Simplify and Systemize Everything

Bruce Lee stated that the height of cultivation does notsomething important, so you do that. The next day
run towards complexity, but simplicity. Cultivatingthere's something else to mail out, so you go to the
simplicity is all about being conscious about what you,post office again. Then when you get home you
it's all about acting in a manner that you understandrealize you need tape, so you head out again. And on
and have made decisions about. You have lookedand on and on.
over your habits and routines and ruthlessly eliminatedThis is actually a system. Basically, you notice you
the inessential and streamlined the necessary. This canneed something and you immediately get it. You notice
be described as creating systems for your life, and ityou need something else and then you go out and get
should be applied to every aspect of your life.it. And on and on. This wastes a lot of your time, it
Systems are great, even though most people will havewastes resources like gasoline, and it wastes money
a strong knee-jerk reaction to being told they shouldas these stores are all set up to make you
systemize their life. After all, we want to live withaccidentally end up buying more than you actually
freedom and creativity, right? Well, when it comesneed- the stores are set up to take advantage of this
down to it most of us aren't really that free or creative.ridiculous pattern that most of us live within.
In fact, most of us already live according to a series ofIt's not hard to think of a better system, it just takes a
habits, routines and yes, systems. The only differencemoment of reflection and the will power to enact the
is these tends to be inefficient and ineffective systemschange. For instance, you can decide that you're only
that were created and adopted unconsciously. We willgoing to run errands for one day of the week, a day
all do a lot better if we replace those unconsciousdesignated for running errands. So you spend the
'good enough' systems with conscious systems thatwhole week making note of the different things you
allow us to excel.need- all the food you need to replace, all the
For instance, think about the way that you usually domiscellaneous items like tape and paper clips you've
something routine, like running errands. For most people,run out of, all the mail you need to bring to the post
they run errands as the need comes up, and they dooffice. Then on errands day you do it all at once,
so in a haphazard manner. For instance, grocerysaving tons of gas and time, and focusing you on what
shopping is one of the biggest time and money sinksyou really need and nothing more.
out there due to disorganization. Most people noticeSee how simple that is? It just requires you take a
they need a food item, so they drive to the grocerycouple steps back from your every day routines and
store and get it, as well as a few things they don'tevaluate whether you really do them because they
really need or want. They might do this a couple ofare the best way, or because they are just 'good
times a week. Maybe you also need to mail outenough.' Strive for the best.