April 6, 2023
Company systems are important. But so are personal systems.
When we lack systems to manage our personal lives, it directly affects our productivity in the workplace and business. We’re more distracted and less present as a result, significantly affecting our focus.
Here’s my 5 part personal operating system:
These are rigid systems that I've learned, improved, and simplified over the years.
1️⃣ Capture Bucket
A physical or digital place to unload your brain and easily capture thoughts, ideas, or tasks to be clarified later. It allows you to easily jot down any ideas or tasks that come to mind without worrying about organizing them right away.
The fewer things your brain is juggling, the more present and productive you’ll be.
2️⃣ Actionable (Project Management)
All of my projects live in a central database with clear Next Actions to push them forward. You can access my Notion task manager Here.
The actual tool you use matters less than having a place to manage projects. Ideally, you can create views for the projects you’re prioritizing so you can freely add new ones from your capture bucket without distracting you from what matters most.
3️⃣ References
All of my resources live in a central database (I use Notion + Gdrive). Anything physical gets scanned and organized in the cloud.
If something isn’t actionable but you want to be able to reference it later, upload it to a resources folder so you can easily access it across all of your devices.
4️⃣ Events (Calendar)
Everything that has to get done gets time-blocked in my calendar (it's my to-do list). I also color-code my events so I can quickly visualize my day while also seeing what hasn't gotten done.
You can read a lot more about how I plan my weeks and use my calendar Here.
5️⃣ Accountabilities (Recurring)
Anything that has to get done on a recurring basis gets added to a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual checklist. This is applicable to both business and personal systems.
These adapt with time as your responsibilities change. You can read more about my weekly reviews Here.
Try grouping everything into an A.R.E.A…
- Actionable (projects + tasks)
- Reference
- Event (calendar)
- Accountability
See you all next Thursday 👋
PS. Whenever you're ready... Here are three ways I can help you systemize & automate operations:
- Learn how to find, hire, and manage virtual assistants → Free Access
- Manage projects, meetings, and resources from a single place → Learn More
- Let me help you automate operations and exit the day-to-day grind → Work With Me
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