Yesterday we talked about identifying the chaos in our lives. Today, we're going to tackle the next step: actually implementing systems that stick. For those who follow my blogs this is part of a 40 days in the wilderness challenge. The idea is to commit 40 days to improving a certain area in your life that you really feel like needs some renovation.
Now what is it about systems that makes them presumably effective above all else? Well let's turn to the book of Proverbs 4:26, "Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm." God is telling us to create structured routes through life that keep us steady. He's essentially saying, "Check yourself out, mate, and make a system, checkmate!"
The Perpetual To-Do List Problem
I used to be a to-do list champion. Well I think I still am though...I'd write magnificent, comprehensive lists that would make productivity gurus weep with joy. Then I'd promptly ignore them, lose them, or become so overwhelmed by them that I'd decide watching a very irrelevant out of context South African Parliamentary debate session was a much better exercise.
Research from the University of California (guys the University of Carlifornia has got such great researches) found that 41% of items on to-do lists are never completed. Furthermore, the Zeigarnik Effect tells us that uncompleted tasks create cognitive tension and stress. So my beautiful to-do lists were actually just stress catalogues.
The solution isn't abandoning to-do lists; it's implementing a system that works with your brain rather than against it. Enter the "MIT" system from Leo Babauta's "Zen To Done": Most Important Tasks. Instead of a list of 27 items (half of which are aspirational at best), identify the 1-3 things that would make today successful.
The Friendship Fade
It's happened to all of us we say, "We should catch up soon!" with genuine enthusiasm, and then three years pass. Suddenly you're stalking their Instagram wondering when they got married and had two children.
Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages us, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another." The Bible is literally telling us to schedule friend dates!
Dr. Robin Dunbar's research indicates that maintaining close friendships requires contact at least once every 2-3 months. Any longer, and the relationship begins to fade regardless of how close you once were. Systems help us fight against this natural drift.
The Exercise Equation
The system that finally worked for me? Habit stacking (another James Clear gem). I linked exercise to an existing habit: my morning coffee. The rule is simple, I'm not allowed my coffee until after I've done at least 10 minutes of movement. Some days that's a proper workout; other days it's dancing around my living room like a caffeinated giraffe. But it happens, consistently, because it's tied to something I absolutely almost will not skip.
A study in the British Journal of General Practice found that it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit. That's just over two months of consistent effort before your system becomes automatic. Patience is key.
Making It Stick
So why do most systems fail? Because we try to overhaul our entire lives at once, creating complex systems that require more willpower than anyone actually has.
Zechariah 4:10 encourages us, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin." Start small. Ridiculously small.
Stanford behavior scientist BJ Fogg suggests creating "tiny habits" actions so small they're almost laughable. Don't commit to an hour of daily meditation; start with taking three deep breaths each morning. Don't reorganise your entire home; start with keeping your keys in the same place every day.
Systems aren't about perfection; they're about direction. Matthew 7:24-25 tells us, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." Systems are the foundation we build our lives upon.
So pick one area. Create one simple system. Make it ridiculously easy to follow. Then watch as that small change begins to transform your life.
And if you forget your passport the day before an international flight, at least you'll know where to look first. Probably in that "important documents" folder you created specifically for this purpose. If only past-you had used the system...
In conclusion, create systems. Because This Is What we DO NOW!
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