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Using systems and habits to improve your life is a proven method to succeed. It requires seeing the work as a system and then adjusting your thoughts and behaviors to be able to take advantage of your opportunities in life.
One of the things that people mention when we talk about systems is the idea that this is too rigid, too restrictive. They assume systems clamp down on creativity and innovation and leave a world absent freedom.
But systems actually do the opposite. If we have a good system for opening ourselves up to being creative, the system can actually promote creativity, not clamp down on it.
Read MoreYears ago I realized that by starting on a journey to constantly improve, I was becoming significantly happier in life. I was working harder than ever before and continuously doing things that I previously hated, like exercising.
I start to put it together that happiness for me means working towards a better version of myself. As long as I am making progress and improving, I am happy.
Read MoreSometimes I imagine that we all strive to be a better version of ourselves to continually improve and assist others in their improvement. We all put off today’s pleasures to build for the future.
I start to see those struggling as victims who are having difficulties through no fault of their own. It seems as though those individuals simply need to see a better path forward so they know which way to go.
Read MoreIn life we all rely on metaphorical tools. We could substitute for the word “tools” such things as intelligence, talent, skills, etc.
When we look at life, most people complacently go through the motions. They are willing to accept whatever happens with a pessimistic perspective and an unwillingness to work to change or improve.
Read MoreI have often commented to friends and family members that I think it is crazy that we spend so much time and effort adding seasonings, dressings, sauces, flavorings, etc. to most of the food that we eat that is unhealthy but never do that to healthy foods.
I love eating broccoli. But I always season it a good deal. I will add salt, butter, cheese, garlic, olive oil etc. in order to improve the flavor. More than once I’ve heard someone tell me that adding butter suddenly makes the broccoli an unhealthy food option.
Read MoreWhen I was younger I used to get into heated debates with friends about everything from politics to sports or from religion to science.
There were many frustrating discussions where I couldn’t understand why they didn’t see my logic. The frustration soon turned to curiosity. I usually had tremendous respect for the person with which I was talking. Sometimes they were significantly smarter than me (other times just marginally smarter).
Read MoreSystems thinking uses feedback loops to describe many structures in life. We experience feedback loops when we make good decisions and bad decisions.
Feedback loops are structures where the output of a system is fed back into the input. This, then, goes through the system again to be converted to an output. This output will then likely be put back into the system as an input. This can continue on and on and magnify the output.
Read MoreWhen it comes to improving some aspect of your life, you likely view it as a chore. Whether it is to lose a few pounds, save more money for retirement or go back to school for more education, the necessary work is probably not one that excites you a great deal.
This is normal. This also signals that we have certain mental models around this subject that are probably taking us in the wrong direction. Part of the structure that we have built to be in the position we are in, is due to these mental models.
Read MoreSystems thinkers are always exploring patterns in their world. We look for recurring elements more than one-time events.
This is helpful because it helps us to better understand the underlying systems, structures, and mental models at play. When we see someone do something the same every time, we can identify it and understand the pros and cons of that behavior.
Read MoreAll of us are presented each day with millions of choices. On any day we can usually decide if we go to work or skip work, spend time with our family, work on a pet project, attend an important meeting at work etc.
We also choose things that seem minor and we don’t even think about them. We can turn our car right at the stop sign instead of left, we can brush our teeth in the morning before work or not, we can exercise or not, we can take the stairs or the elevator, we can find ways to stay focused at work or let our mind wonder, etc.
Read MoreHave you ever saw a news story and immediately formed an opinion about the situation but then see another story about the same situation and gained completely different information changing your perspective?
I’m sure we have all done this from time to time. It is natural for us to form an opinion before we have all of the information. In fact, we never really have all of the information about a situation.
Read MoreIn today’s world, there is a lot of advice about change. Some people promote the idea that we are all constantly changing and that being malleable is the only way to succeed in life.
Certainly many of the startup tech businesses promote this concept. They were either successful early in the process or they pivoted until they found something that clicked. Then they maximized it.
Read MoreMost people assume that the way to keep improving and getting better in life is to set goals and then work to reach them. We set goals that we can then point to as motivation to keep our effort up while we struggle through the steps until we reach the goal. Then we start over.
The idea is that to do this, we keep getting better and better over time. It sounds like it perfectly fits in most improvement programs and is necessary if we want something better from life.
Read MoreWhen it comes to designing systems and habits in your life, you will likely get to a point where you can’t continue with your systems.
For me it came when I found out that I had a hernia that needed surgery to repair. I was told to limit any lifting to 15 lbs or less. I was told to reduce exercise to only basic walking.
Read MoreThere is a major difference when you use the systems and habits approach to improve. Comparing it to the common practice of setting goals can highlight this difference.
The major difference is that the system attacks how you are going to improve. The goal is simply forecasting what level you hope to reach.
Read MoreThe past couple of months have been really interesting for me. I have spent years building solid systems and habits in key areas that I was forced to change.
The biggest change was that I had to ease up on exercising. I discovered I had a hernia and was told not to lift anything over 15 lbs and to take it easy until I had the surgery.
Read MoreI am the director of operations for a growing medical equipment repair company. We fix home medical equipment, the type of stuff that a doctor would prescribe a patient and the patient would then use in their home – like a CPAP, oxygen concentrator, ventilator, etc.
One of the things I enjoy most about this is the fact that when I was brought into the company the new owners saw the need for better processes and systems throughout the company. Since this is the area of business where I feel most passionate, I was able to combine a need they had with an area I had been focused for years.
Read MoreThis spring we have seen a lot of rain combined with melting water in the Cleveland Ohio area. As I drive to work I pass areas that are flooded and areas where the water begins to flow.
A few areas seem to flood quickly, before the water can travel to lower land. Once it reaches a certain level, it will start to leak out from that area and move to lower land creating a sort of mini stream.
Read MoreWe all like to be right and dislike being wrong. It is human nature to want to be able to make decisions and then look back and feel as though we made the correct decision.
Because of this, we tend to have a bias towards our own opinions and the decisions that we make. We inherently think we are right more often than we actually are. In addition, there is a lot of grey between right and wrong but we miss that when we get too caught up in trying to be right.
Read MoreWhen we are working to improve, there are a great many factors that suddenly come into play. They all seem important and it can be difficult to cut through the noise to receive the signal.
When I started my career I founded an audio engineering company, which basically meant I would rely on recording equipment and other audio production equipment in live and studio environments to complete a variety of projects for clients.
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