Simplifying Life’s Beautiful Bitchiness

Episode 43 — How Did You Even Come Up With Life Systems?

Life Systems weren't born in a planner. They were born in a chair — grieving my dad, freshly diagnosed with MS, and freshly out of a toxic nine-to-five — asking what on earth I was supposed to do now. In this raw, personal origin episode, I'm sharing the real, unglamorous story behind Life Systems: the season that broke my old routines, the business idea that accidentally became a way to run my home, and the very first system I built when I could no longer do all the things. If your life has fallen apart and you can't seem to "keep it together" like you used to — this one's for you. Consider it permission to build from exactly where you are.

• The real origin of Life Systems — why they're "how I survived," not a productivity hack
• Why your old routines stop working when life changes (spoiler: it's not you)
• How a corporate concept — SOPs — became "Personal SOPs," flopped, and got reborn as Life Systems
• The first system I ever built — my Household Harmony System — and what it freed me from
• Why asking for help is the system working, not you failing
• How to start with just ONE system instead of overhauling your whole life

00:00 Life Systems Origin

00:54 Pandemic Caregiving Chaos

02:47 Quitting the Toxic Job

05:42 Grief and Grace

07:17 Scary Symptoms Begin

09:46 MS Diagnosis Fallout

12:09 Starting the Business

13:28 From SOPs to Life Systems

16:34 Household Harmony System

20:02 Life Systems Categories

21:19 Starter Bundle Tools

23:35 Wrap Up and Next Steps

• Life Systems Starter Bundle — my recommended starting point. Includes the Life Systems Scan (find the system weighing heaviest on you this season) and the Capacity Calculator (how many usable hours you actually have in a day).
• Book a Life Lightly Chat — not sure where to begin? Tell me what's going on and we'll figure out your next step together.

Send me a DM with your biggest takeaway, or hit reply if you're on the email list. Until next time, I'm always wishing you a better today than yesterday. 🧡

Episode title: What Are Life Systems, Really?

I talk about life systems all the time — but what is one, really? In this episode, I break down what life systems actually are, why your planners and apps keep failing you (spoiler: it's not you), and how to figure out which one to build first — without adding one more thing to your plate.

In this episode:

• Why your routines keep "expiring" on you — and why that's not a discipline problem
• The bra analogy: supportive, necessary, and you only notice when something's off
• What actually counts as a life system — home, health, kid care, self-care, and more
• The LIFE Framework: Learn → Implement → Fluid → Elevate
• Why most coaches try to fix you — and why I fix the system instead
• How to find the ONE system digging in hardest right now (without building all 12 at once)

Timestamps:

00:00 What Life Systems Are

00:48 Burnout Monday Trap

02:22 Get It Out Your Brain

04:36 Learn Step

05:35 Implement Flexible Routines

07:09 Elevate With Relief

07:56 12 Life System Categories

09:00 Scans And Capacity Tool

11:17 Next Steps And Connect

Resources mentioned:

• 🎁 Life Systems Starter Bundle — the Life Systems Scan (find which system is the underwire digging in right now) + the Capacity Calculator (build around the energy you actually have).
• ☕ Life Lately chat — sit down with me and brain-dump what you're navigating.

Connect with me: Email | Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Ready to find your starting line? Grab the Life Systems Starter Bundle.

Until next time, I'm always wishing you a better today than yesterday. 🧡

If you’ve been looking around your house lately thinking…

“Why does this feel so much harder than it used to?”

This episode is for you.

Because it’s not just about cleaning, routines, or staying on top of things. It’s about the mental load you’re carrying every single day—and how that load quietly builds until your brain just taps out.

We’re talking about decision fatigue (yes, the 30–35,000 decisions a day kind 😵‍💫), the invisible role of being the household operations manager, and why even the systems that used to work can suddenly stop working.

And more importantly? What it actually means when things start to feel heavier… and where you can start without overthinking it.

