Today’s guest post was written by Sue Ludwig, a neonatal occupational therapist and a published poet. Sue is a consultant to neonatal intensive care units around the country and a national speaker. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children.
There are patterns and there are systems.
A pattern is a way of doing things, typically because we’ve always done them that way, with no evaluation of process or outcome.
But a system takes forethought, intention and organization. A system is re-evaluated as it evolves.
A couple of days a week I work from home. And while I love this freedom, sometimes I make myself bonkers. I may sit at my computer with the best intentions of being productive. But then, I begin to see ALL the things around the house that also need to be done.
Typically, my brain goes something like this:
“First I’ll spend an hour on this project, then I’ll go throw some laundry in, then, well…maybe I’ll throw laundry in first so the washer is running while I’m working on my project.”
As I come back upstairs from the laundry room I notice the blur of doggy nose-prints all over our front windows. Ugh.
And while I try to set those things aside as I work, they gnaw away at my spirit. It’s a pattern that doesn’t lend itself to centeredness or productivity.
So recently, I stepped out of pattern mode and into system mode.
Now, I drop the kids off at school, drive to Panera (or some other place with free wi-fi), buy coffee, and sit down at a 2-person table to work. The results are amazing!
I check multiple items off my list. Some items take 2 hours to complete and some only 15 minutes. Sometimes I even complete a conference call from my little corner seat!
Now I know this idea is not new. We see people doing this frequently. But, these are the reasons this system works for me:
1. My intention is to get a specific list of things completed in less than 5 hours.
My tasks are written down and organized before I go. They include some quick things that make me feel happy and productive when I complete them = momentum.
2. I sit at a table for 2, not a big high table for 6. This is for 2 reasons. One, so I only have room for a small amount of work at a time. And two, so I do not throw ALL my stuff on a big table to dramatically say to the world and myself, “Look at all this work I have today!”
3. The streams of happy people passing through energize me.
4. At home, the distractions can be a built-in excuse for me not to get things accomplished. At Panera, I am delightfully ‘trapped’ in an environment that doesn’t allow for that. It leaves me with only my work. (And a great lunch!)
Oh, and I can’t hear the buzzer on my dryer from Panera!
What patterns can you transform into systems?
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Brilliant! I do this occassionally and shall do it today.
My pattern that has become system is Tuesdays. (good timing eh?) I generally found that by the time Tuesday came along, since I usually work over the weekend, I was a bit tired and less creatively inspired. While mentally beating myself up about the painting I should be doing instead I’d dabble on bits of paperwork or computer work. So now Tuesday IS my admin/computer day! It takes my natural weekly cycle and creates a good system. Plus no more guilt.
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This is a wonderful idea. I love the atmosphere of places like Panera. The people energize me. Also I find that getting into a different environment helps my creativity. Last week I took myself and two people who work with me for a “walk meeting”. We walked around the beautiful grounds outside in the sun instead of sitting in a drab conference room. It was great.
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Great post! As I think about translating patterns to systems, one of the things that occurs to me is my own tendency to trap myself into patterns of how things “should” be. For someone who works in a creative field (design), I’m often amazed at how rigid my thought processes can be when it comes to perceptions of “rules” or what’s “right” as it relates to work. Perhaps it is all the years I spent in Corporate America… perhaps it is Catholic guilt… but those nasty “shoulds” are my biggest nemesis when trying to create systems that work for me.
For example: One of my “shoulds” is that I need to put in X amount of hours in a work day. My wiser self certainly understands that there is not a direct relationship between time and productivity — but often I will find that I can’t bear to walk out of my office or away from my desk until after 5:30 (regardless of whether or not I’m being productive there) just because that’s what’s “expected.” I can’t begin to imagine the countless hours that I’ve wasted, staring at a computer screen, unable to come up with an idea… when the very thing that would have made those ideas come quickly would have been to break the pattern and then come back to it fresh.
I know that there are some days when the best thing in the world for me would be to step away from the computer — go take a walk or do something to clear my head before I try to get back into a project that I may be stuck on. But I find my biggest challenge is giving myself permission to actually put myself into a different environment. I love Stephen’s idea of having a “walk meeting” — and even though the first thing I thought of when I read it was “But will other people think I’m not working — that I’m not being productive if I do that?” — what I quickly realized is that:
A) it doesn’t matter what other people think, and
B) I’ll bet if I tried something like that I’d not only be more productive on the specific task at hand, but also throughout the rest of the day, because I’d taken care of my soul as well as my work.
I’m beginning to understand that the two are not mutually exclusive.
Thank you so much for this post… you are so wise, and this is a great topic for me to continue to think about and work to incorporate into my own life. Thank you!
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That explains why not being able to go to Donkey as much in the past two years has put a crimp in what I get done. Thank you for the post!
