Different ways to Create systems to simplify your life December 14, 2020 – Posted in: well-being – Tags: systems
The difference with a system is that there is a method and strategy to the system. This article covers how to create systems to simplify your life, symplifying your life with systems, systems for a personal life, and establishing systems.
How to create systems in your life
Systems in some ways are just another word for habits when we talk about our life. Its the things we from
day to day that add up over time.
If we are always stressed doing different things without helpful systems we will drain our energy and become unfocused. All this is because we must manage the mental and physical energy, something I talk about more specifically in another article here https://davidmauntz.com/personal-energy/
Systems in our personal life can help us professionally and in every other way because it allows for simplification. The less we have to think, plan, and make decisions, the more we can concentrate on our personal goals and projects. This article is about establishing systems to help create the life we want.
Whether we know it or not, we all operate on repeatable systems. Wake up, drink your coffee, drive to work, eat lunch at the restaurant, go to the grocery store, come home watch TV. Repeated again and again over time these become systems in our lives.
To find how systems can simplify and optimise our lives we need to first decide what is most important to us and then eliminate as many things as possible that aren’t important for us. Create systems to simplify your life.
When looking at our lives we should ask ourselves the following questions:
-
- Is this a good system that will good long term results?
- Can the system be more effective?
- Can the system run more efficiently?
- Can you improve the system in any way?
A new system can be implemented for everything we repeatedly do. Establishing systems for ourselves makes everything easier. This way we can put our energy into things that really matter like creative processes, working on business, building big things, optimising processes, and learning.
Simplify your life with systems
I have compiled a list of 12 things we can systemise in our lives for systemisation and optimisation to help you to create systems to simplify your life.
1.Finance systems- Money tracking/bill paying/expenses Money is an important part of life and if imbalanced, can cause big problems in every other area. If you don’t have systems for your personal finances, I can guarantee you thatyou are probably wasting hundreds or even thousands per month.
You should know how much you are paying per month for rent, electricity, phone bill, groceries, education, insurance, entertainment, repeating bill services, travel expenses, taxes, debt.
Find ways to lower your expenses in each area and consider if everything you are paying is really neccessary. Consider where you are wasting money in your personal life.
You should be checking at least once per month and taking a good look to see if you are overpaying. If you are paying more then the minimum price there must be a reason for it.
Systems for a personal life
2. Food and Drink consumption- what and how much you eat, the cost
Your food and drink will affect both your physical and mental health as well as your financial situation. Think about how you can eat healthy and cost effectively. What changes can you make in your dient for better health? Find the right systems and then create systems to simplify your life
3. Systemising nights. We can waste a lot of time and money in front of the television if we aren’t careful. The televeision can be great but what are you getting that is valuable from all this time? Anything? Consider how you can better spend your evenings in a way that will support the future you are working towards.
Often we are tired and we lack physical and mental energy at the end of the day. But this doesnt mean that we have to spend our time drinking to the bottom of a whiskey bottle watching mindless television series. Every night you might be watching up to 3 hours of television a night. In a year this equals 1095 hours or 45 days(68 days worth of awaken hours)! This is over 2 months in a year!
4. Mornings. Mornings are great because you can decide how you want to start your day. Unlike nights, you will have more energy if you got the necessary sleep the night before.
If you wake up a few hours before everyone else, you will have the time to do anything you
want without any distraction whatsoever. Maybe instead of mindlessly watching TV you should just sleep and be productive tomorrow.
5. Sleep. Sleep has a bad reputation but is just as influential on your personal mental and physical performance as the food you eat and the air you breath. You can’t be at your best if you are tired.
Don’t worry about oversleeping. Worry most about what you do when you are awake.
6. Rest- Rest isn’t the same as sleep but I believe it is important to have a time to relax in life. You can spend your time resting in several ways. It could be on the couch watching tv, playing a game on your phone, walking in a park, lying on the beach, reading a book, or just staring mindlessly at the wall.
In many ways awakened rest is the same as a sleeping nap. Its about brain activity, heart rate, and lowering the intensity of your focus and intention for a short period of time to recharge your mental energy. Get some rest!
Establishing systems
7. Exercise– As a former personal trainer for over 10 years I know that exercise is important. I don’t think it needs to be a traditional form of exercise like jogging or lifting weights but I think everyone should have a physical activity that they do several times a week that leaves them tired but happy. Our body reaps so many chemical benefits and it has been well established. Im not going to get into the science of it.
From my experience its best to do something physical every day and something intense twice per week. If you don’t know what activity to do, try walking and doing basic bodyweight stretches and exercises. Just move!
8.Relationship time- Humans are social beings and we need time to form meaningful connections with family and friends. Spend some time doing things you like with others when you can. Sometimes its hard to find a system that works so just try to manage this as best you can but don’t let it pull you into bad habits that will hurt you over time.
We all have different priorities as to who deserves our time and how much. Its a personal choice and it really depends on the circumstances. A little bit of time with friends can do wonders for your mentality and ability to be creative and communicative.
9. Celebration time should be earned. If you haven’t commited to your projects as you wanted during the week then you don’t deserve celebration time. But if you have allocated the right amount of energy towards your objectives then treat yourself to a time of celebration during the weekend. Party on.
10- Personal time system. Again this isn’t something that needs to be systemised once a day but you should have moments in your week where you are alone and you have time to reflect about where you are going, how things are progressing, how relationships are dragging you down or raising you up, etc.
Take the time to take yourself very seriously. Then take a moment to not take yourself seriously at all. Gain perspective.
11. Physical space systems. Our physical spaces play a significant role on our performance, organisation, and how we experience day to day life.
We should have a place we work and a place we relax. They shouldn’t be the same places. We should have things set up so that we don’t have to spend time looking for things or constantly rearranging things.
We also have digital spaces like folders, browsers, emails, calenders, desktops, accounts, etc. These places should be set up for clarity of mind and simplification and ease of access.
Thats about it. We should all develop systems that make our lives easier and better. Our systems should serve us, no one else. No one will live your life for you so take charge of your time and space accordingly. Create systems to simplify your life.