Hi Reader,

There are parts of parenting I would never automate.

The bedtime routine. The walk to school. The moment when they climb into your lap for no reason.

Those aren't on the list.

But school lunch labels? The dentist reminder that could easily be a recurring calendar event? The forms that come around the same time every year?

Those I've automated. Without apology.

When I went independent, I told myself I wanted to be more present with my kids. What I learned is that presence has less to do with hours at home than with where your head is when you're in the room.

And the thing that eats presence isn't usually a big deadline. It's the low-grade background hum - what gets called the mental load. The list you're running in your head while they're telling you about their day. The camp form you still haven't found. The dentist appointment you keep meaning to schedule.

That hum is what pulls your attention out of the moment you're in. And most of it is automatable.

What I've handed off

Name stamps for camp and school gear, ordered once. Recurring calendar reminders for the stuff that comes around on a cycle - dentist, checkups, the annual forms. A shared family calendar and a shared family email address, so the tracking doesn't all live in one person's head.

None of these are exciting. But each one is one fewer thing running in the background while I'm supposed to be here.

The same split as client work

Client work has two categories: what needs me specifically, and what just needs to get done. My perspective, my relationships, my read on a conversation - those need me. A scheduled meeting invite, a recurring status update, a formatted doc - those just need to get done.

Parenting works the same way.

The bedtime routine needs me. The dentist reminder doesn't.

The walk to school needs me. Labeling the camp gear does not.

When I stop blurring those two categories, protecting the first one gets easier.

A question for this week: What's one household or parenting task that's living in your head rent-free - and could probably run itself if you set it up once?

One more thing before you go

This Thursday (Aug 6) is this month's Fractional Water Cooler 🚰. It's a free monthly gathering I host for people building fractional and independent practices - the hallway conversations you'd have if this work came with coworkers. Monica Rodriguez Kuniyoshi is leading this one, on the hidden opportunities in the relationships you already have.

It's on Zoom, about 50 minutes, and recorded if you can't make it. Join here and you'll get the invite to Thursday's session and every one after: https://chillaborate.com/fractional-water-cooler​

Work with me directly. If you want a thinking partner on your product strategy, AI rollout, or building your fractional practice - here's how I work with people: https://gamma.app/docs/Chill-Labs-Coaching-Information-ifjuyb0hjgw9xtb​

Let's Chillaborate,

Dina

Founder, Chill Labs

PS: New to the Automate Yourself podcast? There are plenty of episodes worth digging into - start anywhere: https://chillaborate.com/podcast 💙