System thinking, or “How I stopped worrying and built a system”

I know what you’re thinking - “Ugh, systems. Boring and nerdy. I don’t write code, I don’t care about systems.”

But I think you really do care. You use a system each day, all day. The way that you manage your time, that’s a system. The way that you think about your email or your phone calls, that’s a system. The way that you decide what to work on each day, that’s a system.

We can call them something else, if you’d like. Processes? Frameworks?

But whatever we call them, your systems are there.

What’s that? Your systems don’t really work? You check your email all the damn time, and respond maybe, if you can find the important messages? You work on the thing that seems to be on fire the most, and hopefully your boss doesn’t yell at you too much?

And so much time you spend on all this stuff! You just toil all day, and sometimes into the night to try and get all this stuff done.

I get it, and I have a solution for you.

But first, I’d like to tell you a little bit about one of my personal systems. It’s a system that I developed to solve a very specific problem.

You see, I like to take notes with a pen, and I like to write my notes in a small Field Notes notebook. I take notes when I talk to people on the phone, or when I’m in a meeting, or just when I have an idea. It helps me be present with the conversation, it helps me make sure I follow up on the things I said I would do, and it helps me remember what is happening after the call or meeting or whatever. I also have 3x5 index cards that I use to give people with my contact information on them, or as reminders, or as to do lists, etc. Basically anytime I am looking for a little piece of paper for whatever, I use an index card.

The problem I needed to solve was that I didn’t have a place for my notebook. It kept getting crumpled in my pocket, and maybe I had a pen, maybe I didn’t. The index cards would fall out or get lost. It was all just a mess.

(I know this seems trivial, but stick with me)

So I did what I always do: I designed a solution. I mocked it up in cardboard, tested it, refined it, then built a version that worked. I even taught myself to sew leather using a saddle stitch so I could stitch it together. Now I’ve got one unit — phone, notebook, pen, index cards — always with me. A place for everything, everything in its place.

There is one of these in the world, and it lives in my pocket.

OK, OK. Super nerdy.

But here’s the point: that’s exactly how systems work in your world, too.

If your time management system is broken, you feel scattered. If your communication system is broken, your team feels lost. If your planning system is broken, you’re stuck in fire drills.

My notebook problem was small, but the lesson scales up: systems fail when they don’t fit you. And the way to fix them isn’t theory — it’s design, test, refine, repeat. That’s the process I help leaders apply.

Here’s the solution that I mentioned: let me help you solve your system.

Together, we’ll rebuild your systems and build the skills to use them. The result? More time, more clarity, more focus — and less chaos.

Instead of ending every week wondering what actually got done, you’ll finish with confidence, knowing your systems are carrying the load and your energy is going where it matters most.

Connect with me today, and let’s make some time together.