Ah, good ol’ Abe Lincoln knew what was up. If you charge into a massive project without prep, you’re basically hacking away with a dull blade—exhausting yourself and getting nowhere fast. And that’s exactly why I’m making 2025 the year of streamlining at PodiatryMeetings.com.
Let’s be real: last-minute scrambles and high-pressure deadlines don’t make for great work. They make for stress, burnout, and questionable life choices (like that third cup of coffee at 9 PM). So, my priority is getting our systems dialed in now—before things get hectic. Yes, setting up automations and workflows is a time suck at first, but trust me, it pays off tenfold when everything runs smoothly later.
For us, that means:
✅ Assigning tasks and subtasks in Asana so nothing slips through the cracks
✅ Setting up Zapier automations to seamlessly move data between our website, Google Workspace, Airtable, and email sequences
✅ Creating Google Docs with linked workflows so everyone knows exactly what to do and where to find it
Now, let’s talk about the trap people fall into—shiny project management systems. There’s an endless buffet of them, and it’s easy to waste hours (or weeks) hopping from one to the next, hoping the “perfect” one will magically solve everything. But here’s the truth: all systems work—if you actually commit to using them. It’s like dieting: they all technically “work,” but only if you stick with it.
So, my plan? Pick a system, put in the time to set it up properly, and stay the course, even when things get chaotic. Because at the end of the day, a sharp axe gets the job done faster—and with way less frustration.
-Ann Dosen