Solving with Systems

When you have a problem, do you solve it with a 1-time solution? or with a system?

• If you find yourself wondering on Monday night what the family will eat for meals this week, you could pick up your phone and order food (a 1-time solution) or you can take a step back and examine your weekly meal strategy.
• If you catch yourself on track to miss another deadline, you could arrange for an extension and bring in extra resources (both 1-time solutions). Or you can look holistically at how you plan your time, use your time, and commit to timelines.
• If you just lost your temper with a colleague or friend, you could shrug it off or apologize (both 1-time solutions). Or you can examine the catalyst that has you become angry, notice the sequence that has you lose composure, and invent a way to break the chain next time.
• If you ate too much at mealtime and now you feel stuffed, you could eat lighter for your next few meals (a 1-time solution), or you can compile a list of circumstances that lead you to overeat, and make a plan to address them.

System changes may not be fast enough to resolve the current situation.   But system changes tend to last because:

1. We find more effective and efficient options when we consider the broader context, instead of searching for immediate solutions
2. System changes help us to think structurally instead of focusing on the specifics of the current issue
3. If we improve the system once, we may never need to solve this particular problem again

Put enough attention on this, and you can make a powerful shift: you become the kind of person that solves their problems by adjusting their systems.