Imagine your life as a collection of systems – your work, your home, your health, your personal life. How is each area of your life working together? Are some areas going well? Does it feel like you’re dropping a ball or two in others?
Fear not! By understanding systems and how to harness Systems Thinking, you can transform the outlook on your life and gear up to design your ultimate productivity system.
Boost Your Efficiency in 5 Steps: Design Your Ultimate Productivity System
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What is a System?
[A system is] an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something.
– DONELLA MEADOWS, THINKING IN SYSTEMS
If you take a quick look around, you’ll find that we’re surrounded by systems. The Oxford Dictionary defines a ‘system’ as “A set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network.” Everyday examples of systems include:
- A car
- The economy
- The human body
There are systems all around us! In each system, every element is interconnected and interdependent, and they all work together to run this same sequence.
For example, the sequence of running a car looks like this:
- Input: Gasoline
- Process (or system): The internal system to move you from Point A to Point B
- Output: You get to Point B
As Dr. Russell Ackoff explains, “When a system is taken apart, it loses its essential properties.” If you took a car apart, none of its parts would be able to perform this sequence. On their own, they are just parts unable to produce anything. Together, they work to achieve a common purpose.
What is Systems Thinking?
The essence of the Systems Thinking mindset is about looking for connections and thinking about how all things influence each other. Systems Thinking moves you from thinking linearly (i.e. “one track mind”) to thinking holistically (i.e. big picture). As you see beyond the individual parts, you also start to notice patterns, relationships, and feedback loops and understand that each area of your life will have some sort of effect on another area.
Why You Need a Personal Productivity System
“Your mind is for having ideas, not for holding them.”
– David Allen, Getting Things Done
Why do you need a system? Simply put, it transforms chaos into balance.
Between all of your meetings, daily tasks, creative ideas, and appointments it can feel like there isn’t enough time in the world or space in your brain to remember it all!
A system is like having a personal sidekick – ready to take on your daily demands with finesse. A good system simplifies our lives and makes our day-to-day tasks more manageable. It can even help you tackle some of your biggest goals.
Various facets make up your life, and they all come together to form you. Some of these are fully in your control (like your tangible possessions) while others are not (like your health, finances, and work).
You could approach each of these areas individually, but this would be like taking a car apart and laying out all its parts, then expecting it to still take you from Point A to Point B.
Together, your life’s facets create a system that can point in one direction.
For example, let’s say you are looking to start a family but right now, you’re putting in 60 hours at work (the input). The output is that it will affect the time you get to spend with your spouse. In this scenario, your system might be that you are eating out more because you are working late nights. The output of this is that you are spending more money on take-out when you might need to be growing your savings. All that eating out might also mean that you’re letting your health go, which can also affect your family in the long run.
The Secret Power of Systems
#1 Systems Are Predictable
One of the strengths of a system is that they’re made up of repeatable and purposeful actions that let you “function more effectively and proactively”.
Predictability provides you with a high degree of certainty on two levels: your actions and your outcomes. This means that you can:
- Plan and allocate your resources more effectively and
- Start tracking and analyzing your data: steps taken, books read, sales made, money spent, etc.
Predictability not only reduces stress and uncertainty but also allows patterns to emerge. This means that you will be able to see what is going well and what isn’t.
#2 Systems Reduce Conflict
The ideal system is efficient and reduces mental and physical conflict. A well-designed system ensures that you waste less time and make fewer new decisions. This is why systems like morning routines can be so powerful. You reduce conflict by repeating the same routine every morning: wake up, make your bed, brush your teeth, and make your first cup of coffee.
Because of its simplicity, our brains love systems!
#3 Systems Instill Consistency
Systems provide structure and consistency. Therefore, you are not waiting for that sudden burst of motivation before taking action. You know what your payday routine looks like. You know what your workout routine is.
In a well-designed system, its sequence of actions is repeatable until the goal is achieved. This means that with the right system, you can build good habits and know that you will be able to make steady progress because each action is designed to consistently bring you closer to your end goal.
Related: How to Develop Consistency for Success (with 5 Transformative Tips)
#4 Systems Are Reflective
The more we can understand systemic behavior the more we can anticipate that behavior and work with systems to shape the quality of our lives.
– Daniel H. Kim, The Systems Thinker
Systems are designed to provide feedback about what actions are and aren’t working.
Let’s go back to the example of starting a family.
Say you decided to adopt systems thinking and reassess the areas of your life. You reduce your working hours from 60 to 45 hours and decide to go home earlier. The output may be that since you’re no longer working late into the night, get to spend the evenings eating dinner with your spouse. This affects your finances because you are now putting the money that went to take-out into your savings and also affects your relationship with your spouse positively.
Systems are not designed to be the same forever. They are meant to change as your needs change and be adjusted as you learn what actions no longer serve your purpose. As the system’s user, you’ll know when a system needs to be changed or updated based on the results you track.
What Makes a Good Productivity System
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
– James Clear, Atomic Habits
A good system should be:
- Predictable: It should be made up of unsurprising and repeatable actions
- Simple: It should be easy to follow and use minimal tools
- Efficient: It should save you time and effort
- Personalized: It must align with your goals, lifestyle, and preferences
- Sustainable: It must be maintained over the long term
The word ‘system’ sounds pretty mechanical, doesn’t it? But a good system isn’t about rigid structures or just getting things done. It’s also about creating more space for the things that matter to you. It’s about utilizing your finite resources (like your time and energy) more efficiently so that you can live your life and sustainably achieve your goals.
It’s about creating a flow that works best for you.
5 Steps to Design Your Ultimate Productivity System
‘For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.’
– Benjamin Franklin
Step 1: Define Clear Goals
Before we start building, we need a blueprint. So let’s start by identifying the key areas in your life.
