The Personal Ops System

Working hard isn’t enough if your system is broken.
Ideas slip. Tasks pile up. People forget you.

I used to think I needed more motivation.
What I really needed was structure.

This is what changed everything:
I started running my life like a business.

In this issue, I’ll show you how to build a Personal Ops System—a simple setup to manage your time, ideas, people, and projects like a 7-figure operator.

Think Like a Founder

If your life was a business, would you invest in it?

This isn’t a motivational question. It’s a real one.

Founders don’t succeed because they work nonstop.
They win because they build systems that support the work.

That mindset applies even if you’re solo.
The difference between random effort and consistent progress is how you operate.

Start thinking in terms of structure:

• What do I track?

• What decisions do I repeat?

• What processes can I set once and reuse?

Here’s the shift:

• Amateurs react.

• Operators prepare.

You need systems for five core areas:

1. Ideas — what you capture and revisit

2. Time — how you use your day

3. People — who you know and stay connected with

4. Projects — what you’re building and shipping

5. Money — how you track, manage, and grow it

Once you see your life this way, you stop guessing.
You start running a real operation.

The 5-Stack System

To operate at a high level, you only need five core systems.

These cover everything that matters:
How you think, how you spend time, who you talk to, what you build, and how you handle money.

Here’s the full stack:

1. Ideas

You can’t afford to lose insights.
Capture content hooks, business concepts, and lessons the moment they hit.
Use: Notes app, voice memos, or Notion.
Create one inbox for ideas. Review it weekly.

2. Time

Your calendar should reflect your goals.
Plan deep work. Block time for specific outcomes.
Use: Google Calendar or a weekly planner.
Every Sunday, review the past week and reset the next.

3. People

Your network is built through consistency.
Track who you meet, what you said, and when to follow up.
Use: Attio, a CRM that gives you context at a glance.
This is where your leverage compounds.

4. Projects

Anything you’re building needs a home.
Break things down into actions. Track what’s done and what’s next.
Use: Trello, Notion, or ClickUp.
Keep it visual and minimal.

5. Money

You don’t need complex spreadsheets.
You need clarity.
Track income, spending, and high-return decisions.
Use: A simple Google Sheet or Tiller.
Update it once a week.

This is your Personal Ops System.
Five moving parts. One clear outcome: momentum you can control.

Your People Stack

Your relationships are either an asset or a missed opportunity.
There’s no in-between.

Most people don’t follow up.
They forget names, lose context, and waste potential.
Not because they don’t care, because they don’t track anything.

You can’t rely on memory if you want to build a serious network.

You need a system.

What to track:

• Who they are

• How you met

• What you talked about

• What value you gave

• When to follow up

This doesn’t need to be complicated.
But it needs to exist.

🔗 The Tool: Attio

If you’re serious about building relationships, you can’t manage them in a spreadsheet.
Attio gives you a simple CRM that fits how you actually work.

AI native CRM for the next generation of teams

Powerful, flexible, and intuitive to use, Attio is the CRM for the next-generation of teams.

Sync your email and calendar, and Attio instantly builds your CRM—enriching every company, contact, and interaction with actionable insights in seconds.

Join fast growing teams like Flatfile, Replicate, Modal, and more.

Start for free today.

Track conversations.
Keep notes.
Set follow-ups.

It’s clean, fast, and built for people who don’t want to feel like they’re using a sales tool.

Weekly Ops Review

A system only works if you maintain it.

This part takes discipline — but not much time.
You can run the entire review in under an hour each week.

Make it part of your Sunday reset or Monday morning prep.

Your 60-Minute Ops Review

This simple routine does two things:

• Keeps you sharp

• Builds momentum

You won’t feel like you’re starting from zero each week.
You’ll know what to do, when to do it, and who to stay in touch with.

That’s what separates a high-performer from someone who’s always catching up.

Run It Like It Matters

You already have the ambition.
Now you have the framework.

• Use your 5-stack.

• Run your weekly review.

• Track your people.

• Stick to the system.

Every win compounds when you stop guessing and start operating with intent.

Treat your life like your most valuable company.
Because it is.

Talk again soon,

Alex, Founder of The Capital Circle