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Hey {{ first name | there }}! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋 You can catch up on our previous editions right here.
This week: We’re digging deep into all the stuff that’s causing friction in your life, for a very important reason: solving the problem through optimization. What that means, why bother doing it, plus our usual practical walkthrough on how to apply it to your life. Settle in with a snack or warm bevvy for this longer read!
🤔 Why Optimize?
Imagine you’re getting ready to do something important. You’re running behind, so you’re rushing. But at every turn, you run into “little messes everywhere”:
🏃♂️ You can’t remember where you left your bag, keys, lip balm, or sunglasses, so you zoom around searching, rifling through pockets and bags.
🥐 You run out of time (or just forget) to grab that healthy breakfast from the fridge, so you opt for something from the cafe or vending machine.
🙇♂️ You freeze when you get to your laptop — even though you’ve been anxious about your to-dos all morning, now you can’t remember what they are, or you don’t know where to start.
On and on, it goes like this, all day long.
Meanwhile, a million other things are tugging at your attention: messages, notifications, interactions, etc.
The consequences? Exhaustion, fatigue, irritability, and heaps of lost time and focus.
If you’re feeling this pain, know that the friction you encounter daily is very real. Luckily, a good chunk of it is also preventable, with a touch of preparation and self-awareness.
Let’s explore what else “optimizing” (for lack of a less jargon-y word) requires and involves.
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👀 What Does Optimizing Really Mean?
It might sound like an annoying answer, but “optimized” looks different for everyone. (After all, the average day of a student and a parent look very different.)
But before we dig into how to go about it, let’s clear something up.
🙅♀️ Optimizing is NOT:
a free pass for distraction or procrastination
the time to catch up on all the things you’re behind on
a once-and-done thing that will stick perfectly forever
With that out of the way, some do’s and don’ts for optimizing your systems before we get to the step-by-step of how to do it.
🦾 Do’s and Don’ts of Optimizing Your Systems
🙂↕️ Do…
🧮 find ways to multiply and reclaim your time. The point of optimizing is to do something now that will save you tons of time (or stop you from) repeating the same things in the future.
👯♀️ add in back-ups and buffers. Automated alarms, reminders, notifications, and similar nudges are a safety net for keeping you on track (because we can’t always trust our brains to remember to remind us to do something when the time comes).
🍂 consider it regular maintenance. You’ll likely need to make more optimizations in the future, as your circumstances and needs change. Embrace it, and make optimizing part of your productivity processes.
🙂↔️ Don’t…
🌋 try to optimize your whole life in one time-block. Since some optimizations are really quick and easy, it can be tempting to go a little overboard with them. Resist this urge, especially when starting out, until you know your optimizations are working.
💥 keep following a system that’s not working (even if it’s “optimized”). We’ve tried every productivity app and planner out there, and not a single one’s ever worked for us. Same applies to you: If it doesn’t work, ditch it.
👩🏻🏫 be afraid to optimize your life in “unconventional” ways. As you’ll see from our list of real examples below, optimizations are all about whatever helps you flow through life a little more smoothly. So if “what works best for you” means plastering your place with chalkboards for your reminders and lists, go for it!
🎮 How to Optimize, Step by Step
(And don’t miss this week’s Flocus Picks below for more tips and tricks from our team!)
🕰️ Step 1. Dedicate a time-block, afternoon, or day to optimizing
Optimizing works best from a “planning” mindset (where you decide what the work is and how to do it), versus “doing” mode.
Try and schedule it for a time when you’ll be in the planning zone. Having a dedicated block to make optimizations is also handy for actually getting them done and off your plate.
💭 Step 2. Ask, “What needs optimizing?” and list the answers
In a physical or digital list, dump out all the stuff that’s causing you friction. Don’t fret about organizing this list or jumping in just yet.
Here are some examples from our own list:
Always forgetting my lip balm and sunglasses when leaving the house
Losing important emails in an unorganized and chaotic inbox
Spending extra time looking for the things I need because all my stuff is so scattered or doesn’t have a designated “home”
For now, just add as many things as you can think of, until you come to a natural stopping point. If you think of something else later, you can always add it to the list.
🤏 Step 3. Pick a few items and brainstorm how to solve them
Look back over your list and pick a handful of friction-causers you can start tackling in the time you have. (Remember, trying to optimize your whole life in an afternoon will just cause a headache!)
Try to pick things that crop up frequently or are really bothering you. Then, consider how you can use your existing, preferred systems and tools to resolve each one.
🏃🏻♀️ Step 4. Get started!
Now that you’ve got a roadmap, all that’s left to do is jump in.
Real examples of optimizations we’ve made in our own lives:
🚪 Next to the front door, a mini chalkboard with a list of things not to forget before leaving the house (lip balm and sunglasses, check!)
📬 1-hour block to declutter and automate email inboxes so new incoming mail gets sorted into the correct folders and labels
🧈 Whiteboard on front of the refrigerator with cute washi tape separating it into 4 (updateable) sections: Meal Plan, In Freezer, In Pantry, To Buy
🧂 Labels on the tops and fronts of spice jars in the cabinet: top label so we can see what the spices are without having to pull them all out; front label for the expiration date (in case it wears off the jar over time)
🗓️ Calendar reminders with notifications for recurring but easy-to-forget tasks like changing toothbrush heads, deep-cleaning the washing machine, etc.
👝 Small pouches in each backpack, purse, coat, etc. packed with lip balm, tissues, bobby pins, hand sanitizer, and other essentials (bought in multiples so they’re always on hand)
🎒 Baskets, bags, and pouches for like items, stuff that can be organized later, or things that tend to move with you from place to place. Examples: Pouch for shopping receipts, basket of chargers and adapters, bag with your laptop, tablet, and art materials
For us, all these optimizations add up to more time reclaimed, less anxiety and energy wasted, and noticeably less friction when moving through life.
🪅 Flocus Picks
A curated list of things worth sharing.
How to Multiply Your Time (The Flow Archives) — Remember how we said optimizing is all about doing something now to give yourself more time back in the future? This Flowback is a deeper dive into that concept, complete with practical tips and how-to’s
Removing Friction 101 (The Flow Archives) — Need help deciding what’s causing friction? This sister guide includes tips for spotting it, and how to tell when your own resistance to doing the work is at the root
Reset With Us (The Flow Archives) — If you feel the time is right to optimize, you might be overdue a general reset of your mental, physical, and digital spaces. How to approach it, one realm at a time (plus some of our fave digital automations and hacks!)
✨ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard
Optimizing works best when your tools aren't part of the friction. Flocus keeps your tasks, timers, and workspace in one calm place, so there's one less thing to hunt for each day.
🗳️ POLL: Where's the most friction in your days right now?
We know this one was meaty, but it’s been heavily impacting our own lives, so felt it deserved the extra space. Thanks for reading to the end! 💖
How’d you rate this one? We’re actually looking back over our sends this year for a Best of The Flow 2026 edition. Think this one qualifies? Or got another fave you’d like to nominate? Get at us in the replies and polls!
Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team
