Weekly Dose #009 Simplify Your Life with Systems

In this week’s issue I’ll talk to you about how using Systems can make your life easier.

Have you ever wanted to start a new habit?

Or wanted to be more efficient at work?

But given up because it’s too difficult?

This used to happen to me, until I learnt about the concept of “friction” and what it can teach you.

After learning the lessons of friction, I've made systems for every aspect of my life.

Systems are the reason I can be a surgeon, write, make educational videos and look after myself and my family while still smiling.

Let’s have a look.

Friction

“Friction” is the discomfort you feel when you are trying to achieve something.

I used to struggle keeping my money in order when I started earning as a doctor.

Every time I sat down to see what I had earned, decide if I had anything left over to save and make sure I had paid all my bills, I didn’t know where to start.

So I’d do half a job, or just give up and say I’d “do it tomorrow”.

But then I learned about the concept of Friction.

The discomfort I felt when trying to balance the books wasn’t something to run away from.

It was pointing to exactly what I needed to look at.

The first step in building a system, is removing any points of Friction.

Building a System

Systems are built in small steps. The first step is removing Friction. My friction when doing my finances was that I had no set point to start from.

Incoming. Outgoing. Bills. Savings. There was too much choice.

So I decided to make a simple Excel sheet with all my outgoings on.

In each row I would put things like: food, gym, petrol, insurance etc.

Next to each I put in how much I though I spent per month

After that I added 4 columns, one for each week of the month.

Next, using a simple formula, I made another column at the end that would add up the weekly values and subtract it from my budget in the first column.

It ends up looking like the sheet below:

Now all I needed to do was open my phone at the end of each week, roughly add the amount I had spent in each area and put it in that week’s box.

Later on I added another box that subtracted all my outgoing from my salary to see if I was saving or losing money.

By using this I had removed the friction of starting and made a simple step by step process for keeping track of my finances.

As time passed, I updated the numbers with the arrival of a mortgage, kids (and thankfully and bigger salary!)

Make Your Own System

This concept can be applied to anything.

Can’t get out of bed in the morning?

Friction: It’s too easy to hit snooze.

System: Put the phone on the other side of the room so you have to get out of bed.

Can’t keep track of all the incoming tasks at work?

Friction: It’s difficult to hold everything in your head.

System: Immediately put new tasks into an automated app, like TodoIst, that will remind you when you want.

Many systems people use seem hugely complicated, and some are.

But all of them started with small, simple steps to remove friction. They then improved and added more layers with time, as more points of friction are found.

Systems don’t have to be complex.

I’ve used that same Excel sheet every week for 9 years.

Find points Friction.

Make simple steps to smooth them out.

Run your System.

See you next week.

I hope this article was helpful and you enjoyed reading it.

I  deliver a weekly dose of my reflections on how to live a happier, healthier and more productive life in my newsletter.

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