Why Systems Matter 

"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems" - James Clear 

I have ADHD and it’s one of my superpowers. It’s also the reason why I’ve had to become an expert in designing systems that help me thrive in a world that was designed to keep me distracted. My brain is excellent at making lateral connections, which means I see easily see connections across domains or systems. This ability also makes me more susceptible to going down rabbit holes or tangents, that while make sense to my brain, they may not help me stay on track with whatever it is I need to be doing in the moment. In addition, when I’m excited by something that is challenging and interesting, I have an above average ability to obsessively focus and tune out the rest of the world. Which can be great for productivity but destructive toward my health and relationships. 

That’s why I’ve designed and meticulously tested systems and frameworks that help me maximize my creative abilities and minimize time being wasted on needless distractions. 

The Frameworks

None of what I’m going to share is ground breaking, but it is my own unique take on many of the best time tested systems and frameworks for productivity and creativity. It’s taken me the better part of a decade to find the right mix and to instill the right habits to make these effortless. Frameworks, systems, and tools can easily give the illusion of productivity. So what I’ve done, is make sure everything is as seamless and simple to use and always pointed toward creative output. 

Start With Why

Objectives and Key Results

Goldilocks Rule and Zone of Proximal Development for Flow State

Cornerstone Habit Stacking and Consistency Tracking

Morning Gratitude and Affirmations

Daily, Weekly, and Quarterly Reflections and Reviews

Getting Things Done + Building Your Second Brain

• Capture, Organize, Distill, Express and Act 

Eisenhower Matrix of Projects and Action Items- Urgency vs Importance

Time Blocking & Scheduling

Pomodoro Technique

My Tools

These are my opinionated tools I use to implement my frameworks and rituals. I’ll also note a few that I’ve used extensively for context. 

The Process

• Notion and Readwise
• Observe and take notes using pen and notebook or readwise into Notion 
• Put all current and future action items into Notion databases 
• Organize action items and information into Notion databases
• Create templates for daily, weekly, and quarterly reflections and processing. This includes filtered references to habits, projects, action items, and relationship databases. 
• Use daily, weekly, and quarterly reflections to maintain big goals, OKRs, projects, action item lists, and notes processing
• Turn your finished projects or ideas from notes into works or content you share with the world
• Have a personal knowledge base and operating system that makes you more creative and productive than 99.99% of the world

Other Information I track in Notion

• Contacts and relationship management
• Wishlists
• Bucket lists
• Shopping Lists
• Inspiration
• Inventory Lists
• Habit Tracker 

Key Learnings

If you don’t take time to create goals for yourself and define why they matter to you, then you’re just a productivity hobbyist. Start with big-picture goals, ask yourself what big questions are you most curious about answering in your life, and define the 2-3 immediate projects that you can do to take action towards your goals. By doing this, you will become more aware of what notes are relevant for your work, you’ll find more meaning in managing and keeping up with your action items, you’ll be more likely to stick with the reflection habits to maintain your systems, and you’ll see your systems begin to compound in value. 

• Projects Without Goals Are Just Hobbies
• Goals Without Projects Are Just Dreams
• Goals With Defined Projects Are Progress