Before any harvest, there’s a walk-through … a status check. In the wine industry, this is when grape growers and vineyard managers walk the rows, check the grape clusters, pull a few samples, and assess how the vines are doing.
Then they report their findings to the winemakers so they can plan all the logistics of their busy “crush” season — bringing the grapes in, pressing the juice out of them, and making wine.
Vineyard walk-throughs and sample collecting isn’t flashy work. In fact, it’s often hot, humid, and exhausting. But it’s necessary.
Because if you don’t know what’s thriving — and what’s tangled or weak — you can’t prepare for a strong harvest.
The same is true for your work-from-home life.
If you’ve been feeling tired, stretched thin, or just a little off your game lately, don’t assume you need a total overhaul. What you probably need is a check-in. A quiet systems check. Something grounded. Clear-eyed. Real.
And that’s what this week is for.
What’s a WFH Systems Check?
Luckily, a WFH systems check is not as physically taxing as a sample-collecting trek through a vineyard.
For us WFH entrepreneurs, it’s more of a self-audit. A no-pressure review of how you’re working, what’s actually getting done, and what’s quietly draining your time and energy.
To be clear … it’s not a performance review like you may have received before at an office job.
And it’s not intended to be a productivity guilt trip.
This is simply about noticing what’s helping you do your best work — and what’s not.
You don’t have to make a bunch of changes today. You just have to see clearly what’s going on. Just like checking the vines before deciding whether it’s time to harvest.
👉 Want a quick way to walk through your own WFH systems? This month’s Mini Power Tool is The Tenacious WFH Systems Check Checklist — a printable one-page self-audit to help you assess your energy, tools, task flow, and more.
If you’re already a Tenacious WFH Insider or VIP, you can access the checklist in your Dropbox folder now. If not, go here to choose your premium subscription upgrade plan now.
Look at the 3 Key Areas of WFH Productivity
You can break this walk-through into three simple zones:
1. Energy
- When do you feel most alert and creative?
- When do you crash or procrastinate?
- Are your best hours getting eaten up by email or admin work?
Start tracking your energy. Even a few notes over 2–3 days can reveal patterns.
For example, you might realize your deep work window is 9–11 a.m. — but that’s when you’re on Zoom calls. If so, no wonder you’re feeling behind!
2. Tools & Tech
- Is your current setup working for you?
- Are there apps or automations you’re not using — or overusing?
- Are you constantly switching tools or tabs?
Cluttered tools create cluttered thoughts. This week, take five minutes to evaluate whether your tech stack is helping or hindering your flow. (Especially if your project tracker is now five sticky notes and a Trello board you haven’t opened in a month.)
3. Task Flow
- Are you working from a plan, or reacting to what’s loudest?
- Is your to-do list realistic, or just aspirational?
- What invisible work are you doing that never gets logged?
Write down everything you actually did today — not just the “important” tasks. Include the Slack messages, tech issues, context switching, unplanned errands, and the 17 minutes spent chasing a billing error.
That’s your real workload. That’s what your system needs to support.
The One Key Question of a WFH Systems Check
Once you’ve evaluated your energy, tools and tech, and task flow, it’s time to ask the most important question: “What’s quietly working against me right now?”
This could be:
- Saying yes to everything, even when you don’t have capacity.
- Trying to fit your workday into a traditional 9–5 mold that doesn’t suit your WFH brain.
- Failing to take breaks because “you work from home, so it’s already flexible.”
- Letting your email inbox dictate your day instead of your energy or priorities.
You can’t reset what you haven’t recognized. That’s why this check-in question is so powerful.
No Judgment, Just Data
This isn’t about fixing everything at once. It’s about cultivating awareness.
Because when you know where you’re leaking time, energy, or focus, you can start patching those leaks. You can protect your mornings. You can delegate more wisely.
And you can ditch the systems that make you feel behind before you’ve even started.
Reset doesn’t mean start over. It means start approaching your days with more clarity.
Let Your Check-In Guide the Season Ahead
August is your prep month. The pre-harvest. The run-up to a new season.
You don’t need to wait until fall to hit your stride — but you also don’t need to power through without taking stock.
The truth is, you’re already doing more than you think. A systems check doesn’t add more work to your plate — it frees you to do your best work without all the friction.
So grab your metaphorical clipboard. Walk your WFH world like it’s your own vineyard. Observe. Notice. Appreciate what’s growing. And get honest about what needs support.
Your harvest — the next wave of results, progress, impact — will come. Let’s get ready for it.
Action Step
This week, do a “check the vines” walkthrough of your WFH systems.
Log what’s draining your energy, what’s supporting your focus, and what needs pruning or reworking. Don’t fix it all — just see it. Once you do, you can then plan how best to proceed.
✨ Ready to make it easier? Download The Tenacious WFH Systems Check Checklist from your premium subscriber hub and use it as your guide for this week’s self-audit.
Not a premium subscriber yet? Go here to learn more about the perks enjoyed by Tenacious WFH Insiders and VIPs, choose your preferred upgrade level, and access all of the benefits today.