This might include areas like work, family, health and fitness, and personal development.
Next, ask yourself: What am I aiming to achieve?
A good place to start would be to reflect on the challenges you are facing in each of these areas. Take some time to think about the kinds of tasks that seem to pile up or where you feel the most overwhelmed.
Then, identify your goals in all the key areas of your life.
For work, you might be aiming to improve your work-life balance. For personal development, you might be aiming to master a new skill.
Step 2: Analyze Current Systems and Look for Broken Ones
“The least obvious part of the system, its function or purpose, is often the most crucial determinant of the system’s behavior.”
– Donella Meadows, Thinking In Systems
Once you’ve identified your key areas, it’s time to play detective and analyze your current processes. Remember, this is not about being self-critical. It is about being objective and honest about your current habits and routines.
- What do your current routines look like?
- What habits are working for you? What isn’t working?
- What are your biggest headaches?
- Are there inefficiencies that could be streamlined?
- What tasks can you delegate?
- Are there any you can take off of your to-do list?
Sometimes, it can be difficult to identify what isn’t working for us. Here are some tips to help with the introspection process:
- Track your time for a week to see where you are spending it.
- Make a note of all the tasks you worked on and identify which ones didn’t add value and/or could be more efficient.
- Ask the people around you for their opinion. Your colleagues at work or family members at home may have some insight into what could be improved.
Step 3: Identify What You Want to Change
After clarifying your goals and analyzing your current systems, the next step is to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.
- What does your ideal workday look like?
- What does your ideal relationship with your partner look like?
- What does your ideal health and fitness routine look like?
- If you could make any changes to any area in your life, what would it be?
This is the time to blend introspection and strategy to pinpoint the changes you need to make for your ideal systems to become a reality.
Here are some other questions to consider during this step:
Reflect on Your Priorities: What are the areas in your life that matter most to you? What changes do you need to make so that your system reflects those priorities? What changes do you need to make so that less important tasks are not overrunning your day?
Evaluate Lifestyle Compatibility: How well do your current systems integrate into your lifestyle? What are your natural rhythms and working preferences? Are you a morning person? Do you do your best deep work in the afternoon? How are you winding down?
Spot Inefficiencies: What tasks in your current system are time-consuming? Are there tasks in your system that make you wonder, “Is there a more efficient way to do this?” What tasks are you doing that could be taken over by someone else? Can you eliminate any unnecessary tasks?
Identify Stress Points: What areas in your life are causing unnecessary stress? What is something that sets a negative tone to your day? Is there an aspect of your life that is causing dissatisfaction? What is making your life harder?
Step 4: Develop Your Productivity System
Now, the real fun begins – designing your ultimate system! We’re bringing together your goals and analysis to develop a system that aligns with your top priorities and fits into your lifestyle. This requires a bit of trial and error, so be patient with yourself, and don’t be afraid to experiment!
Key aspects of developing your system:
Select personal productivity tools that complement your life: We have a plethora of tools, apps, and software at our disposal. The key is to choose the right tool that aligns with your habits. Whether you decide to use a digital calendar or a simple notebook, remember that a good system is simple and efficient. Or you might prefer a visual layout like Asana or keep it minimal with a simple to-do list. Then start with one productivity method like The Eisenhower Matrix, Pomodoro Technique, or Time Blocking. Whatever tool you decide to use, it should complement your lifestyle.
Develop routines around your energy peaks: As you develop your system, keep an eye on your natural energy cycles. You may find that you have a lot of energy in the mornings or that you get into a better flow in the evenings. For example, if you find that your high-energy periods are in the morning, schedule your more intensive tasks earlier in the day and save tasks like inbox-zero, and admin for later.
Incorporate flexibility: Life is unpredictable and your system should be adjustable to your routines. Avoid pitfalls like over-scheduling and not organizing time for leisure and rest. Unexpected life events can and will happen (i.e. kids getting sick, changes to your work schedule, etc.), so don’t allow an overly rigid system to become a source of frustration and burnout!
Here are some ways to avoid a rigid system:
- Build in 10-15 minute buffers between tasks
- Don’t plan every minute of your day (i.e. when you’ll eat or shower)
- Incorporate free will. Your moods and preferences for the day are just as important to make your system successful.
Step 5: Implement, Review, and Adjust
Now that you have your new system in place, it’s time to put it into action. It is unlikely that the first iteration of your system will be perfect. But this is where you can go back to Step 2 to assess what did and didn’t work and Step 3 to identify what other changes you need to make.
Some tips to consider during this step:
Implement and celebrate small successes: Change is not easy and implementing a new system can feel disruptive. As you reflect on these changes, celebrate the small victories. Did you consistently stick to your workout routine? Were you able to meal prep your lunches for work? Did you finally complete that task you’ve been putting off? Acknowledge and celebrate the successes!
Review your system’s effectiveness regularly: Think of your system as an evolving entity. You should not be leaving and forgetting it. Whether it is on a weekly or monthly basis, revisit Steps 2 and 3 regularly to get a pulse check.
Adjust and Refine your system: Adjusting and refining should be a part of maintaining your system. Stay open to new methods, tools, and ideas that can enhance
Summary
This post was about why you need a system, what makes a good system, and 5 steps you can take today to start building your ultimate personal productivity system.
A good system simplifies our lives and makes our day-to-day tasks more manageable. It can even help you tackle some of your biggest goals. It’s about creating a flow that works best for you.
5 Steps to Build Your Ultimate Personal Productivity System
- Step 1: Define clear goals
- Step 2: Analyze current systems and look for broken ones
- Step 3: Identify what you want to change
- Step 4: Develop Your System
- Step 5: Implement, Review, and Adjust
Recommended Readings
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Thinking In Systems by Donella Meadows
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