Build systems and ride them to the moon🌕

January 20, 2022

We've been working on optimizing your life. This is the last, and most powerful, piece of the puzzle.

Over the last 3 weeks, I've broken down different parts of my system.

I showed you how to reflect on the past year and the new year (link).

Then I showed you how I set goals (link).

Then we talked about turning those goals into habits (link).

This week we're talking about turning habits into systems. Now before we jump in, I have a confession to make: this part of the system is still a work in progress.

I'm not the best at following through with habits and systems. I usually win by brute force and determination.

But as I've continued down the path I've realized that to automate and optimize, I need to systematize my life.

So what is systematizing your life? Systematizing is arranging your life according to an organized system.

It's creating repeating patterns to increase your effectiveness and output.

It's taking the daily thought processes out of your life and making the small things automatic.

It's Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Barack Obama wearing the same thing every day.

It's creating a morning routine that guarantees you get more done by 6 am than most do all day.

It's creating patterns to your days and weeks that make your transitions seamless.

Systems come from creating repeatable processes and stacking habits.

“Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.” - James Clear

You create systems by:

  1. Setting up your environment to optimize what habits you want to form.

  2. Stacking habits one-by-one.

  3. Consistently following through.

The reality is, #3 is the most important. Consistency leads to success.

It won't be easy. I can promise you that.

Rob Dyrdek, a former pro skateboarder who now runs a venture creation studio, has what he calls the "Rhythm of Existence." He has said it took him 5 years to optimize his system from start to finish.

This process of building systems is a lifelong journey.

When we realize this, we can embrace the process.

Let's do this journey together. It's gonna be a fun ride.

What habits and habit routines (that you'll turn into systems are you working on this year?

P.S. If you've not seen my podcast, I talk about dealing with noise, or distraction, in your life. You can listen here.