How to Design Systems in Life
How systems help you save time and become more efficient
I got random shit lying around everywhere and it’s driving my girlfriend nuts.
And I realized that the most organized parts of my room are my pen holders, my comic book shelf, and my boardgame cupboard.
No matter how hard I try to clean my room, it always end up messy a few days later, but these three very specific areas will always stay organized.
And I came to an epiphany. My pen holder, comic book shelf, and boardgame cupboard are mini systems!
My pen holder was designed to hold pens so no matter how messy my room gets, my pens always go back into the pen holder because they belong there.
So what are systems? According to Google…
“A system is a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done.”
The keyword phrase here is “to which something is done”. What would you like the pen holder to accomplish? Well, to hold pens!
So if you want something to be done, is it possible to design systems in your life to save you more time and help you do things more efficiently?
First, let’s look at simple systems that you can implement in your home.
In the kitchen, you can implement plate organizers to help you unload your dishwasher faster. Notice how every plate is the same so you never have to worry about stacking them according to their sizes. Now you know that this drawer is designed ONLY for this type of plate and you will never misplace your plates ever again. The same can be applied to cutleries, spices, and kitchenwares.
In the bathroom, you can have partitioned laundry baskets to help you sort out your dark and light clothes so you don’t have to waste time sorting them out when you do your laundry.
In the bedroom, closet organizers are a must. You will need to have a designated place to put your accessories, socks, belts, and underwear. Having an organized closet means you can easily access the things you need quickly. Every article in your closet deserves a spot; if they don’t, you most likely won’t wear them again.
Systems also help us re-evaluate the things we buy. Next time, before purchasing something, ask yourself, “Does this item belong somewhere in my home?” If the answer is no, you probably should not purchase it because it will end up in the most random place in your home.
So by implementing some very simple systems in your environment, you will soon realize how much time you’ve saved.
There is always a better way of doing things!
“Every item in your environment belongs somewhere.”
Next time, I will be talking about building a SMART home with existing technology.
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