When I Realized My Workflow Was Working Against Me (And How I’m Fixing It)
- Erika Lucas
- Aug 13
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 15
After writing about creating workflows that honor who we are, I decided to do my own assessment.
The verdict? My workflow is terrible. 🫠
It’s often controlled by three patterns that keep me overworked, anxious, and operating in survival mode. Some of this is self-imposed. Some of it is the environment we’ve been forced to operate in, especially as women of color who’ve been told, directly or indirectly, that we must be twice or three times as good just to have a seat at the table.
I’m sharing these patterns, and the changes I’m working on, not just to help you spot them in your own life, but so we can work on them together and keep each other accountable.
1. The Self-Imposed, False Sense of Urgency
The pattern: I treat everything like it’s urgent. Emails, chat messages, requests from others. My brain immediately says, “Do it now or it will fall through the cracks.
Why it happens: For many of us, this comes from years of being rewarded for immediate responsiveness. Add in cultural conditioning that we can’t afford to drop the ball, and urgency becomes our default mode.
What I’m doing about it:
Implement the “Hour Hold.” Unless it’s a genuine emergency (life, safety, legal), I wait one hour before responding to new requests. That one hour gives me space to check priorities rather than running on reflex.
Use a “Today vs. This Week” board. I separate what truly must happen today from what can happen later this week. Seeing the categories visually helps break the “everything is now” cycle.
Track my false alarms. When I think something is urgent, I note it in my journal. Later, I check whether waiting actually caused a problem. Spoiler: it rarely does. 🥴
2. The “Who Will Do It If Not Me?” Trap
The pattern: I take on everything because I either believe no one else will do it the way I do, or I don’t want to burden others.
Why it happens: To be honest, part of it is ego, and part a learned survival skill. If you’ve had to over-deliver to be respected, you’ve probably trained yourself to keep everything in your control. The cost? Burnout and a lack of trust in others.
What I’m doing about it:
Delegate with clarity, not apology. Instead of saying, “I’m sorry, but can you…”, I now say, “I need you to take ownership of X by [deadline]. Here’s the context and resources.”
Lower the “perfect” bar. I ask myself: “Is this 80% of what I would do?” If yes, I let it go. That extra 20% of perfection usually only matters to me.
Invite participation at home. I’m still working on this, but I've actively started telling my family, “It doesn’t have to be my way, it just has to get done. So please get it done.” It’s amazing how much that simple sentence changes the dynamic.
3. Productivity Over Self
The pattern: I start my day working before I even fully wake up, skipping over things like coffee, movement, or quiet time.
Why it happens: We’ve been taught that productivity is the highest virtue. That “you can rest when the work is done.” But the work is never done.
What I’m doing about it:
Create a “non-negotiable morning.” My first 30–45 minutes are for me, coffee, reading, meditating, stretching, or honestly, just silence.
Redefine productivity metrics. I track energy levels alongside tasks completed. If my energy tanks by noon, I know I’ve pushed too hard, too early.
Set intentional start times. I work from home most days and just because I can start working at 6:00am doesn’t mean I should. My default now is 8:00 a.m. unless something critical changes that.
These shifts aren’t magic. I still catch myself slipping into urgency mode, hoarding tasks, or skipping my slow mornings. But I’m noticing the difference. My stress baseline is lower. I’m delegating more. I’m actually tasting my coffee, reading more, and meditating more consistently.
If you see yourself in any of these patterns, remember, they aren’t personal failings. They’re adaptive behaviors we have all learned to survive in systems that demand more from us than they should.
The work now is to build new systems, ones that protect your energy as fiercely as you’ve been protecting your output. Check out this VEST Her Workflow Reset Checklist to help you spot old patterns and practice healthier ones.
Check out our VEST Her Podcast Episode on How to Break the Autopilot Cycle
If you want a community to help you gain perspective, reflect, and stay accountable, consider joining our peer network at VEST. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co
About the Author
Erika Lucas is the Founder and CEO of StitchCrew and VEST. She is an investor and nationally recognized advocate for women, small businesses, and economic opportunity for all. Erika also hosts the VEST Her Podcast, where she talks about the hidden challenges holding women back at work, in society, and in building wealth and highlights stories of women working to change that. Follow Erika’s on LinkedIn