Systems.
Every time you see someone maintaining great results without looking like they’re grinding themselves into dust, it’s almost always one thing: they’ve built better systems.
And no, systems don’t have to be fancy. They don’t require apps, tech stacks, or color-coded dashboards.
One of the meanings of the word system, which I mean here is, “A set of rules or procedures: An organized scheme or method for doing something." [which usually produces consistent results with less resources, even if it's your thinking]
Example: A company's communication system, a new filing system, or the criminal justice system.
Or...
Your personal systems for your health, your energy, your work.
Take scheduling.
One of the most often overlooked systems for high performance, which I teach all my ambitious clients, is aligning your work with your biological rhythms. It sounds simple but makes a world of difference!
Research:
“The midday slump, a natural dip in the body's circadian rhythm, significantly impairs cognitive performance across attention, memory, and decision-making. This decline is often exacerbated by poor nighttime sleep and heavy lunches.”
Translation? You’re trying to do your hardest work at the worst possible time.
So one of the simplest systems I use myself and recommend to every client is what I call smarter scheduling:
Do your essential work in the morning, or later evening.
Protect your first few hours, they’re your sharpest.
Push errands, emails, low-stakes admin, or even your workout into the afternoon when your brain naturally shifts gears.
Result?
Better output faster, fewer mistakes, less struggle, simply because you’re no longer fighting your biology.
Same with eating.
A system for no-willpower healthy eating is the reason some people always “seem so disciplined.” They aren’t. They just made the decisions once. For most of my clients this is a huge aha moment. They realize - their struggle was due to having no system. Not personal failing.
I boil eggs for the week.
Cook my carbs, beans, potatoes.
Prep protein and fruit snacks.
Keep a shake bottle pre-loaded with protein powder.
Throw biltong and apples in my bag if I know I’m out all day.
These days? I set a slow cooker in the morning and return to a healthy, no-work dinner at night.
Weekly grocery shop.
Weekly meal plan.
Done once. Zero daily decision fatigue.
Willpower saved. Results predictable. I can get to more important stuff, fueled like rocket🚀
And business is no different.
One weekly system I use:
Before the week starts, ask yourself:
What will success look like for me this week?
What needs to happen, specifically?
Then put those answers into your calendar.
There will always be chaos - unexpected fires, pressures, emotional turbulence.
That’s exactly WHEN systems matter. They carry the weight of everything that needs to run on autopilot so that when life throws something heavy at you, you have energy, clarity, and resilience left to hold it and work through it.
Over to you, dear reader,
What’s one thing you expect yourself to do consistently that feels like “too much work”?
Could it be that you don’t need more discipline, or time, you just need a system?
