By Shawn Tuttle

Imagine if every evening when it started getting dark, you had to pull wires from the junction box and run them to your lamp for light. After 20 or 30 times you’d be pretty fast, surely. But… aren’t you glad you don’t have to?

Instead, you have a hard wired system that efficiently and reliably achieves the goal of delivering usable electricity to not one, but all the lighting sources in your home. Why did you bother setting this up? Because you have a desire for light at night, yet it isn’t something you want to have to fiddle with daily. You want it easy. You want to be able to flip a switch and enjoy the result.

Imagine if you never wrote down a phone number. Like the ancient Romans, you’d take the time to memorize every single one you needed. You’d just add it on to the list that you’ve already spent hours memorizing. Then when you needed a phone number, you’d recite your memorized list until you got to the one you wanted. 

Ridiculous, yes? You want a phone number at your fingertips when you need it, minimal hassle or time spent retrieving. 

The key pattern in these simple scenarios: results are accomplished when driven by a compelling goal. Whatever your compelling goal is, systems will support their success.

What are the typical excuses for not setting up a system?

• don’t have the time
• don’t know what would work best
• don’t know where to start
• don’t know how, don’t want to figure it out, I want help (but then no one called)
• the system I have works for me well enough (but no one else would be able to use it)

These all result in no action taken.Without that compelling goal, you lack the the impetus to change your behavior.

If your contacts information is scattered—some in your email program, some in your address book, some in an excel program, some on slips of paper scattered here and there—would the goal "I want easy access to my phone numbers" compel you to change your behavior? Probably not. You are busy, you know where to find a number when you need it, and it doesn’t take that long. "It’s an adequate system," you claim. "I can find a number when I need it."

Reality check time. Do you have plans for growth? Do you still want to be doing everything you are doing now, or would you like to delegate some of it so you can focus on something else? Do you want your business to keep going while you go on a much needed vacation? 

In 5 years, do you want your business to be as it is now? Because continuing to do what you are doing will continue to produce the same results.

One of the primary
casualties of inadequate systems is your mind. Your brain, being the resourceful, self-preserving organ that it is, compensates where your systems lack. However, when you are spending time doing unnecessary actions and "recreating the wheel", what are you not doing? In other words, imagine what you could use your valuable time and brain juice for if you had efficient systems: marketing strategy and execution, more client/billable time, networking and making strategic alliances, planning and growing, or even relaxing (wow!).

In fact there are many benefits to having systems in place:

• peace of mind knowing that supporting business activities are getting done
• relief from the weight that something needs to get done
• freedom from unnecessarily storing a lot of information in your head
• decreased time dealing with "stuff" (i.e. boring and unbillable time)
• setting up for successful delegation
• time and mindset for higher level activities (the interesting stuff!)
• you can take on more client work since the accompanying work for each client is easier

You can see the benefits are varied and widespread. They truly are part of the foundation of your success. From billing and invoicing, to managing your ToDo list, to client communications, and everything in between—efficient systems create the support for your desired situation. You don’t need to waste your valuable time being run by your business.

In my next article, I’ll take you step-by-step through setting up a system: what to watch for, what to take into consideration, and how to determine when it’s "good enough". In the meantime, think about a "trouble area" in your daily functioning that could be simplified by a system.

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Shawn Tuttle is founder of Project Simplify