Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed by your work and life? Do you wish you had more time and energy for what matters most?
If you answered yes, you need to change your approach with the power of systems!
Let's talk about what systems are, why they matter, how to create and follow them, and what benefits they can bring to your work and life. I will also share some practical tips and examples you can apply immediately. By the end of this post, you'll have a clear and straightforward guide to achieving business and life harmony with systems.
What are systems, and why do they matter?
Systems are not just tools or apps you use to organize your work. They are habits you create and follow daily, aligning with your identity and values and leading you to success. Systems are better than goals because goals often need to be more specific, realistic, or dependent on external factors. Systems are specific, achievable, and within your control. For example, let's say you want to grow your business. That's a great goal but also very broad and vague. How do you measure your progress? How do you know when you've achieved it? What if the market changes or a competitor emerges?
On the other hand, a system is a set of actions you take every day to grow your business. For example, you might have a system to create and publish one blog post per week, reach out to 10 potential customers per day, or update your social media accounts daily. These are specific, measurable, and actionable steps that you can control and track.
A system also helps you focus on the process, not the outcome. Instead of worrying about whether you'll reach your goal, you focus on doing your best every day. This reduces stress and anxiety and increases motivation and satisfaction.
How can you create and follow systems in your work and life?
Creating and following systems is not complicated. It's pretty simple and easy if you follow this guide:
1. Define Your Identity: Who do you want to become as a business owner and person? What are your core values and beliefs? Your identity is your system's foundation, guiding your actions and decisions. For example, suppose you want to become a successful and happy business owner. In that case, you might have values such as excellence, integrity, and service. These values will influence the habits that you create and follow, such as delivering high-quality work, being honest and ethical, and providing value to your customers.
- To define your identity, you can ask yourself these questions:
- What are the qualities that I admire in other business owners and people?
- What are the words that I want to describe myself and my business?
- What are the principles that I want to live and work by?
Write down your answers, and use them as a reference for creating your systems.
2. Start Small: Don't try to change everything at once. That's a recipe for failure and frustration. Instead, start with a tiny habit that you can do every day that supports your identity and values and that brings you closer to your desired outcome.For example, suppose you want to become more productive. In that case, you can start by setting a timer for 25 minutes and focusing on one task without distractions. This is a small habit that you can easily do every day that aligns with your value of excellence and helps you achieve the outcome of growing your business.
- To start small, you can follow these steps:
- Choose one area of your work or life that you want to improve or change.
- Identify one small habit that you can do every day to improve or change that area.
- Make sure the habit is specific, measurable, and achievable.
- Commit to making the habit daily for at least 21 days or until it becomes automatic.
3. Habit Stacking: Once you have established one small habit, you can add another one that complements and reinforces it. For example, after your 25-minute work session, you can take a 5-minute break and stretch your body. This way, you create a routine that becomes easier and more natural to follow over time.Habit stacking is a powerful technique that helps you build multiple habits without overwhelming yourself. It links a new habit to an existing one, creating a trigger and a reward. The existing habit triggers the new habit, and the new habit acts as a reward for the existing habit. For example, if you habitually brush your teeth every morning, you can link a new habit of drinking a glass of water to it. The brushing acts as a trigger for the drinking, and the drinking acts as a reward for the brushing. This way, you create a routine of brushing and drinking every morning without much effort.
- To habit stack, you can follow these steps:
- Choose an existing habit you do every day, preferably at the same time and place.
- Choose a new habit you want to add to your routine, preferably one related or relevant to the existing habit.
- Make a plan to do the new habit right after the existing habit every time you do the existing habit.
- Repeat the process until the new habit becomes automatic.
4. Track Progress: How do you know if your systems are working? You need to measure your progress and results and celebrate your wins. You can use a simple tracker, such as a calendar or a journal, where you mark the days you followed your systems and write down the outcomes you achieved. This will help you stay motivated, accountable, and focused on your systems. Tracking your progress is essential because it helps you see how far you've come, how much you've improved, and what you need to adjust. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, which boosts your confidence and self-esteem.
- To track your progress, you can follow these tips:
- Choose a tracker that suits your preferences and style, such as a paper or digital calendar, a journal or notebook, or an app or spreadsheet.
- Set a time and place to update your tracker every day, preferably right after you do your habits.
- Use a simple and consistent method to mark your progress, such as a check mark, a star, or a color code.
- Review your tracker regularly, at least once weekly, and reflect on your progress and results.
- Celebrate your wins, whether big or small, and reward yourself for your efforts.
5. Keystone Habits: As you follow your systems, you will notice that some habits impact your work and life more than others. These are called keystone habits and can create a positive ripple effect on other areas of your life. For example, exercising regularly can improve your physical and mental health, energy and mood, creativity and productivity, confidence, and self-esteem. You should identify and prioritize your keystone habits and do them consistently. Keystone habits are the habits that matter most because they have the power to change your behavior and mindset. They can also help you create and maintain other habits by providing motivation, discipline, and structure.
- To identify and prioritize your keystone habits, you can follow these steps:
- Review your systems and habits, and ask yourself which ones positively impact your work and life.
- Choose the top three habits you consider essential and beneficial for you.
- Ensure these habits align with your identity and values and support your desired outcomes.
- Commit to these habits daily, no matter what, and prioritize them in your schedule.
What are the benefits of following systems in your work and life?
By following systems, you can:
- Simplify your work and life by eliminating unnecessary tasks and distractions and focusing on what matters most. Systems help you declutter your work and life by removing the things that don't add value or meaning. They also help you focus on what you do by creating a clear and straightforward structure for your work and life.
- Boost your productivity and performance by working smarter and faster and delivering more value and quality to your customers. Systems help you optimize your work and life by making tasks easier and more efficient. They also help you improve your work and life by enhancing your skills and abilities and increasing your output and results.
- Enjoy a better work-life balance by having more time and energy for yourself and your family and doing what you love. Systems help you balance your work and life by creating boundaries and limits. They also help you enrich your work and life by providing opportunities and experiences that make you happy and fulfilled.
- Connect with a supportive community by joining other women entrepreneurs who share your vision and values and can support and advise you on your journey. Systems help you connect with your community by creating a common language and culture for your work and life. They also help you grow with your community by giving you feedback and insights and inspiring and motivating you.
- Stand out and attract more customers by creating a unique and memorable brand and offering solutions that solve your customers' problems and meet their needs. Systems help you stand out and attract customers by creating a consistent and distinctive image and voice for your work and life. They also help you satisfy and retain customers by delivering solutions that address their pain points and desires.
Alright, there you go—a glimpse into the world of systems that can seriously upgrade your work-life game. Think of it like tweaking your daily routine to fit who you are and where you want to go. Forget about big goals for now; start with small habits that quietly say 'success' every day. Picture it as putting together a crew of powerful habits, linking them up smoothly, and seeing a routine that makes you more productive, happier, and totally in control. Keep it simple, track those wins, and let your core habits be the main event. Because who needs big goals when you can have a solid system that's got your back?
