Freedom in Systems

Systems can sometimes feel stifling. There are rules and protocols to follow, a series of tasks to accomplish, a structure to protect. But they shouldn't be. They shouldn't feel restricting. Done right, they should give you more freedom.

Effective systems should help you speed up processes, make tedious tasks lighter (even fun), reduce ambiguity and anxiety, and help you accomplish your goals more efficiently.

• A system for organizing all your thoughts, ideas, notes, and documents should make searching for anything quick and painless.
• A system in the kitchen—for food prep, cooking, washing, and tidying up—should make all those things faster to accomplish everyday. A well-organized kitchen can make cooking a lot more enjoyable.
• A system for your home garden, like having self-watering beds, can allow you to leave the garden unattended for days.
• A system for tracking goals and key results in your business can help you evaluate projects and make informed decisions.

When to-dos are faster and easier to do, when you don't have to start from scratch all the time, you get more of your time back. You have the freedom to do other things throughout the day. You get to enjoy hobbies, because your systems are helping you manage your obligations.

Systems provide structure in your life, in your day-to-day, so that you can do more with your time and other resources. Set them up in a way that allows you to lessen the work that you don't enjoy, and doing more of what you love. Use systems to get your time back and gain more freedom.