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Hi Sue,
Home can certainly provide distractions. All the things that we “could” be doing… And we slip into patterns. Of doing those little things – and putting off the big things. This is a great reminder – that the big things – if we concentrate on them – really concentrate – we can get through them and move on.
A good message to hear…
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Sue,
Great post! I find myself doing exactly the same things in my home. So distracting. I will definitely get out of pattern mode and into systems go!! Thanks a bunch for the idea of making a switch to a more productive life.
You rock, girlfriend!
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Another great post Sue. Keep them coming. I learn more about you every time I read one; and I’m impressed!
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Great idea! Plus the change of scenery makes it feel special. Sometimes by trying to take care of too many things at once, we get even less done. Thanks for the post!
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Thanks Lance and Andi! My 9 year-old daughter read some of these and said, “Who’s Lance?”, thinking that each of you must live in our neighborhood or something
Stephen- love the walking mtg!! What a great idea. Especially in the spring when we all crave the outdoors!
Tina and Lynne- Great points about the guilt and the ‘shoulds’!! So important to recognize those things (and then let them go!)
Lisa, love your energy as always. Makes me smile.
Joe- Thanks bro! Happily surprised to see your comments. Means so much.
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My pattern is to ‘start wandering off’. I sit down to do something, then I surf a bit, read my email, surf some more, come across some interesting story I want to put on my blog and start writing a post instead of working on my creative workshop. At the end of the day I have done nothing I was supposed to do and feel bad about it. I live in the country, so I have not really a coffee house or lunch place to go to unless I drive for half an hour. And the weather is not good enough yet to sit in the garden. So I am still thinking of a system. If you have any tips, email me. mindfulmimi at hotmail dot fr
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Agreed, another great post from Sue! I really like the distinction between “pattern” and “system.” I have a friend whom I’m trying to help organize, but she has an instinctive resistance to the word “system.” I’ve tried using the word “process,” but now she’s resisting that, too. Maybe if I use Sue’s wording, I can help her see how magnificently useful systems are!
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Agreed, another great post from Sue! I really like the distinction between “pattern” and “system.” I have a friend whom I’m trying to help organize, but she has an instinctive resistance to the word “system.” I’ve tried using the word “process,” but now she’s resisting that, too. Maybe if I use Sue’s wording, I can help her see how magnificently useful systems are!
OH! You’re my new favorite blogger fyi
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Great post!
I love working in cafe’s cuz you can get so much done. Things can be very distracting at home. I usually set a timer for myself and get swept away into my ‘to do’s and it’s great to take a break and order a coffee or lunch!
Systems really work! I’m learning this just now too!
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Great Post! – Now get home and finish the laundry. Also, please clean the windows.
Love,
Rob (Sue’s Husband)
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Hey Suze,
Too funny. Have you followed me to Panera’s??? I have been doing this very thing for years but always feel substandard b/c my attention span is that of a gnat’s. Well, it works, so I guess I should just love what is….
I often bring Will (and brought Luke when he was home). We share space and accomplish much, it’s a great system.
Love you,
Kelly (Sue’s sister of another mother)
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catherine- thank you!! And yeah, we all have powerful connections to words, good and ‘bad’. Good luck helping your friend find words that inspire her!
hi elaine!- the timer thing rocks! (thx christine!)Gives us that push to stay focused and then lets us feel relief when that chunk of time is over.
Rob- funny funny man…
Kel- share these things with me! We’re in this together right?! Cool that the boys sometimes come with you. ‘Sharing space’ with them is a great way to stay connected.
Mimi – Even though I don’t live in the country, sometimes I drive that far to my favorite spots and it’s worth it! My favorite thing is to listen to great downloaded books while driving there. But the drive is worth the productivity, if that sort of venue change is helpful for you!
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We know laundry talks, as well as the dust, windows, email and dishes. They all cry out “Do me first”! (It must be in the female genes.)
Detached studio space is the only way to quiet their incessant, disruptive demands. I salvaged a studio from a rundown mechanics shed on the property. I couldn’t afford to do it, but then, I really couldn’t afford not to either. There’s no phone or computer allowed. My purpose and focus is clear – dream, play and create. It’s amazing how time flies out there and what gets accomplished.
A new painting trumps laundry any day!
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I’m like you, Mimi, you described me to a T. Something I recently found that helps me stay focused on work is to put on headphones and listen to books on CD while I am doing my design jobs. I like children’s book (middle school age and up) because they are mostly upbeat, and easy to have in the background while I work. The CDs are usually an hour, so when one ends it is time for me to get up and move around. I also live 1/2 hour from town, and if possible, once I week I meet with other freelancers for a good walk and talk. I consider it my “health insurance.” Thinking of these as “systems’ that help the work process go smoother is a great approach.
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