Stop Optimizing Things You're Not Even Doing [TMR #070]

When I first started documenting my business processes, I spent three weeks building the “perfect” onboarding system.

Color-coded spreadsheets. Detailed workflows. Contingency plans for contingencies.

Know how many times I used it?

Zero.

Because by the time I finished perfecting it, I’d already onboarded two clients using... well, whatever felt right in the moment. And you know what? Those clients turned out great.

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of building businesses and leading teams:

You can’t optimize what you’re not doing.

Think about it. How many times have you spent hours planning the perfect morning routine but never actually started it? Or mapped out an entire content strategy but never hit publish on a single post?

We trick ourselves into thinking that planning IS doing. That building the perfect system IS taking action.

It’s not.

Action is messy. It’s imperfect. It’s often embarrassing when you look back at it.

But here’s the thing — it’s also the only way forward.

Script It

You don’t need the perfect process. You need A PROCESS.

Take five minutes. Write down the steps. Doesn’t matter if it’s on a napkin or in a fancy project management tool. Just get it out of your head and onto something you can follow.

Hiring someone? Write down: post job, review applications, do interview, make offer.

Creating content? Write down: pick topic, record video, edit, post.

It doesn’t have to be elegant. It has to exist.

Because here’s what happens when you have even a basic script — you actually do the thing instead of perpetually preparing to do the thing.

Do It

Now run it. Follow your rough process and actually execute.

This is where most people get stuck. They look at their basic outline and think “this isn’t good enough yet.”

Stop.

Run it anyway. Do it badly if you have to. Do it quickly. Do it imperfectly.

The dad who wants to get in shape doesn’t need the optimal workout split and macro calculation. He needs to show up at the gym and lift something heavy.

The entrepreneur who wants to scale doesn’t need the perfect hiring funnel. They need to post a job and talk to candidates.

You’re not looking for perfection here. You’re looking for repetition.

Because repetition is where the magic happens.

Improvements Come Naturally

Here’s something nobody tells you about optimization:

You can’t see what needs fixing until you’ve done it wrong a few times.

That onboarding process I never used? When I finally just started onboarding people with a simple checklist, I immediately saw what was missing. Not from thinking about it — from doing it.

“Oh, they always ask about payment terms on day two. I should add that to day one.”

“This step takes way longer than I thought. I need to break it into two calls.”

“Nobody reads this long email. I should make a video instead.”

These insights don’t come from planning. They come from doing.

When you actually run the process, you naturally start seeing inefficiencies. Your brain automatically starts finding shortcuts. You notice patterns you could never have predicted.

The repetition teaches you things that planning never could.

This Applies to Everything

Running a business? Script your sales process, run it with real prospects, improve it after each conversation.

Building a team? Create a simple training doc, train someone, update it based on what they actually needed to know.

Getting healthy? Plan this week’s workouts, do them, adjust next week based on what actually worked.

Spending time with family? Block the time, show up, learn what activities actually connect you with your kids.

The pattern is always the same: Script it. Do it. Let improvements come naturally.

Stop Planning. Start Doing.

I’ve wasted years of my life perfecting things that never got used. Building elaborate systems that solved problems I didn’t actually have. Creating processes for businesses that didn’t exist yet.

You know what I’ve never regretted?

Taking messy action.

The systems I actually use today didn’t start as systems. They started as me doing something repeatedly and writing down what worked.

My best hires came from a simple job post, not a complex recruitment strategy.

My most profitable offers came from testing quickly, not from market research.

My strongest relationships came from showing up consistently, not from planning the perfect quality time.

So this week, I’m challenging you to stop optimizing things you’re not even doing.

Pick one thing. Script it quickly. Do it. Then do it again. And again.

The improvements will come. They always do.

But only if you’re actually moving.

Your move.