[PODCAST 332]: Systems vs. Routines: The Difference and Why It Matters - Learn | Do

Here at LearnDoBecome, we constantly talk about systems. In fact, our mission statement shares that “We help people who are overwhelmed by the details of life to create simple systems so they can do what matters most.”

As we’ve gone deeper into systems, however, several people have asked, “What’s the difference between a system and a routine?” The reason this matters is because both systems and routines can reduce the friction in your life, and when you learn how they work together, it’s a game changer.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

BOTH Systems and Routines

Are done repeatedly
Reduce mental load
Create consistent desired outcomes

Systems UNIQUELY

Can be designed to run without you
Are triggered by a condition or need
Empower others to act (instead of or in tandem with you)
Are multi-step

Routines UNIQUELY

Are time-anchored, on a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)
Are executed personally
Can be a single step

This isn’t the only way to look at systems and routines, and I’m sure there are situations where my definitions won’t exactly fit, but let’s look at some examples, and then I’ll share what I suggest you actually DO with this information, if you want to create more calm in your life.

Examples of Systems

My whole family’s “Birthday Calendar” is loaded into Asana as annual tasks. They pop up in “My Tasks” on the appropriate days, and Asana emails me a daily summary. I initiated the system, now it runs for me. I could also pre-schedule texts, emails, or gifts to be delivered, but I like to do those personally, on the actual birthday. 🙂
Continuing with this theme, our immediate family also has a simple “birthday system” that we do for each person. I typically run the celebrations, but if I’m not able to do it (or if it’s my birthday, the family can take over. (We decorate “the wall,” have a streamer run, eat dinner at a restaurant of choice on the actual birthday, have a Sunday family dinner/cake, open Grandma’s package, and give everyone a chance to share something they love about the birthday person.)
A system also includes things like a launch pad by the door you use most–or a spot in the car for things that need to be dropped off somewhere. You might not leave your house every single day or run errands every single day, but when you do, everything is ready for you! This system can be beautifully combined with a Next Actions List. Note the errands you need to run, load things into the car ahead of time, and complete those tasks when it makes sense during the week!
I have lots of systems within my email in the form of filters. Emails sent to a dedicated address I linked to my Gmail automatically forward to a team member, who then handles the response. I have a record of the email in my inbox, but the response is handled through the system we set up.
When we replaced our home heating and cooling system a couple of years ago, instead of maintaining a routine of going to the wall and adjusting the temperature, based on whether we were going to be home that day or not, etc. we now have an app and sensors around the house so we can set the upstairs and the downstairs for heating and cooling when we are home, away, or asleep. Now the system keeps watch so we use our heating and cooling resources wisely.
At LearnDoBecome, we have lots of systems, as well! If someone signs up for our Welcome Kit, they type in their name and email, and it gets delivered in a few seconds.
As Eric and I were raising our four children, we divided up household work by posting charts on the walls. We had rotations for jobs related to our dog, kitchen clean-up, Saturday housecleaning, etc. Eric and I also figured out how to share the work we do. He manages laundry, repairs, finances, and yardwork. I manage groceries, cleaning the house, social communication, and dental/medical insurance. Part of these do fold into our routines, but we‘ve both created systems that make our responsibilities feel lighter.

Examples of Routines

We have a lot written about routines all over the website, so I won’t go too deep into these, but routines are single-step or multiple-step things that we personally and regularly do. I organize mine into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.

Walking the dog each day
Doing a weekly planning meeting with Eric
Leading our ARISE workshop monthly
Turning off porch lights each night
Getting haircuts
Recording podcasts
Attending an annual conference

Some routines are specific to a day and time (like my Friday @ 9:30am meeting with Eric).

Some routines are flexible–like my weekly podcast. I could batch record once a month or record on a random day of the week, or skip recording altogether if I need a break.

And some routines can also be systems. (I do have a system that goes with the podcast, for example.)

But routines aren’t always systems. You’ll notice that “turning off the porch lights” is a single step. Yes, it’s connected to the home’s lighting system, I just think of it as a routine.

So What Do We Do With This Information?

The reason I think systems are so fun is because they can reduce some parts of our workload, thereby freeing up time and energy to truly do what matters most. Of course, some things should always keep their human touch. That’s where our unique ability to discern comes into play. But life, in general, simply doesn’t feel overwhelming when optimal systems are supporting me.

If you’re thinking, “I’d love a few more systems in my life!” then here are a few ways to get started:

Identify either a routine that takes a lot of time and bandwidth, a system that still requires your personal energy, or some point of friction you’d like to smooth in your life.
Brainstorm ways you could use a step-by-step process, help from others, technology, or some other resource to create a helpful system.
Give it a try for a while and then evaluate!

Here Are a Few Recent Systems I’m Loving:

We had great success with our “Four Weeks to Finished” group coaching, but it was a heavy lift for our team. So we created an on-demand version called “STEP Momentum.” We have a video kick-off call, assignments that get delivered by text and email accountability posts inside our group, and a virtual graduation! It’s available now inside STEP Mastery!
During my morning study, I like to mark my scriptures and add notes in the margins. But sometimes I learn things or have ideas that don’t fit in the margins. I have digital scriptures, as well, but I love my paper ones. So I created a system where if I place a red dot next to a verse, that means there are more related notes in the digital version. I can copy and paste links to related videos, include quotes from books I’ve been reading, or write more thorough journal entries! I love how digital and paper can work together.
With 3 young adults living close by, we wanted to gather each Sunday night for dinner. They are busy working and/or going to school all week, so we thought it might be fun to eat our meal together and then cook a meal or two together afterwards that they could take home. We purchased some take-home containers that are dishwasher safe, and now we have a system set up where I text them before I order groceries to see what they want to make, then the groceries are delivered here, and then on Sundays, they bring their containers with them to family dinner and we spend a couple hours together–enjoying a relaxed dinner and then cooking together.
Eric and I coordinate on a lot of things, like social events, things to buy at different stores, travel plans, personal development, etc. Eric created a Google Sheet with a separate tab for each area that needs to be coordinated. We have a QR code for that sheet on our refrigerator so we can easily scan it if we need to add something to the grocery list.

Systems Require Some Effort, But They’re Worth It

We asked our ARISE community how they would feel if each pain point had an optimal, supportive system in place that actually worked for their unique situation. Here’s what they said:

Lighter and more hopeful
Less stressed
I would feel less overwhelmed
I’d have peace of mind
I can feel the relief in my body already.
Energy! 100%
Life would feel easier and I would save energy.
Less guilt (which is 100% me doing it to myself).
I enjoy the freedom of mind and the confidence I get when my systems are working because even if I am not up to date I can know how to get there.
Wonderful! I would feel proud, confident, secure.
I am in the process of consolidating different systems, and this will make things easier to avoid decision fatigue, save mental space for more complex work or more family time instead of rebuilding the ship and retooling all the routines.