Everyday Run State: Pro Edition

This week’s update is a little different - mostly because I didn’t really write one.

I’ve been traveling, onboarding some new clients, doing an onsite inventory. Somewhere between shelf audits and sales pitches, the week flew by, and I didn’t have time to write a fully planned newsletter.

And that’s OK.

In supply chain, we talk a lot about flow: keeping things moving, minimizing waste, and meeting demand. But here’s the thing: sometimes you need to slow the line.

Not everything benefits from more speed or more output. In fact, trying to push through when systems (or people) are overloaded tends to create even more delays down the road.

What does "slowing the line" look like in real life?
Here are a few examples I’ve seen lately (or lived):

• In a warehouse: Halting incoming deliveries for a day to re-label shelves and catch up on mis-scanned inventory

• In a team setting: Skipping a weekly meeting so people can actually do the work they’ve been reporting on

• In client work: Putting a pause on a new feature rollout so the support team can catch up on training and documentation

• Personally: Taking a break from “always producing” and letting your brain wander on a walk, a long dinner, or a flight home

These moments feel unproductive in the short term, but they prevent bottlenecks, burnout, and bad decisions. They keep the whole system healthier.

So if you're feeling behind, overbooked, or stretched thin, then maybe it's not time to push harder. Maybe it's time to hit pause, just for a beat.

I’ll be back next week with more momentum, and maybe a few new ideas!