Upgrading Your Systems Will Change Your Life
I'm a systems gal (actually, all of us are); I do well with “just right” structure. Too much rigidity, and I completely ignore my plan; too little, and I focus on the busywork. What if a simple system tweak could change that?
— In this Article —
Backstory: when structure fails
But with some priorities, even the “just right” structure fails me. For example, exercise. I'm turning 49 in July, and some of my labs combined with my increasing reduction in flexibility and mobility are a wakeup call that if I don't start prioritizing exercise, I'm not going to enjoy the health and mobility my parents have when I'm their age.
Now, I love me a good yoga class - hell, I've even received 500 hours of quality training to teach yoga to others! - and I love walking in the woods by my home or riding my bike through the adjacent forest preserve. I don't drive, which means that it's easier, even, to rely on my feet for transportation. I write exercise into my planner…and yet I rarely do it. Why?
Perfectly functioning (yet unuseful) systems
What I've learned is that my system of not exercising is functioning perfectly. This is truly a game-changer.
Here's what happens: I either don't make an explicit exercise plan - which means it certainly won't happen - or I check in with myself to see if I feel like following the plan I might have made.
Because exercise requires me to step outside of my comfort zone a wee bit, and because I have soooo many things on my plate, the answer is always not right now.
In other words, my system is to check in with myself and let how I feel dictate whether I exercise. And it works perfectly.
Systems aren’t personal
Instead of berating myself for lacking discipline or not being committed or whatever, I can see it for what it is: I have a system to keep me from exercising. It's neither personal nor a character defect. It doesn't even require deep exploration into why I'm not exercising.
What's required is a system swap, where I trade my system that ensures I won't exercise with one that ensures I do. It's really that simple.
So, my new system has three parts:
Schedule exercise, at least a day in advance, making sure that it's weather-appropriate. If I'm “too busy,” something else has to give.
Prepare to follow through by setting out activity and weather-appropriate clothing the night before and setting an alarm.
Refuse to check in with myself when it's time to exercise and simply do my scheduled activity when my alarm goes off.
The importance of alignment
Now, if I still fail to exercise, it's because I'm still following a different system. Then, I'd argue that it's worth exploring the underlying why. For example, if the thing I think I want is not aligned with who I am.
But in this case, I know that it's aligned for me to improve my mobility and increase my future self's likelihood of having better health outcomes.
I know that my “why” and my chosen forms of exercise align with who I am - that they aren't based cultural expectations like losing weight or getting buff or whatever - and that they are activities I actually enjoy doing and have enough flexibility built into them to accommodate things like unfavorable weather.
Systems issues are simple to fix
And so - to really drive this point home - I know that my lack of exercising is merely a systems issue. And systems issues are simple to fix.
This was a bit long-winded, but I hope you can see the applicability to your own life.
Questions to help upgrade your systems
Here are a few thought-provoking questions:
What in your life isn't working the way you want it to?
What is your current system for changing this?
How might you upgrade your system so that your life works the way you want it to?
How does your desire feel in your body? If something feels off or tight or constricted, that's your cue that your desire may not be aligned with your true nature.
How does your upgraded system feel in your body? If something feels off or tight or constricted, that's your cue that your upgraded system needs tweaking.
A book recommendation
I highly recommend Steve Chandler's and Trevor Timbeck's book The Power of Systems: How to Create a Life that Works. Unfortunately, it is less than a year old and is only available on Amazon. [I actually broke my no-Jeff Bezos policy solely to buy this book (side note: I've since re-instituted it).]
Do you need help upgrading your systems and/or life?
Finally, just a reminder that as a Wayfinder Life Coach and Master Coach In-Training, my job is to help people solve problems and create lives that work for them - lives that they love.
If you'd like to co-create systems that work for you or otherwise up-level your life, I invite you to schedule a complimentary 60-minute coaching conversation* with me so that you can experience its transformative power first hand.
*Please note that these complimentary coaching conversations are intended for people who have not yet had a coaching conversation with me in the past.
