Laundry, Leadership & the Loop

Laundry, Leadership, and the Loop We Live In

Why Success Isn’t a Checklist, It’s a Cycle

I was recently listening to Mel Robbins recap her top podcast episodes, and one really stuck with me—not because it was about leadership or time management or productivity—but because it was about laundry.

Yes, laundry.

It might not sound glamorous, but it hit me like a load of bricks fresh out of the dryer.

In the episode, Mel highlighted the words of Kacey Davis, who described laundry as a never-ending cycle. Clean clothes become worn clothes. Worn clothes become dirty clothes. Dirty clothes become clean again. Over and over and over.

It’s not a task you finish. It’s a rhythm you fall into.

And isn’t that the truth for so much of our life and leadership?

We’re Trained to Love Checklists… But Life Doesn’t Work That Way

Most of us like lists. I know I do. There’s something satisfying about checking a box, crossing something off, declaring a task DONE.

As someone with Achiever as my #3 CliftonStrength, I’ll be honest—this kind of never-ending cycle drives me a little nuts. I thrive on productivity and measurable progress. I love seeing what I’ve accomplished at the end of the day. So when tasks don’t get “finished” in the traditional sense, it feels uncomfortable—almost like I’m spinning my wheels.

But here’s what I’ve learned: Some of the most important work we do as leaders—both personally and professionally—isn’t the kind you get to check off. It’s cyclical. Ongoing. Repeating.

Just like laundry.

You don’t “win” at leadership one day and then move on. You don’t build a team and call it done. You don’t communicate once and expect to be understood forever. These things—communication, vision, alignment, coaching, planning, showing up—aren’t to-dos. They’re to-continues.

The Leadership Laundry List: Cycles That Keep Us Centered

Here are a few “laundry-style” rhythms that leaders—whether you’re a chamber president, nonprofit executive, or small business owner—need to get comfortable with:

1. Vision & Alignment

Vision isn’t a one-time speech or a framed statement in your lobby. It’s a recurring conversation. It’s checking in with your team to ask: Are we still headed in the same direction? Does everyone know where we’re going and why it matters?

Think of it like sorting clothes. If you don’t do it regularly, everything gets mixed up and muddled. People feel lost. Priorities shift. Energy gets wasted.

Set a rhythm for revisiting your vision. Talk about it often. Align your daily tasks and decisions to it. It’s not a box to check—it’s a drumbeat to keep playing.

2. Relationships & Culture

This one’s huge. Whether it’s with your board, your staff, your members, or your customers—relationships require regular attention. You don’t build trust once and then coast.

It’s like folding the laundry and putting it away. It’s not glamorous. You may not want to do it. But when you don’t, it piles up. Things get wrinkled. People get uncomfortable.

If culture and connection matter to you (and they should), then schedule the small things that strengthen them: quick check-ins, handwritten notes, spontaneous thank-yous, team lunches. Relationship-building is never “done.” It’s ongoing.

3. Communication

We’ve all been guilty of thinking, “But I already said that.”

Say it again. And again. And in a different way. And in writing. And out loud.

Communication isn’t just sharing information—it’s checking for clarity, adjusting based on how others receive it, and repeating the message until it sticks. Just like you wouldn’t expect one load of laundry to keep your whole wardrobe clean forever, you can’t expect one message to do all the heavy lifting.

4. Strategic Focus

You can’t create a strategic plan, stick it in a drawer, and expect it to guide your organization. Strategy is living. Breathing. Changing.

Review your plans quarterly. Check progress. Adjust the timing. Add new goals. Revisit what’s working. Like washing your favorite clothes—you do it often because they’re worth it.

Find a Pace That Works for You

One of the things Kacey Davis said in the podcast that really resonated with me was: “Get a pace that works for you. Your brain likes patterns.” That’s a powerful truth in leadership, too.

You don’t have to tackle all your leadership “laundry” every single day. But you do need a system. A cadence that works for your life, your energy, your team.

The point is not to do it all at once. The point is to do it consistently.

And when the cycle gets disrupted (because it will), don’t beat yourself up. Just pick back up. Load another cycle. Keep going.

And Then There’s the Part We Don’t Like…

Let’s be honest. Everyone has a part of the laundry process they dread. For me, it’s putting it away.

In leadership, there are those things too. The tasks we delay. The conversations we avoid. The follow-ups we leave for later.

We can build rhythms around those, too. Give them a name. Schedule them. Celebrate when they’re done. Invite accountability.

Because when we let them linger, they pile up—and suddenly we’re buried under a mountain of “stuff” that feels overwhelming.

You’re Not Behind. You’re Just in the Middle of the Cycle.

One of the most powerful mindset shifts we can make as leaders is this: You’re not falling behind. You’re just cycling through.

The vision needs revisiting? Normal.

The team needs reminding? Expected.

You feel tired? Of course—this is work that never ends.

But it’s also work that matters deeply.

And for those of us wired like me—with that Achiever drive—it helps to remember: consistency can count as progress. Patterns build momentum. Cycles can be satisfying when we start seeing how they’re keeping things moving forward.

A Final Word from the Laundry Room

Here’s what I hope you take away:
- Leadership isn’t linear. It loops.
- Some of the most important work will never be “done.”
- Find rhythms instead of chasing checkmarks.
- Build in moments of clarity, connection, and care—again and again.

And when you feel like you’re stuck in the spin cycle, just pause, breathe, and take one small step to move forward.

Maybe that’s a folded towel.
Maybe that’s a handwritten thank-you.
Maybe that’s pulling your team together to talk about what matters most.

It all counts.

Need Help Finding Your Leadership Rhythm?

At Starfish Partnerships, I help leaders and teams find clarity and momentum—even in the middle of the mess. Whether you need a retreat to regroup, a coach to guide your next chapter, or a facilitator to help your board align, I’m here.

Let’s turn that never-ending to-do list into a meaningful leadership rhythm that works for you.

Reach out today to schedule a discovery call and see how we can tackle your laundry list—together.