Systems
Do you want to be less busy and have more time for fun? Do you want to free your mind of endless decisions? The fastest way to free your mind and your calendar is to create systems for tasks that you perform regularly. The dictionary defines the term “system” as
An ordered and comprehensive assemblage of facts or principles in a particular field of knowledge.
You are probably already using systems and aren’t aware of it. Do you have a system for getting dressed in the morning, doing the dishes or paying bills? Sure you do! Now, take your systems a step further and apply them to all aspects of your business and your household.
Look at the term “SYSTEM” as an acronym for
Save YourSelf
Time
Energy
Money
By having a system, you execute the same steps each time you perform a task. The system relieves you of having to make the decisions you made the first time you executed the task. You can perform the task faster and with less energy. When people are overloaded because they have to make too many decisions, they just stop making decisions – and that’s when the clutter starts to build up. Whether it is a decision about filing a piece of paper or a decision about a new product – indecision is killer to your business and your lifestyle.
From a business perspective, documented systems provide a mechanism to capture operating procedures and make it easier to delegate tasks. Another way to look at systems is that they provide a way to capture corporate knowledge. If you document your systems so that others in your business can follow them, then your business could be sustained even if you were unavailable for several weeks.
Repeatable systems save you money because you can streamline and optimize your processes. First, baseline your system by documenting and measuring it. When you implement a change to the system, measure again to see if the change improved productivity or profitability. Measuring system performance gives you a quantitative way to evaluate new systems.
So, whether you are a growing business or a busy Mom, think about how systems can make your life easier. Then, go figure out what you will do with all your free time!
