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means your business is alive and so are you.

Tips for Reclaiming Control (Gently)

1. Audit your time and energy

Look at the last week. Where did your time go? What drained you most? What lit you up?

2. Name your “non-negotiables”

Set 3 boundaries that protect your time, energy, or mental health. And start there.

3. Automate or template 1 thing

What do you keep repeating? Turn it into a template or set it to auto-send.

4. Check your client alignment

Are your current clients respecting your scope, time, and capacity? If not, why? Where can you communicate more clearly?

5. Build white space into your week

Literally block time in your calendar for nothing. White space isn’t wasted space. It’s where creative recovery happens.

You didn’t build a business to feel trapped by it.

And if you’re currently feeling like the business is the boss of you. You’re not broken. You’re just at a pivot point.

You can pause.
You can restructure.
You can build systems that feel like support, not suffocation.
You can design a business that lets you be human, not a machine.

Not every day will be perfect.
But more days can feel peaceful.

And that’s enough.