• Why keeping up with your house can suddenly feel harder
• The real impact of making thousands of decisions every day
• The invisible mental load you carry as the “household operations manager”
• Why routines and systems stop working (even when nothing seems to have changed)
• What decision overload actually feels like in real life
• A simple way to figure out where to start when everything feels like too much

• What part of managing your home feels the heaviest right now?
• Where are you making the most decisions throughout your day?
• What are you carrying that feels invisible to everyone else?
• What used to feel manageable that now feels overwhelming?
• If you didn’t have to figure it all out alone… what would you want help with first?

If your brain feels overloaded and you don’t even know where to start…

🔎 Life Systems Scan

This helps you see:

– what’s draining you

– what’s working

– what to focus on first

So you can stop guessing and start simplifying your day.

And if you need a space to talk it out…

DM me on Instagram or let’s have a life lately chat 🧡

00:00 Why It Feels Harder Lately

00:52 Decision Fatigue Reality

01:45 Invisible Mental Load

03:57 When Systems Stop Working

05:23 Try a Life Systems Scan

06:47 Download and Reach Out

07:09 Final Encouragement

If things have been feeling heavier lately…this is for you.

Because most of us don’t immediately think, “maybe my capacity changed.”

We think we need to try harder, fix our routine, or get it together.

But what if the real issue isn’t you?

In this episode, I’m breaking down the moment it clicked for me (through motherhood, burnout, and my MS diagnosis) that I couldn’t keep forcing systems that no longer fit my life. And honestly? My capacity had probably been changing long before that…I just couldn’t ignore it anymore.

We’re talking about what it actually means when things stop working, why your routines didn’t fail (they expired), and how to start thinking about designing your life around who you are right now.

No pressure. No fixing. Just awareness.

In This Episode:

• Why capacity changes aren’t a “season”...they’re reality
• The real reason your routines stopped working
• How motherhood, burnout, and health shifts impact your systems
• Why “trying harder” keeps you stuck
• The reframe: your systems didn’t fail, they expired
• A simple way to start noticing what actually changed

Reflection Questions:

• What has felt heavier than it used to lately?
• What are you still trying to maintain just because you always have?
• What actually shifted in your life, energy, or responsibilities?
• What would change if you designed your life around this version of you?

(No need to fix anything right now, just notice.)

Support:

If you’re sitting there like, “Okay… this makes sense, but what do I actually do with it?”

That’s exactly where my back pocket support comes in 🧡

🔎 Life Systems Scan → when you need clarity on what actually shifted

🫠 Hot Mess Check → when everything feels chaotic

🛟 Routine Rescue → when one part of your routine keeps falling apart

🧠 Stop Doin It All → when you’re tired of holding everything together

🛋 Life Systems Lounge → for ongoing support while things shift

Everything is designed to meet you where you are…no calls, no pressure, no performing.

You don’t need to figure this out alone.

You just need systems that actually fit your life right now.

Timestamps

00:00 Capacity Is Reality

01:27 Old Systems Don’t Fit

02:20 MS And Shifting Energy

04:47 Honor The Old You

05:24 Systems Expire

06:15 Design For New You

06:52 Back Pocket Support

07:51 Offers And Next Steps

09:25 Closing Encouragement

Who You Were vs Who You Are Now

Have you ever taken a moment to grieve the old version of yourself?

Not in a sad, stuck way… but in a way that truly honors her.

Because if your capacity has changed — whether from chronic illness, burnout, motherhood, getting older, or just life doing what life does — it can feel strange realizing you can’t do things the way you used to.

In this episode, I’m talking about that moment when you realize your old expectations no longer match your current capacity. I share what life looked like for me years ago when I could run hills, hike with my dog, dance all the time, and power through everything without thinking twice… and how things look different now.

But here’s the truth: the answer isn’t pushing harder. It’s updating your operating system. Because routines, habits, and systems expire just like anything else. And when your capacity changes, your systems need to evolve with it.

