Honestly? I was never great at planning — even though I’ve always loved being organized.

I used to feel like I was constantly running behind.

I remember back in school, I was always the one arriving just before the doors closed — while my best friend showed up way too early. We’d leave our houses at the same time, yet I was always late.

Things only changed when we moved to another part of town and I had to take the school bus. Suddenly, I had to be on time — or I’d miss the ride completely. That external structure forced me to plan better and use my time more wisely.

But when I started my online business, things fell apart again.

Sure, we had run several brick-and-mortar businesses before, and planning was never an issue there. But an online business is different.

Why?

Because there’s no office to go to. No opening hours. No boss. No pressure.

Everything depends on me — and without a clear plan, I lose momentum fast.

It wasn’t enough to “have a plan.”

I had to create one, schedule every task, and most importantly — stick to it.

When I first started, I was constantly behind:

Scrambling for post ideas.

Inconsistent with publishing.

Always forgetting to promote. 😵‍💫

And I learned something important:

Not all work is the same. There’s busywork — and there’s work that leads to real results.

That was my turning point.

I had to get crystal clear about the right kind of work — the work that moves the needle.

Then I had to schedule it.

Then I had to actually do it.

It turns out, I didn’t need more time.

I needed a system that helped me plan and focus.

Why plan?

To make better decisions.

To live more consciously.

To build momentum without burnout.

Once I started seeing progress, I knew I was onto something.

In my first (German) business, I got good at this.

But now with Substack — a side project alongside my main business — I had to get even more intentional.

So I started small: Saturday mornings. Coffee in hand. A quiet house. A promise to show up.

That’s when I created my 4-hour Substack workflow. It’s the simple system I now use every week to plan, write, and grow my newsletter — without the stress.

In my new series “4-Hour Creator: Build Your Substack in One Focused Morning,” I’ll show you exactly how I do it:

✅ A step-by-step content planning process
✅ How I write faster with my “Good Enough Draft” method
✅ A weekly routine to publish & promote consistently
✅ How to stay visible without burning out
✅ Light tracking & monthly reviews that keep me on course

No hacks. No hustle. Just a system that works.

👉 [Read all full posts here]​

You don’t need more time.

You need a system that respects the time you already have.

Cheers,

Katja

P.S. Let me know: Which part of the workflow will you try first?

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