Hi friends,

This week’s issue may surprise some of you.

Yes, I love systems.
Yes, I love improving processes.
But no, I do not think everything needs fixing. Stay with me on this one…

🌯 A Burrito Revelation

Today, I grabbed lunch at a Chipotle-esque spot, and I noticed something quietly brilliant: the topping labels were printed on both sides of the glass divider - customer side and staff side.

It was loud. Communication was tricky.
But instead of shouting or guessing, customers could point at what they wanted, and the staff could read what they were pointing to.

A perfect example of solving an actual, recurring issue with a simple, effective process change.

(I do realize this email goes out just after lunch, so I’m hoping you’re not experiencing a burrito-filled craving right now.)

🚫 Why I Don’t Fix Everything

Here’s the twist: I don’t automatically fix processes when someone casually mentions a one-time annoyance.
If it’s a fluke, I let it go.

Process improvement takes effort. Mapping roles, testing changes, creating new workflows - it’s worth doing when the issue is:

Otherwise? Let it ride. Wait. See if it happens again. That’s when you know it’s worth solving.

Take the burrito place - they clearly didn’t redesign their setup the first time someone yelled “extra corn!” and got sour cream instead.

But after enough mix-ups, they realized it was a pattern, not a fluke - and they fixed it in a way that actually made life easier for everyone.

📦 Supply Chain Tie-In: The Theory of Constraints

In supply chain theory, we’re always looking for the constraint - the bottleneck that limits the whole system.
We don’t fix everything. We fix that.

Applying it to life and work?

💡 Try This Today (Just 5 Minutes):

Think of a frustration you had this week.
Ask yourself:

If the answer is no, release it.
That’s not avoidance - that’s strategy.

That’s it for this week.
Sometimes Run State isn’t about improving more - it’s about knowing when not to.

Talk soon,
Monica