In This Episode

1. Why it’s okay to grieve the old version of yourself
2. What happens when your expectations don’t match your current capacity
3. How chronic illness, aging, and responsibilities shift your bandwidth
4. Why routines and habits eventually expire
5. The importance of updating your “operating system” instead of pushing harder
6. Why comparing yourself to what you see online will only drain your energy

Reflection Questions

Take a moment and think about this:

1. Are you still expecting yourself to function like the old version of you?
2. What routines or expectations might have expired in your life?
3. Are you pushing yourself to exhaustion instead of redesigning your systems?
4. What would change if you honored the capacity you actually have right now?

Just something to sit with.

Support From Michelle

And listen… if you’re in that season where things feel different and you’re trying to figure out how to adjust your routines, systems, and daily flow, you don’t have to navigate that alone.

The Life Systems Lounge is a calm space where you can get guidance, support, and real conversations about simplifying life when your capacity changes.

If you’re tired of your routines working for a while and then falling apart…

If you want your systems to evolve with your life…

If you want support without the pressure of calls or appointments…

The Lounge was built for moments exactly like this.

You’ll have a space to ask questions, adjust your systems, and connect with other women who understand what it’s like when life shifts.

Because around here, we don’t push through — we design around what’s real.

Timestamps

00:00 – Honoring the old version of yourself

00:47 – When your capacity starts to shrink

01:15 – Life before the shift

02:35 – Updating your operating system

04:22 – Why comparing yourself online drains your energy

05:33 – You’re not old… you’re seasoned

06:20 – Introducing the Life Systems Lounge

07:16 – How the community supports you

08:11 – Designing around what’s real

08:33 – Closing encouragement

✨ And as always… I’m wishing you a better today than yesterday. 🧡

Designing Systems for Your Real Capacity

Have you ever been in a groove — like you’re finally getting things done — and then life just swoops in and messes up your whole plan?

Yeah… that literally happened to me right before I recorded this episode. I was in full content mode when I got a call that my munchkin needed to be picked up from school because she hurt her ankle. And just like that, everything stopped.

Now a few years ago, that would’ve completely thrown me off for the rest of the day. But now? I look at moments like that differently.

Because the real question isn’t “How do I stop life from interrupting me?”

The real question is “Are my systems designed for real life… or just for perfect days?”

In this episode, I’m talking about designing life systems that work with your real capacity — especially if you’re navigating chronic illness, motherhood, business, or just life’s beautiful bitchiness. Because if your routines only work when everything goes perfectly… they’re not actually supporting you.

1. Why life interruptions reveal whether your systems actually work
2. The difference between rigid routines and flexible life systems
3. What a Bare Minimum System looks like on low-energy days
4. Why your systems should adapt to your capacity, not fight it
5. Designing routines that support you on both your best days and your hardest days

I want you to think about this for a second:

1. What happens when life interrupts your plans?
2. Do your routines completely fall apart when something unexpected happens?
3. Do you have systems that support you on your lowest-energy days?
4. Are your expectations aligned with your current capacity?

Just something to sit with.

And listen… if you’re realizing that your systems just aren’t working anymore, you don’t have to figure that out alone.

My Stop Doin It All service is literally built for moments like this. You tell me what’s weighing on you, what’s not flowing in your day-to-day life, and I help build 1–2 life systems designed around your current season and your real capacity.

You sit back, relax, sip your favorite drink… and let me do the work of designing systems that actually support you.

00:00 – When life interrupts your plans

01:10 – The moment I had to pick up my daughter from school

02:20 – Why routines stop working

03:30 – Designing systems for fluctuating capacity

05:20 – When it’s time to get support

✨ And as always… I’m wishing you a better today than yesterday. 🧡

The joke was on me this week.

I was getting ready to host a workshop on Instagram Live when I discovered — at the last minute — that Instagram now requires 1,000 followers to go live.

Cue the moment of “are you serious right now?”

Instead of panicking, I adapted and moved the workshop to Google Meet.

And honestly… that moment became the perfect real-life example of something I talk about all the time:

When your capacity changes, your systems should too.

In this episode, I’m sharing how flexible life systems make it easier to adapt when life throws unexpected curveballs — without spiraling or scrapping everything you planned.

