Invest in Building Systems

Something that I have come to love in my life are systems. Systems are important because it helps you to generate consistent and reproducible outcomes. Many elements in our lives are very simple and operate similar to a function, which is basically the process of an input being altered based on some rules to produce a new output. What a system can do is it can help package the input into something easier to use and optimize the function to generate the specific outcome you desire.

For example - Let’s say you want to get better at flossing at night. Very simply you can create a system for your toothbrushing routine that incorporates flossing. Maybe you start storing your floss on top of your toothbrush, triggering you to interact with it in order to brush your teeth. Or maybe you keep your toothbrush in a new place, like a cup, bristles down as a reminder to look for the floss you placed in the cup as well.

Easy enough right? And it’s very reliable. But if it’s so easy then why don’t we do it more often? It’s because building the system takes a little time and effort upfront to establish. But something I firmly believe is that you need to invest in building the system in order to make consistent progress in your life. It is the one decision that helps you make the right future choice over and over again.

These systems can be applied for just about anything - From exercise to sleep to social media consumption to relationships to self-care to fun! I’m being really intentional about designing systems in my life that correspond with things I want to prioritize, my values, so that the important things are represented in the actions I’m taking and the results I’m generating.