More effective personal systems
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Time to read: 4 minutes
Hi Reader
I hear this a lot:
”I’d love to work on
Now I could say something glib like “If it’s important enough you’d make time” which doesn't help anyone (even if it might be technically true).
So instead let’s be more practical and helpful about it. And this quote sums up this week's edition beautifully:
"Your systems are perfectly designed to get the results that you are getting.” – Stephen R. Covey
So what are systems in this context?
It's not the software you use - although that can be part of it. Our personal systems are the processes or frameworks that we use to get stuff done.
The right systems make it easier to do what's important to our progress. They keep us on track (and less likely to be derailed or distracted). And at their best, they help us scale our impact.
Let's start with a story to bring it to life. Actually, two of them.
The impact of personal systems
Story 1: Jake starts each day without a plan, responding to emails and requests as they come, often getting sidetracked by minor issues. His approach to tasks varies, wasting time figuring out where he left off or how to proceed next.
His lack of routine and organization leads to missed opportunities (and deadlines), as he can't focus long enough on any single task to make meaningful progress. This erratic workflow keeps him stuck, hindering any significant advancement.
Story 2: Emma reviews her weekly agenda every Sunday afternoon, setting clear priorities and blocking out time for deep work. She automates recurring tasks like invoice processing and client follow-ups, keeping her inbox and schedule uncluttered. Knowing her peak productivity hours, she tackles high-impact projects in the morning, ensuring her efforts align with her goals.
Her focus and systems shield her from distractions, allowing her to excel and progressively advance toward her ambitions.
Take a moment to reflect. You've probably known people like Jake and Emma. And you might recognise a mix of both in your own approach. I know I do!
But in our professional lives, the more we can have systems like Emma's, the more effective we'll be.
What type of systems are we using?
We use systems for all sorts of things: How we:
- Allocate our time
- Get into flow and do our best work
- Stay mindful and healthy
- Reflect and learn
- Nurture connections with others
- Build new skills and form new habits
- Organise all our thoughts and resources
- Even, how we define and achieve our biggest goals and full impact.
But our systems fall into two categories.
Intentional systems
The ones we've created to have an impact. Something deliberate and intentionally designed to make something more effective. And something we regularly review and improve to make sure it's serving us well.
Think of Emma's intentional weekly review and time allocation. Or this process I've shared before to get into flow and do deep work:
How I get focused for deep work in only 5 minutes
They're intentional, deliberate and effective.
Accidental systems
These are the systems we’ve created without realising. The patterns, routines and habits that we've drifted into. The ones we ignore. Or where we misunderstand the impact they're having on our effectiveness and outputs.
We're all likely to have some of these. But when you start to spot them, you can start to tackle and improve them.
So how do you start to create more effective, intentional systems?
Creating a more intentional system
It starts with reflection - like so much of this work does.
Take an honest look at how you're spending your week. How you tackle your most important, impactful work.
Where does it already feel intentional and well-designed? And where have accidental systems and practices crept in? Maybe the ones that are less organised and less effective than you'd like?
You're likely already thinking of areas where a more intentional system might help.
But a quick word of warning: Building systems can be another form of procrastination!
It's so tempting to set up complicated documents, spreadsheets or workflows. Or maybe experiment with the latest "time-saving" tool. And with the proliferation of AI-based tools now there's even more to tempt-us with productivity silver-bullets.
So before you dive into creating a system consider these 5 factors:
1/ What's the current level of friction vs. the opportunity for improvement?
Marginal gains are fine, but focus on the areas with the most opportunity first.
2/ What's the frequency and repeatability of the activity?
There's less benefit in creating systems for things you only do sporadically, or that change each time.
3/ What's the complexity or potential for systematising?
If you feel the need to create something complicated, it may not your best candidate. Trust me - it's always a bad idea if I think "I could just code something for this..."
4/ How much leverage will I get?
For the amount of effort I need to put in - both in creating the system and operating it - what outputs will I get out?
5/ What's the simplest thing I can try?
Don't start big and complicated. Start small then optimise and refine as you go.
Let me share a simple personal example from a few weeks ago.
Each week I record the group call on my Ambition Accelerator programme. However, I kept forgetting the steps I took to prepare this recording to publish with the group. It was inefficient and it annoyed me.
So one week I took an extra 30 minutes to document the steps in a Notion page. Now, every time I get the notification that the recording is ready, I open the page and follow the steps one-by-one. It's quicker and produces a more consistent output. I don't have to even think about it.
Give it a go and see where you can improve something this week.
There's lots more we can get into on effective personal systems.
There's a whole module about in my ambition accelerator programme, because it's fundamental to how we achieve our biggest goals.
And the programme is one big system to make you more effective in how you identify, define and achieve your purposeful impact.
If you want to know more, I've created a new page with some details. Feel free to check it out here: Ambition Accelerator
Wrap up
When we're intentional about our personal systems we're far more effective. That lets us do more of our best work and have more of our full impact.
And I've deliberately not talked about specific systems today because they're personal and individual. What works for me might not work for you.
Ultimately, it comes down to intentionality designing how you want to approach your day, your time, and your most important areas of work.
Be more like Emma, not Jake.
So here's today's reflective question:
What's one personal system improvement you can make this week that will increase your effectiveness?
If this has been useful, please drop me a reply. I'd love to hear from you.
Until then, thanks for reading. Stay ambitious.
Rob
Sparked Ambition Ltd
linkedin.com/in/robstubbs