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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.
When we start studying systems thinking we likely get to a point where we assume the easy answer to changing anything is to simply think differently.
We see the flaws in our thinking. We see when we make shortsighted decisions that hurt us in the long term. The mental models emerge to give us insight into how we think about the world.
Read MoreMost people have a difficult time taking responsibility for their actions. For systems thinkers this makes sense. Because everything in life is made up of systems, we can see the complexity that emerges.
Systems thinking shows us that every system has many factors that all interconnect. This makes it very complicated. Therefore, most people skip over the full system and hone in on the factors that directly impact them.
Read MoreHave you ever met someone who acts as if he or she knows everything? Any time they give their opinion they promise they are right.
They tend to be overconfident most of the time when they make a decision. Once they make up their mind, it is impossible to change it.
Read MoreWe all develop ideas in our head based on our experiences. We hear stories from others and listen to lectures from teachers. We read books and articles about what is going on in the world.
From this we build out mental models about our life. We frame life in certain ways to make sense of everything. Through this we start to build a solid mental capacity to continue to tackle life.
Read MoreThe world is a very complex place. We all go through our day with numerous choices that we have to make to get through our day.
This is empowering because it gives us control. But it is also overwhelming. What if we make the wrong decision?
Read MoreHow many times in life do you stop and realize the incredible alignment of events had to occur to get you to where you are currently? Do you see the sacrifice others have made so that you can be here, right now?
Most of us sit around in a world of excess complaining about the lack of more. We get too caught up in what someone else has that we don’t. We don’t see that we have exponentially more than most.
Read MoreLife is complex. With the complexity that life presents it can be extremely difficult to get to the meaning behind everything.
We might think the key to life is to be successful or to make money. We might think it is to be happy or find joy. We might think it is to serve others or find a way to improve the world.
But are any of these truly accurate? Do any of them, by themselves, really provide a guiding direction to take life? And are we even capable of doing such things? Choosing one means eliminating the others and that is difficult to truly do.
Read MoreWhen I graduated college I found myself in a place of struggle. I seemed to be taking my life in the wrong direction. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something felt wrong.
It seemed like I couldn’t get myself to do what I needed to. I initially blamed everything outside of myself. But then I started to see patterns.
Read MoreI stood on the edge of the ocean and looked out. I held a surfboard for the first time in my life and I was about to cross off a bucket list item. But there was a problem. I was afraid of sharks.
I remember the feeling vividly. I was terrified and excited. I was nervous but somehow remained calm. I thought about bailing, coming up with some excuse to keep me from even trying. Then I grabbed the board and ran into the water.
Read MoreEveryone has setbacks. Everyone assumes they are taking the right steps in life so when misfortune comes along we tend to get down emotionally. We pity our situation.
But we can’t stay down. We have to learn to see the situation for what it is, learn from it and then move on.
Read MoreWhen I was earning my MBA I took a class on leadership. In it, we discussed the difference between evolutionary change in an organization versus revolutionary change in an organization.
When it comes to the organization evolving over time, the key is to make sure that the company improves and gets better and keeps taking steps in the right direction. It is a much more subtle type of change but incredibly important.
Read MoreWhen I was younger I felt very restricted. I was a student and had responsibility. I had a job, was taking classes etc.
But over time I started to realize how free I was back then. I didn’t have major responsibilities, like a family or career to worry about.
Read MoreWhen we set out to improve some aspect of our life, we usually start with something that makes us unhappy. Something provides an element of pain or discomfort.
It could be that we haven’t made the right decisions in the past and we are paying the price today. It could be that we were wrong in certain assumptions about the level of success or happiness we would attain in life.
Read MoreAs a parent I keep noticing that I am teaching my children to judge. We want them to understand right and wrong. We want them to be kind, polite and well behaved.
So we set out to teach them how to go through life in a way that will ultimately help them achieve more and become well integrated with others. We want them to be happy and to be happy, we contend, they must understand how to navigate the world and avoid trouble.
Read MoreLife is always going to have an element of unpredictability to it. No matter what we think should happen, fate always intervenes and adjusts the future reality.
One of the things I enjoy about this time of year is the start of the American football season. I have a few teams that I enjoy watching and even tend to enjoy watching games with teams that I have no real interest in.
Read MoreWe can all gain additional strength to do the right thing. While most people assume there is some magical trick to suddenly be able to improve self-control it is actually must simpler.
The way to do this is by using our willpower to build certain habits. Then as those habits become automatic and easy to keep doing, we add more and more.
Read MoreTrying to lose weight is a common goal. We set out to shed the extra pounds we picked up or finally get back to our desired weight.
But most of the techniques that we use are flawed. They work to get us to lose a few pounds but many times are setting us up for future failure.
Read MoreWhen it comes to self-improvement most people struggle. They know where their weaknesses lie but don’t address them. They come to terms with them.
They know their strengths and are happy to leave them at the level they currently reside. Why bother improving if it is a strength?
Read MoreSystems thinking differs from the way most people think. It looks at full systems and the interconnecting elements of the system instead of just looking at small subsections of the system.
This allows us to see a bigger picture and get a better understanding of the full system. It allows us to better understand the world around us.
Read MoreSystems are everywhere. Everything around us is part of numerous overlapping systems in life and everything that happens in our life can be explained through these systems.
Sometimes they are easy to see. We see the solar system, the various systems that regulate our body, the traffic systems in place to help us travel safely, and weather systems.
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