When good systems go bad

Over the years, I've added countless systems in my work and life that compensate for my weaknesses. They do everything from help me floss, to pack my son's school bag, to deliver complex video projects.

As systems have taken on a larger and larger role in my life I've realized one problem: they all eventually go too far. A good system can turn bad if you push it far enough.

When daily workouts backfire

For example, let's say you start cycling daily. You develop a little system that helps get you get dressed, out of the door, on the road, and cleaned up afterward. For many months this is entirely successful.

But after a while, problems start emerging. Maybe you start getting pain in your knees, back, or hips. Maybe it’s fatigue because you're not recovering between rides. Maybe you have your first bad accident.

You can't just crank the "cycle daily" dial to 11. You need a counterbalance.

The solution: cycle three times a week and add some stretching.

The price of success

Work and creative systems are the same. If you work a system well enough, drawbacks emerge. It's the price of success.

For instance, I'm a big believer in notes. Notes changed the creative game for me, but it's easy to go too far with notes.

• You can collect too many notes.
• You can waste time organizing notes.
• You can consume too much media.
• Above all, notes can limit your imagination. Instead of freely inhabiting your imagination, you limit yourself to the confines of your notes.

The solution:

• Create fewer notes, but higher quality
• Focus more on reviewing notes, less on piling up new notes

So really, it’s not that all systems eventually go bad. It's this: good system systems incorporate counterbalance.

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