I was jet-lagged, delirious... and about to do something very stupid

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I was tired, jet-lagged and slightly delirious. And I was about to make one of the most impulsive decisions of my life.

It was early in the year 2000 and I was sitting on a chunky bonus that I’d earned by being on call throughout the night of 31 December 1999.

For the benefit of younger readers — 31/12/1999 was the night when everyone feared that the so-called Millennium Bug might cause computer systems everywhere to stop working, leading to untold chaos and disruption.

Much work had been done in the preceding months to minimise the risks, but people like me were still on standby “just in case”. And we were being paid handsomely for it — in my case by a well-know petrochemicals company who had a lot of important ships at sea.

Quite what I’d have done if the change of date from 1999 to 2000 had suddenly caused one of the world’s largest fleets of oil tankers to sink without trace, I don’t know. But, fortunately, it didn’t happen.

And, even more fortunately, I got paid regardless.

Anyway, back to the story….

It’s the Spring of 2000 and three of my mates were heading to Naples (the one in Florida) to learn to fly.

And, because I had this Y2K bonus burning a hole in my pocket, I decided at the last minute to tag along.

Not to learn to fly, you understand. I had no interest in that. I just fancied spending my days by the pool, soaking up some much-needed sunshine and then joining my mates for drinks and dinner each evening after they’d finished their flying lessons.

But spontaneity came with a price. While my friends had booked well in advance and were all on the same direct flight to Miami, I ended up on a different one entirely.

So whilst they were already checking into the hotel and ordering their first drinks, I was killing time at Gatwick for six hours, then flying to Atlanta, picking up a connecting flight, before finally landing in Miami a full 24 sleepless hours after leaving home.

And, for reasons I now can’t remember, it had been agreed that I’d be the person in charge of collecting the hire car and driving it to Naples.

That doesn’t look far on a map. But it turns out to be quite a long way.

Especially when you’re very tired.

And you’re driving on the wrong side of the road.

And, because you’ve never driven an automatic before, you keep going for the clutch and stamping on the brake instead every time you’re trying to do a three-point turn because you’ve got lost trying to find the hotel.

Anyway, at about 5am local time, I finally arrived and crawled into bed.

A few hours later, still feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, I found myself at the flying school with my mates.

And that's when it happened.

On a complete whim – clearly the jet lag had affected my judgement – I booked a trial lesson.

One hour later, I was absolutely hooked.

And so what was meant to be a relaxing holiday suddenly became an intensive flying course. I extended my stay by a week and did three lessons a day — determined to get my pilot's licence before heading home.

Two moments from that experience are burned into my memory.

The first was my maiden solo flight. Just me, the plane, and a very important piece of paper….

….the checklist.

The checklist is simply a laminated piece of paper that lists all the vital steps you have to do at different stages of the flight.

And, even though I was alone in the cockpit for the first time, I still read every single pre-flight item out loud as I sat at the holding point ready to move onto the runway.

When the wheels left the ground, I let out a proper whoop of excitement.

Of course, that joy was quickly replaced by the sobering realisation that it was now down to me (and that checklist) to get this thing back on the ground in one piece. But, between us, we managed it ok.

The second vivid memory from my time as a student pilot is rather more hair-raising.

I was cleared for a straight-in approach – something that confused me and threw off my usual routine. I came in way too fast, the runway rushing up to meet me.

I managed to get the plane down, but as soon as I hit the brakes, everything went sideways. Literally. The excess speed had me skidding towards the edge of the runway and the very dense plane-destroying bushes beyond.

But here’s where the trusty checklist saved my bacon.

Max throttle, yoke back, flaps up, slightly panicked radio call to the tower – everything in the right order, exactly as the go-around checklist demanded.

Seconds later I was airborne again, disaster averted.

And, despite this little drama, I did pass my final test on my last day in Florida, with fifty hours of flight time under my belt and a healthy respect for the power of checklists.

Now, you might be wondering what learning to fly has to do with running a business. But there's actually a crucial lesson here, especially for solo business owners who are trying to juggle multiple responsibilities.

In aviation, checklists aren't just helpful – they're literally life-saving. They ensure that critical steps aren't missed, even when you're tired, stressed, or facing an unexpected situation.

And your business needs the same level of systematic thinking — in the form of Standard Operating Procedures.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are simply step-by-step instructions — just like a checklist — for completing routine tasks in your business. They can be used for everything from onboarding new clients to creating social media content to following up with prospects.

Here's why they're absolutely crucial for solo business owners:

1. They prevent costly mistakes 
Just like my flying checklist prevented me from forgetting essential safety checks, business SOPs ensure you don't miss critical steps. Whether it's forgetting to send a follow-up email to a hot prospect or missing a deadline for a client deliverable, SOPs catch these before they become problems.

2. They make delegation possible 
Even if you're working alone at the moment, there will come a time when you want to bring in help – whether that's in the form of a virtual assistant, a contractor, your first employee, or even an AI agent. SOPs are what make this possible. Instead of trying to explain everything from memory (and inevitably missing important details), you can hand over a documented process that anyone can follow.

3. They ensure consistency 
When you're juggling multiple clients and projects, it's easy for standards to slip. SOPs maintain the same level of quality and professionalism regardless of how busy or stressed you are. Your clients get the same excellent experience every time.

4. They speed up your work 
Once you've documented a process, you don't need to reinvent the wheel each time. You simply follow the steps. This is particularly valuable for tasks you do regularly but not frequently enough to remember all the details.

5. They reduce mental load 
Every decision you have to make throughout the day uses up mental energy. SOPs remove the need to think about "how" and let you focus on the bigger picture strategy.

So how do you create your first SOP?

Well, my advice is to start small. Pick one task you do regularly – perhaps your client onboarding process or how you create a proposal.

You've got three main options for creating your SOP:

Option 1: Written documentation 
Document every single step in a written format, no matter how obvious it might seem. Include:

• What needs to be done

• When it needs to be done

• How to do it (with screenshots if helpful)

• What the end result should look like

• What to do if something goes wrong

Option 2: Screen recording 
If writing feels too time-consuming, simply use a free tool like Loom to record yourself doing the process while talking through each step. This is often quicker than writing everything out and can be easier for others to follow since they can see exactly what you're doing.

Option 3: AI-powered documentation 
For a more polished approach, tools like Guidde take screen recording to the next level. Unlike Loom (which is great for quick, informal recordings), Guidde automatically adds professional voiceovers, captions, and step-by-step annotations to your screen recordings. It's perfect if you're creating SOPs that external clients will see or if you want something that looks more professional for training materials.

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Whichever method you choose to create your SOP, do test it afterwards by following it exactly as documented. You'll probably find steps you missed or assumptions you made. Refine it until someone else with little or no knowledge of the task could follow it perfectly.

Then gradually build up a library of SOPs for other key processes in your business. Your future self (and anyone you eventually hire) will thank you for it.

Remember, the goal isn't to become a robot following rigid procedures. It's to create a foundation of reliable processes that free you up to focus on the creative, strategic, and relationship-building aspects of your business – the parts that only you can do (and which you probably enjoy the most).

Just like that checklist saved me from what could have been a very expensive (and embarrassing) mishap in Florida, your business SOPs will save you from the kind of mistakes that cost time, money, and client relationships.

All the best,
David

P.S. Building SOPs and creating checklists might seem like a lot of work upfront, but think of it as an investment in your future freedom. Every hour you spend documenting a process now saves you multiple hours (and potential headaches) down the line.

Start with just one process this week. Your business will thank you for it.

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