The Promise
After this chapter, you'll understand what a system is, see real examples of systems that work, and design at least one system for an area of your life that currently depends on willpower.
What a System Actually Is
A system is a process that runs without you thinking about it. It's the difference between relying on motivation (which comes and goes) and relying on structure (which stays).
Example: Most people rely on motivation to exercise. When they're motivated, they go to the gym. When they're not, they skip. That's not a system.
A system would be: "Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7am, I go to the gym. I don't decide—I just go. I have my gym bag ready the night before. I have a playlist ready. I don't think about it."
Systems protect you from yourself. When you're tired, stressed, or unmotivated, the system still runs. That's how you scale yourself without scaling stress.
The Four Parts of a System
Every good system has four parts:
- Trigger: What starts it? (Time, event, or condition)
- Process: What do you do? (The steps)
- Output: What's the result? (How you measure success)
- Review: How do you improve it? (Weekly or monthly check-in)
Example: Weekly Planning System
- Trigger: Every Sunday at 6pm
- Process: (1) Review last week, (2) List top 3 priorities for this week, (3) Block time for each, (4) Schedule everything else around those blocks
- Output: A clear plan for the week
- Review: Every Sunday, ask: "Did this system help? What should I change?"
Once you have these four parts, the system runs automatically. You don't need motivation—you just follow the system.
Real System Examples
Example 1: Content Creation System
Sarah wanted to write one article per week, but she kept forgetting or running out of ideas.
Her system:
- Trigger: Every Monday at 9am
- Process: (1) Check her "ideas" list, (2) Pick one, (3) Write for 2 hours, (4) Publish by Friday
- Output: One published article per week
- Review: Every month, check which articles performed best, add similar topics to ideas list
Result: She published 50 articles in a year without relying on motivation.
Example 2: Investment System
Mike wanted to invest regularly, but he kept forgetting or spending the money.
His system:
- Trigger: Automatic transfer on the 1st of every month
- Process: (1) $500 automatically transfers to investment account, (2) Automatically buys index funds, (3) He never sees the money
- Output: $6,000 invested per year, automatically
- Review: Once per year, check balance, increase amount if income increased
Result: He invested $30,000 in 5 years without thinking about it.
Why Systems Beat Motivation
Motivation is unreliable. You can't count on it. Systems are reliable. They work whether you feel like it or not.
The problem with motivation:
- It comes and goes
- It's affected by mood, stress, and circumstances
- You can't scale it
- When it's gone, you stop
The power of systems:
- They run automatically
- They're not affected by mood
- You can scale them
- When motivation is gone, the system still works
Most people try to motivate themselves to do hard things. Smart people build systems that make hard things automatic.
How to Build a System
Start with one area where you rely on motivation. Then design a system:
- Pick the trigger: When does it happen? (Time, event, or condition)
- Define the process: What are the steps? (Keep it simple—3-5 steps max)
- Set the output: How do you know it worked? (Measurable result)
- Schedule the review: When will you check and improve it? (Weekly or monthly)
Example: Building an Exercise System
- Trigger: Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 6am (alarm goes off)
- Process: (1) Put on workout clothes (laid out the night before), (2) Go to gym, (3) Do workout (already planned), (4) Shower and go to work
- Output: 3 workouts per week
- Review: Every Sunday, check: "Did I do all 3? If not, why? What should I change?"
The key: remove decisions. The system should tell you what to do, so you don't have to decide.
Making Systems Stick
Most systems fail because they're too complicated. Keep them simple:
- Start small: One system, not ten
- Make it easy: If it's hard, you won't do it
- Remove friction: Prepare everything the night before
- Track it: Use a simple checklist or calendar
- Review regularly: Fix what's not working
Example: If you want to read more, don't set a goal to "read 50 books this year." That's too big. Instead, build a system: "Every night before bed, I read for 20 minutes. I have a book on my nightstand. I don't decide—I just read."
Small systems compound. One system that works is better than ten systems that don't.
From Idea to Action
This week, build one system:
- Pick one area where you rely on motivation (exercise, writing, investing, planning, etc.)
- Design the system:
- What's the trigger? (When does it happen?)
- What's the process? (What are the steps?)
- What's the output? (How do you measure success?)
- When will you review it? (Weekly or monthly?)
- Remove friction: Prepare everything you need in advance. Make it as easy as possible.
- Start this week: Don't wait for Monday or the first of the month. Start today.
- Review next week: Did it work? What should you change?
Example systems to consider:
- Weekly planning (every Sunday, plan the week)
- Exercise (3x per week at the same time)
- Content creation (one piece per week on the same day)
- Investing (automatic transfer on the 1st)
- Email (check twice per day at set times)
- Learning (30 minutes per day on the same topic)
Remember: systems beat motivation. Build one system this week. Once it's working, build another. Don't try to fix everything at once.