We also talk about the pressure many women carry to keep pushing through routines that used to work… even when their life, energy, or responsibilities have changed.

Sometimes nothing is wrong with you.

You might just be using systems designed for a version of you that doesn’t exist anymore.

I also share:

1. Why “I need to…” thoughts often show up during seasonal shifts like spring
2. Why boundaries with yourself matter just as much as boundaries with others
3. How chronic illness forced me to stop pushing through exhaustion
4. A parenting realization about my 10-year-old’s room that changed how I look at expectations
5. What came up during my recent workshop conversations with women feeling overwhelmed and system-less
6. Why self-care isn’t selfish — it’s survival

Plus, I walk through the simple framework I use when redesigning systems in my own life:

Learn → Implement → Fluid → Elevate

Because the goal isn’t perfection.

It’s building systems that adapt with you.

1. Why Instagram changing their Live rules became an unexpected lesson in adaptability
2. The difference between “I need to” and “I want to” thinking
3. Why many women feel like they’re failing when routines stop working
4. What chronic illness taught me about honoring capacity
5. How I reframed my expectations around my daughter cleaning her room
6. What workshop participants revealed about overwhelm, boundaries, and burnout
7. Why putting your oxygen mask on first is more than just airplane advice
8. The simple framework I use when redesigning life systems

🧡 Life Systems Scan

A quick clarity tool that helps you identify which area of life currently needs attention most.

🛠 Stop Doin It All

A support service where we design 1–2 simple systems that fit your current life and capacity.

Take a moment to think about this:

1. What feels heavier in your life right now?
2. What routine used to work but suddenly doesn’t anymore?
3. What are you still trying to maintain out of habit?
4. What would change if you designed your systems around the version of you today?

If this episode resonated with you, come say hi on Instagram or send me a message. I always love hearing what shifts are happening in your life.

And if you know someone who might need this reminder today, share the episode with them.

Because sometimes the problem isn’t you.

Sometimes the system just needs an update.

00:00 – Instagram Live surprise

01:00 – Adapting the workshop plan

02:24 – The spring cleaning “I need to” spiral

03:03 – Boundaries and living with chronic illness

04:10 – Workshop insights from other women

04:50 – The realization about my daughter’s room

10:10 – The oxygen mask reminder

11:35 – Tools that can help (Life Systems Scan & Stop Doin It All)

13:51 – The LIFE framework explained

17:39 – Final thoughts

Ever feel like life suddenly got heavier… but you can’t figure out why?

You’re not lazy.

You’re not failing.

Sometimes your capacity changes, but your expectations haven’t caught up yet.

In this episode, I’m sharing a very real realization I’ve been sitting with lately: I haven’t fully adapted to the version of me that exists now.

After navigating a toxic nine-to-five, caregiving for my dad through cancer, supporting my daughter through distance learning, grieving my dad, and being diagnosed with a chronic illness, my life changed in ways I’m still learning to adapt to.

And yet… I was still trying to run life like it was 2019.

This episode is a conversation about capacity shifts, expired expectations, and what happens when we finally acknowledge that the systems we used before may not work anymore.

I also walk through how I used my Life Systems Scan to figure out what’s actually draining my energy right now — and the small step I’m taking to start rebuilding from here.

If you’ve been feeling like everything got harder overnight, this conversation is for you.

1. Why capacity changes aren’t just a “season”
2. How major life events can quietly shift your energy
3. The pressure we put on ourselves to keep up with old expectations
4. Why flexibility is the missing piece in most routines
5. How the LIFE Framework helps adapt systems to real life
6. What I discovered when I walked myself through my Life Systems Scan
7. Why I’m starting with simple 10-minute “joy pockets” to rebuild self-care

Life Systems Scan

A simple tool to help you identify what areas of life are actually draining your energy right now.

🔎 Start with the Scan

If this sounds like the season you’re in, I’ve built support for this.

You can start with the Life Systems Scan to get clarity on what systems might need adjusting in your life right now.

