Everyone talks about building systems. Get a system. You need systems. Systems are the answer. But what is a system?
I think I know what it means, then I see it used and it makes me question what I know. Sometimes I see it and it makes no sense. I think it’s becoming one of those words that is used so much it’s meaning is getting lost.
Like ‘discipline’ feels negative and smug, ‘system’ feels complicated and technical. They both feel like something other people have figured out and make you feel less for not ‘getting it’.
A system is not something else to chase. It’s not discipline, or motivation, or a magic wand.
I’ve already talked about setting clear goals and breaking them down into actionable steps. That’s the ‘what.’ Systems are the ‘how.’ They’re what turn your list of good intentions into things that get done.
So, let’s explain systems simply.
What is a system?
A system is simply a series of steps, in a set order, that produces a reliable outcome. That’s it. It’s not fancy, or complicated. In fact, you probably already have a lot of them.
Daily commute. Weekly food shop. Evening wind-down routine. Meal planning. All systems.
Some people might call a system a process. They are the same, one just sounds clever and the other more mundane.
What a system isn’t
Sometimes the clearest way to define something is to say what it isn’t. In the case of a system, it’s not a habit or a routine, although these words are often used interchangeably.
A system is the recipe. The steps that take place in a set order and produce a reliable outcome. For example, you boil water, put a tea bag in your mug, add the water, let it brew, add milk. The outcome is always a drinkable mug of tea, just the way you like it.
A habit is following the recipe so many times you don’t think about it anymore. It’s automatic. You use muscle memory. When was the last time you made a mug of tea and had to stop and work out what you needed to do next? Think about the other things you are doing when you are making your tea – talking to partner, kids, colleagues. Your mind wanders so you are thinking of other things.
A routine is when you follow the recipe. The timing. The schedule. You make your mug of tea when you get up, before you shower. It’s the first thing you do when you get to work.
Most people have vague systems like ‘I’ll get ready for work’ rather than clear ones. For example, alarm goes off at 7am, have a shower, eat porridge, leave for work at 8am. The vague system requires daily decisions. The clear version doesn’t.
Why systems work
There are four ways that I find systems work for me.
1. Remove decisions
When you’ve already decided the steps, you don’t waste energy figuring out what do to next. The most famous example is Steve Jobs wearing the same thing every day. Barack Obama too. Not because they loved turtlenecks or the same suit, because choosing an outfit uses decision-making energy.
I have porridge every weekday. Overnight oats on days if I’m not working from home. Same breakfast, no decision, energy saved. Weekends require fewer decisions overall, so I have the mental energy to try new recipes and eat something different.
2. Create consistency and protect your energy
When you execute the same steps, you know what the outcome will be. It is reliable.
You don’t have to think, so you use less energy and are more focused. This means tasks get done more efficiently because your brain isn’t wasting processing power on ‘what should I do?’ It’s available to get the work done.
I end each work session by writing my next task on a card and leaving it on my laptop. When I sit down next time, I know exactly what I’m doing. No ‘where was I?’ No staring at a to-do list wondering what to work on first.
If it’s a particularly challenging task, I’ll set out what I need on my desk and screen so I’m ready to go. The outcome is always progress.
3. Build momentum
One step triggers the next. You’re not starting from scratch each time. The system makes it happen.
I get up in the morning, go downstairs and get a drink, then I go to my desk and open my journal. Each action prompts the next one. The first 15-20 minutes of my day happen without me needing to be fully awake. My system carries me through until my brain catches up.
4. Remove procrastination
For me, this is the big one. Without realising it, a system made it possible for me to build my 1800-day run streak.
How? It started with a question. When will I run today?
Before my streak I would ask myself ‘Will I run today?’ One word, huge difference. It created opportunity for procrastination. I was a master at finding reasons to reply ‘later’ and then later never came.
Then I changed the question and built a system that answered it:
- Kit system. I wear the same kit for two days then change it. I hang it on the back of my door to air after both runs. On day two it does in the wash and new kit replaces it. (I run alone, in the countryside and meet almost no-one).
- Time, distance and route pre-decided before I put my kit on.
- Shoe rotation system. When I come back from my run, I take off my shoes and put them underneath my other pair. When I go for my next run, I lift the top pair. No thought.
How to create a system
When I first became aware of systems, I started by identifying the ones I already had. I reviewed whether they helped me. Were the steps the right ones? Did I execute them at the right time of day. I find this process helpful. It brings structure to my day. For example, on office days I would get up and run before work. My system was focused around my morning routine so I could leave in time to get to work. On work from home days, I would try the same system but, without my commute, I found it more difficult to get consistency. It was much easier to have an extra half hour in bed. So, I kept my system, I just started it 30 minutes later.
Moving to working for myself, it’s been challenging to fit my systems together in a way that works for me. I have my run system, but I’m struggling to know where to fit it in my day. Is it part of my morning system. Before work? Later in the morning? I’m working out my energy levels and considering them with my morning and run systems to see what order works best for me.
To create a system, start with one you’ve already got and consider how it works. Does anything need to change? Could you add anything on the end to help you get something else done?
Why you need a system for your business
Do you feel like you are winging it every day? You sit down and then decide what to work on? This means you are using energy before you even start.
When you work in a job for someone else, the system exists around you. Meetings create momentum. Deadlines create urgency. Your boss creates accountability. You know how to manage your diary. How to work to a deadline. What your boss expects of you. These are all systems you execute in your daily work.
When you work for yourself there’s no structure. Most days you’ll be creating it from scratch. That’s exhausting. In theory, side hustles can be slightly easier, you need to build time to work on it around your other commitments.
This is why you can be successful, efficient, effective at work but struggle to build a side hustle or work for yourself. You lack a system. You’ve created opportunity to consider what you want to do, the perfect breeding ground for procrastination.
What now?
Don’t copy someone else’s system. That’s the worst place you can start. If you’ve looked at the systems you’ve already got and made them work for you. That’s your starting point. What other things are going on in your life that would be easier with a system. Or what things are you not getting done that frustrate you? They would benefit from a system.
My new system is to sit down at 6pm on a Sunday with my paper diary and a notebook. No screens. I look at my week and I plan it. When will I get up. When will I run. What day will I keep meeting free. I look at where I think my energy will be high and where I’ll feel depleted. I look at my commitments and I create a plan. Then, I know what each day looks like.
Choose one thing and start building your system, the series of steps that you can execute that will mean it gets done. Look at where things don’t go the way you want them to. For most people, it’s the after-work system where autopilot kicks in and the evening disappears with no effort or decision making on your part. If this is frustrating you, what could you change?
Struggling to build a system that works for you? Book a call and we can work through what’s getting in your way.
