Systems! One Size Fits All or Create from Scratch?
Enjoy this guest post by Lisa Crilley Mallis of System Savvy Consulting. Lisa is our guest on the next Creative in Business show, so be sure to tune in at Noon ET tomorrow for all the tips she’s sharing to help you Create A.W.E. Inspired Action.
By Lisa Crilley Mallis
You are unique! You have special gifts, hopes, dreams, abilities, and strengths – which you should take into account when you create solutions for your challenges and obstacles. Since each person is different, the solutions should also be different – one size really doesn’t fit all.
Using efficient systems is a great time management strategy – a great opportunity to simplify! But, believing you need to create every system from scratch can certainly be overwhelming.
Ideally, you would want customized systems for every area in your life. However, the time and effort needed to constantly create systems from scratch could be counterproductive. So how can you decide if you can use a standard system?
A few guidelines –
- First – Look for systems that have already been proven successful. Many direct sales companies have systems that work. Mary Kay Cosmetics recommends a 2 + 2 + 2 system when contacting customers. They advocate contacting each person 2 days, 2 weeks, and 2 months after they make a purchase. This approach has been successful for thousands and thousands of consultants.
- Second – Identify people who are in a position that you want to be in. Then, implement some of the systems they use to be efficient. The key is to only implement systems from people who are in a position you want to attain. This could include morning routines, a sales process, or possibly a system for paperwork.
- Third – Use checklists for recurring activities. You can find checklists online for everything from wedding planning to packing for vacation to starting a new business to meal planning to preparing your taxes and everything in between. Find a few areas that you can become more efficient, print out a checklist, and implement.
Keep in mind even the most well created and well tested solutions may not be perfect. Just because successful people have become more efficient using these systems, doesn’t mean they will work perfectly for you. Be flexible and willing to adapt.
- Maybe you need to create an evening routine instead of a morning routine based on your biorhythms and schedule.
- Or maybe you start with a proven checklist for packing for vacation and adapt it to use for packing for a business trip.
The key is to be flexible.
What solutions have you had success with? Where could you become more efficient? Take a few moments today to consider areas and processes you can create systems for.
About the Author
Lisa Crilley Mallis, lover of chocolate, the beach, and country music and owner of SystemSavvy Consulting, LLC is a time strategy visionary. She is a master at cutting to the heart of overwhelm to help you regain control of your schedule and experience life.
Lisa assists professionals in the direct selling industry implement concrete techniques that can be applied immediately to their daily lives. Her enthusiasm for finding solutions is contagious, and her commitment to empowering you to find success is transformational.
For additional time saving techniques visit www.SystemSavvyConsulting.com.
About the author, Kelly
Kelly Galea is a creative, multi-passionate entrepreneur and luminary blessed with a unique combination of wit, grit, intellect and intuition. She helps you navigate the work-life maze of ever-shifting priorities and transform your life through holistic self-discovery techniques and immersive, fun and magical mini-quests. Working with Kelly will inspire you to unveil, express and celebrate your vital personality and lifestyle preferences to create a more harmonious life.