Instagram

SLBB Journal (Blog)

00:00 Accepting that my capacity has changed

01:03 How the pandemic shifted everything

01:15 Caregiving, grief, and chronic illness

02:07 Trying to balance business and real life

02:53 Learning to be fluid with the LIFE framework

03:29 Walking myself through the Life Systems Scan

04:16 Finding movement that fits my current capacity

05:33 Health pressure and upcoming procedures

06:30 What the rating scale revealed about my life systems

08:37 Creating 10-minute “joy pockets” for self-care

09:23 Final thoughts and support

You ever have one of those weekends where you swear you’ve got your life together—then realize you accidentally threw your systems out the window somewhere between school drop-off and the trunk-or-treat? 😅

🧡 The Vibe:

This one’s a confession. I talk a big game about simplifying, planning ahead, and honoring my energy, but this past weekend? I set myself up for chaos and paid for it. Between a school event, late-night travel, chronic illness fatigue, and forgetting my own advice, I found myself deep in the “I should know better” zone.

In this episode, I’m calling myself out (with love), reflecting on what went sideways, and showing how I’m using my own Simplifying Life’s Beautiful Bitchiness Rolodex to recover from the burnout spiral.

✨ Takeaway Moment:

Even when life throws her beautiful bitchiness at you, your systems aren’t failing; they’re waiting to help you recover.

🗣️ Mentioned in This Episode

The Simplifying Life’s Beautiful Bitchiness Rolodex: 20-20-20 Rule A way to relax your eyes after staring at a screen for too long

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Weekend vacation gone wrong

00:54 – Scrambling to get ready

01:37 – The stressful journey begins

03:14 – Recovering from the weekend

03:53 – What the SLBB Rolodex is all about

05:33 – My practical recovery tips

07:40 – Rolodex categories revealed

08:28 – Final thoughts and feedback

📬 Let’s Connect

💌 Weekly Pep Talks + Tools: Notes from Michelle

🌀 Explore the SLBB Rolodex: Flip Thru Here!

📱 DM Me: TikTok / Instagram

🧡 Inhale the calm. Exhale the fire.

Why did I even start creating systems in the first place?

🧡 The Vibe

I’m pulling back the curtain on why I started building life systems in the first place and not because I wanted to be organized (lol, I wish), but because life threw me a plot twist called multiple sclerosis. When your nervous system decides to remix your plans without notice, you learn real quick that you need more than motivation, you need systems that keep you afloat.

My flare-ups forced me to create ways to keep my house running, my energy protected, and my peace intact. Those became my Life Systems Rolodex — the tools, checklists, and “bare minimum” moves that help me stay functional when life gets chaotic.

The real takeaway? You don’t need perfect answers. You just need something that helps you get through the moment. Small shifts can change everything. And through this show, we’ll keep building the kind of systems that make real life, the messy, beautiful, bitchy kind, a little bit easier to navigate together. 🧡

✨ Takeaway Moment

“That's where the systems can come in and get you out of survival mode and into a functional chaos mode.” 

🧠 Life Simplifiers:

Power-Up Planner — Need something to help your brain function through the chaos? This is my go to getting my brain back on track.

Checkout Your First Life System if you need to simplify your day!

💛 Featured in the SLBB Rolodex: Coming soon! — my go-to list of trusted tools and people who help simplify real life.

🧶 Creative Calm: Joy Pockets (Coming soon!) — Tiny handmade reminders that messy is still magic.

00:00 The Origin Story: Why I Started Creating Systems

00:09 Living with Multiple Sclerosis: Symptoms and Challenges

01:50 Developing Life Systems for Daily Management

02:32 The Toolbox of Life Systems

04:39 Practical Applications of Life Systems

06:03 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

07:25 Upcoming Resources and Final Wishes

💌 Weekly Pep Talks + Tools: Notes from Michelle

🌀 Explore the SLBB Rolodex: Stay Tuned!

📱 DM Me: TikTok / Instagram

🧡 Inhale the calm. Exhale the fire.