Why I am writing this
For the longest time,
I thought “systems” were for people who wanted to kill their creativity.
Spreadsheets. Calendars. Rigid schedules. It felt like trading imagination for bureaucracy.
I told myself: If I just stay inspired, I’ll create better work.
But here’s the truth I learned the hard way:
It’s not the presence of systems that suffocates you.
It’s the absence of systems that does.
Without structure, creativity isn’t free. It’s fragile. It gets drowned in notifications, tasks, and mental clutter until the fun part, the actual writing, designing, building? barely happens at all.
1 Insight
Most people think systems are about squeezing in more output.
For me, they’re about protecting the most scarce resource I have: attention.
A checklist for publishing means I don’t waste brainpower remembering the steps.
A recurring reminder means I don’t carry it in my head.
A simple template means I don’t stare at a blank screen.
But here’s the part people miss:
Systems aren’t just for work. They bleed into everything.
At the gym: I don’t ask “what workout today?” I already know. I’ve got my clothes ready, my plan set, my playlist queued. That’s why I show up, consistency is designed.
In content: Systems turn the process into a playground. Because when you trust your workflow, you stop obsessing about “how” and start playing with the “what.” That’s where creativity actually shows up.
The less I have to think about the process,
the more I can actually create.
1 Habit
Every Sunday, I do a 30-minute reset.
I open my notes “Monday Morning Dump” and split the upcoming week into two lists:
The must-do list
Recurring tasks, approvals, formatting, scheduling
The things that keep the machine running but don’t fuel me
The can’t-wait-to-do list
Writing an essay
Designing a new lead magnet
Jamming with a creator on a case study idea
Then I ask myself one question:
How can I systemize the first list so I can spend more time on the second?
Sometimes it means batching admin into a single hour on Friday.
Sometimes it means asking for help.
Sometimes, it just means getting that done, no matter how I feel about it.
1 Story
Picasso produced more than 20,000 works in his lifetime.
Paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures.
People assume he was just endlessly inspired.
But the reality? He was methodical.
He worked every day. Same hours. Same routine. He didn’t wait for lightning. He built the conditions where lightning had no choice but to strike.
His “system” wasn’t a calendar app. It was discipline disguised as freedom. And that discipline is what made him one of the most prolific creators in history.
That’s it for this week!!!
Systems don’t kill creativity.
They create the space where creativity can breathe.
If you feel like you don’t have time for the work you actually care about — it’s probably not a lack of inspiration.
It’s a lack of systems.
This week: list 3 tasks you dread every week.
Decide which to simplify, automate, or delegate.
Free up just one extra hour for the work you love.
That’s how you stay consistent.
Not by grinding harder, but by protecting your spark.
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