Let’s face it. Getting and remaining in that state of calm excitement— of being on top of things–is tough. We want a trusted, enduring way to do get stuff done. We dedicate time and energy to that tool and this method with hope that we can finally be organized. Too often, these systems and our willpower break down. We end up far from calm and not very excited about it.
The reason we often fail here is that the systems of tools and methods are too complex. The inventors of the various systems spent years building, testing, and perfecting them. Their systems are whole. They cover all the possibilities.
So sure are they that their systems will work for us, the inventors teach them to us in their final, complete form. So hungry are we for solutions that will finally keep us organized that we demand to adopt whole, proven systems.
It’s not that the systems aren’t good. They are. But they are so complex and all-encompassing that we find them hard to learn and even harder to put into practice. We are so hopeful of finally being on top of things that we fail to notice how we probably do not need every part of a system.
Instead, we can start small, select and master one approach or tool at a time, and build success gradually. We can choose to never implement every part of any effectiveness system. We can mix and match parts from different systems as suits our particular needs. In time, we will have systems we trust, that we “own,” that work for us, and that become welcome, enduring habits.
In your corner,
Mike
PS: You can start now and adopt parts of my Effectiveness System in just this way. Explore it in some detail through the link back there and through these daily notes.