Working in Modes: The Secret to Staying Organized Without a To-Do List
If you’ve ever stared at a to-do list and instantly wanted to cry… welcome to the club. Sometimes, I just sit there and stare blankly 😐. What’s important? Everything. What’s not important? Everything. Maybe I should just get a cup of coffee and come back to it later…
Tons of business owners think they’re “unorganized” or “scatterbrained.”
But the reality is that your brain just isn’t designed to flip between wildly different tasks all day long. Bookkeeping, creating a post, answering customer messages, switching the laundry, running to the shop, scheduling a meeting, trying to think of something smart to write… it’s too much context switching.
Someone, somewhere discovered that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to switch tasks (I’m sorry I can’t remember where I heard that to quote them, but it’s stuck with me). And it’s true! You’ve likely experienced being in deep working session and then having to do the next task and your brain is fighting you. You can’t stop thinking about the other thing, but the new thing is still super important. Ugghhh 😫.
Your amazing brain can do anything.
It just can’t do everything at once.
This is why I started working in modes 🎉 and why it changed my life and my businesses.
⭐ What Are ‘Modes’?
Modes are dedicated blocks of mental energy where you focus on one type of work instead of bouncing around like a dog with the zoomies.
Examples of modes:
Creator Mode: writing, designing, recording content, brainstorming
Operator Mode: inbox, orders, logistics, paperwork, email replies
CEO Mode: big decisions, planning, strategy, meetings
Admin Mode: scheduling, data entry, website updates, receipts
Maintenance Mode: store reset, inventory cleanup, organization
People Mode: meetings, customers, networking, phone calls
You’re not picking tasks, you’re picking a mental state.
⭐ Why Modes Work (Especially for Entrepreneurs)
1. They eliminate the guilt spiral
Instead of looking at a list of 27 things and feeling like a failure for not finishing them, you focus on what fits the mode you’re in today (or this week, or this hour).
There’s no “I should be doing…” energy.
You decide the mode → you win the day.
2. They reduce overwhelm
Modes simplify choices.
Instead of:
“What should I do next?”
You ask:
“What mode am I in?”
“What tasks belong here?”
Instant clarity 🤯.
3. They increase your productivity
Context switching kills productivity.
Working in modes means your brain stays in the same gear long enough to actually get momentum.
Examples of Modes in Real Life
🧠 Creator Mode
You grab your coffee, sit in your office, shut the door, and create:
TikTok scripts
Blog posts
Canva graphics
Emails
Website copy
Promotions
Handouts
You’re not allowed to check email.
You’re not allowed to answer a “quick question.”
This is your creative zone.
📦 Operator Mode
You’re running your shop, fulfilling orders, checking POS systems, printing labels, packaging items, updating listings: all the things that keep the business moving.
This is a different brain from Creator Mode.
You’re executing, not dreaming.
📊 CEO Mode
This is the big one entrepreneurs rarely make time for, but is so so important.
It’s:
Setting goals
Reviewing numbers
Planning promotions
Fixing bottlenecks
Delegating
Saying “why are we even doing it this way?”
This is where growth happens.
💡 Come up with your own Mode!
Your life and your business are yours. You don’t have to do it like anybody else. Find the mode that fits you, give it a fancy pants name and then work it in.
How to Use Modes Today
Step 1: Decide your Primary Mode for the Day
Ask yourself each morning:
“What mode am I in today?”
I would love to tell you to just pick 1 for the day, but days can be long. For instance, on Thursdays, I (try to) stay home in the morning in creator mode and then I go into the shop and enter operator mode. When I’m in creator mode, I’m not thinking of packages that need to go out or orders that I need to place. And when I’m in operator mode, I try not to think about blog posts that need to be finished. Easier said than done, but at least it gives me a bit of a guard rail.
Secondary modes can happen if you have time, but pick one primary focus.
Step 2: Build a simple list under each mode
In your favorite organization app (I use Notion), on paper, it doesn’t matter.
Under Creator Mode, list ONLY creative tasks.
Under Operator Mode, list ONLY operator tasks, etc.
When you’re in that mode, you don’t have to think, you just pick from the list.
Step 3: Give yourself permission to stay in your lane
If you’re in Creator Mode and a bookkeeping idea pops up?
Brain-dump it → add it to Admin Mode → keep creating.
(THIS is the magic right here.) At least for me, because my brain doesn’t like to stay on task, I have a billion thoughts and ideas that feel like they need to be done with urgency. But in reality, whatever it is can wait until it has my full attention inside that mode.
Step 4: Use your natural rhythms
Most people have a best time of day to create, operate, plan, or meet with people.
For example:
Mornings → Creator Mode
Midday → Operator Mode
Afternoons → CEO Mode
Riding your natural energy curve is another cheat code.
While we’re here, let’s mention that some things you’ll naturally dread doing. You’ll put them off time and time again until you’re up against the wall. Maybe you aren’t an operator - you hate the blandness of it all - but when you’re in that mode, your brain will be forced to work on that stuff and get it done.
⭐ What Modes Aren’t
They aren’t rigid.
They aren’t rules.
And they aren’t meant to lock you into perfect systems.
Modes are:
Permission to work on what needs to be done
Clarity to know “what you should be working on next”
Focus
Flow
They help you work like an actual human 🦾 not a robot.
⭐ final thought
If you constantly feel like you’re behind, distracted, or disorganized…
you don’t need a better to-do list.
You just need to get into the mode and do the damn thing 🙌🏻
Try this for one week and tell me what changes. My bet?
You’ll finally feel like you're driving your business instead of reacting to it.
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