I heard this quote on a training this AM, and it’s something I so firmly believe in! If you are struggling to wrap your arms around this concept, my advice is to stop avoiding it and start leaning in. Your future self will thank you! Systems, much like their close relative- habits, are truly GAME CHANGERS that anyone can apply to improve the results of their personal or professional goals. Simply stated- Systems create more output which creates more results. Put another way, systems are a way to close the gap between your current skills and capacity and your desired outcomes.
I am a lifelong student of leadership, management and business, not because anyone tells me to, but because it’s who I am; I am naturally curious and love learning. And yes, that has helped my success, but just as important- and especially to SCALING, has been learning to systematize.
I’m often asked how I juggle all the things I do personally and professionally- my career, my family and kids’ games, volunteering and serving on non-profit boards, etc. The answer is:
1) Priorities- there are a lot of things I don’t do (ie, I rarely watch TV,) and,
2) the focus of this post- Systems! I couldn’t possibly spin all the plates without structure.
At work, I have learned to leverage data and systems to drive decisions on how and where I spend my time, to track progress and results, etc. (*Note- learned to, not born into! This is a skill you can learn!)
Truthfully? I don’t love spreadsheets or numbers. But, I do LOVE what they provide! That is the paradigm shift I had to choose to make, so that I would lean into the tools available to me.
That’s all it is! Are you focused on what you don’t want or what you do want?
This way of thinking allows me to identify patterns, challenges and opportunities more quickly and to work smarter, not just harder. I share this because I see so many people avoid systems, structure and data, not realizing how much of an impact it will make on both their time and results.
When sharing this, I often hear, “I’m not a numbers person.” “I am a creative.” “My brain doesn’t work that way.” etc. And the reality is, those are just excuses preventing you from your best work and self. Whether you have personal or professional goals, creating structure and habits dramatically increases your odds of success because it increases your efficiency and efficacy! You just have to be willing to get uncomfortable and lean into things that are not natural to you- whether it’s creating a system to be more efficient and effective, or eating your veggies to be healthier!
It’s really this simple- at the end of the day, do you want to be left sitting with your results or your excuses?
