Here’s a video version of the blog for those who prefer to watch content instead of reading as part of your learning “systems”.
“Creating my own systems is excruciating, and so I never get around to implementing anything.”
—That’s a quote from just one client. Nearly all of my clients have a version of this. Chances are, you might too.
“Systems, bloody systems.” My ode to John Cleese’s 1976 mockery of organizational meetings, bloody meetings. Like properly planned and executed meetings, systems can increase productivity and efficiency. Systems can provide the structure to guide you step-by-step as you execute tasks.
If I Only Had a System
“If I only had systems, I’d finally be organized!” Sound familiar? We all want systems. Systems save us time. Guide us step-by-step. Make our lives easier. Yay for systems. We should all have systems, for everything, right?
Are Systems the Answer?
What if you don’t have established systems for the many projects, tasks, chores around your home? Relax, it’s ok. Not everyone does. And, sometimes systems are counterproductive. How can that be? There are several reasons that systems can sabotage your organizing or any project efforts. I’m a proponent of systems when they make sense for the person or people involved. Too often, I see systems sabotaging the aspirations of those yearning to finally be organized. It’s also the reason I rarely, if ever, use the word “system” in conversation with prospective or on-going clients. Here’s why.
While you await the perfect system, or any system, to-do lists get longer. Piles get higher. Frustration and disappointment deepen. Don’t wait any longer. Take action, any action to move the dial.
1. The word “system” causes freak out or freeze.
Despite craving the benefits of well-designed and implemented systems, for a variety of reasons, that word can induce a series of emotions. These are just a few that I’ve seen.
Fear: The highly structured nature of a system can induce feelings of failure. What if I don’t know how to start a system? They’re so complicated. What if it’s wrong? What if I can’t maintain it?
Agitation: Not knowing how to start, implement or maintain a system leads to bouts of brain spiraling, heightened stress, increased irritability, intensified anxiousness, tense muscles, headaches, nausea, and other physical manifestations. Often the result is emotional outbursts or complete shutdown.
Rebelliousness: For some neurodivergent and creative brains, systems are perceived as restrictively rigid and stifling. Think about the highly intricate filing systems in your doctor’s office. Naturally, the response to interpreted inflexibility is to rebel by rejecting the system thus not doing the task at all or procrastinating until a better method is found.
2. Without a system in place, no action takes place
The repercussions of the emotional tailspin or the absence of instructions for implementing a suitable system, ideally one that works in way that makes sense for you, is that nothing happens. Projects pile up, tensions continue to rise, feelings of inadequacy and shame deepen.
3. “Missed the mark” system
Sometimes systems can be overly complicated or not designed to meet a particular task. If procedures are too intricate, they’ll be too difficult for you to remember and follow. If the design doesn’t fit the task, then you’ll needlessly spin your wheels trying to make the square pegs fit into the round holes until you give up in a heap of frustration. If you try to adopt someone else’s method, it may work great for them, but fall flat for you. We all have our own strengths and styles.
4. Fixating on the perfect system
You’re pretty clear that you need the right systems, perfect systems to enable or possibly enhance organization in your home. Everything stored in a logical home. Labels to help you find what you need and indicators where to put them back. You lust for ideal “systems” to help you remember items you need to purchase. Ways to declutter, identify the stuff to keep or when and how to release things no longer needed in an eco-friendly, socially-beneficial way. Wouldn’t that be great?
But here’s the kicker…fixating on the perfect system further aggravates stagnation and stress. What’s a perfect system look like for you or other users in your home? If you’re having difficulty creating any system, constructing a perfect system is a futile endeavor. Unless you hire someone to establish and possibly maintain it for you, keep the expectations reasonable. Determination to do this exactly right is exactly what you don’t need if you are looking to make headway on chores with the least amount of aggravation.
Overcoming Immobilization
What can you do if you’re immobilized without systems? Give these options a whirl.
1. Choose Your Own Vocabulary
Be judicious with your word choice. If the word “system” freaks you out, replace it with less charged terminology. Sample words like “methods”, “processes”, “ways”, “techniques”, “tricks”, “roadmap”, “procedures”. Make up a word if you’re a creative. In fact, if word choice is hanging you up, simply do the task. For example, toss a color load into the washer, avoid putting a name to what or how you’ll do it.
2. Give Yourself Permission to Take Bold Action
If you’re awaiting the arrival of a “system” before you can take any action, try giving yourself permission to launch anyway. Need a system to purge excess papers? Grab a small handful, recycle the ones you no longer need. Put the keepers in a bin or file folders for now to clear your desktop or countertop.
3. Experiment, Observe, & Tweak
Be open to noticing what’s working and what isn’t. Maybe jot down the time-saving short cuts, and tweak or toss out the steps that are time and energy-killing wastes. If you’re really bold, ask someone to video you performing the task to remember how you did it or to spot mis-steps.
If you experience fear around doing it wrong or your system isn’t fully flushed out yet, channel your internal inquisitiveness or scientist. What is one step you can take to move one step closer to completion? If you’ve already got a structure in place, what do you like about the process? What isn’t working the way you intended? How could you improve upon it to save you a step? Then tweak. Tweak again if it’s still wonky, and in fact, tweaking may be on-going. Situations change, people change, needs change. My processes are ever-evolving.
New habits take time to assimilate, give new processes a few days or weeks before you toss them out unless they’re clearly a no-go. Get feedback from others that use it or impacted by it. Find out how it’s working from their perspective. Be careful not to internalize their feedback. Some of us are prone to those feelings of “oh my gosh, I failed again, this will never work.” You’re not a failure, chances are your methodology isn’t either, even if it’s not scoring any home runs. Change is always happening. The need for new procedures is bound to happen. Tweaking is frequently necessary.
Remember, if the idea of “systems” freaks you out or stops you from getting your home organized, go ahead and just play around with the structure, the steps, even the vocabulary in order to get started. Don’t worry about if technique is right or wrong. The intent is to come up with something that works for you. A way to get the job done with the least amount of struggle.
If you need support with organizing processes, reach out to me at ThePracticalSort.com.
