In a world that glorifies relentless productivity, we often turn to systems to keep our lives on track. Yet, even the most thoughtfully designed systems can become shackles when life shifts beneath them. This article will take a look at what happens when a system goes rogue – and how to get it back on track.
The System That Outgrew Me
I love planners. Not so much the hauling around of a ton of paper, though, so when I found a way to do a blog planner on my iPad, I was thrilled. I made an electronic version of the paper one I had been using for years. I had month calendars linked to article pages, summary pages, sections for ideas and new products and articles.
For months, I dutifully filled it out, and gave myself kudos for keeping to my schedule without a flurry of “there’s an article supposed to go out tomorrow and I haven’t started it”. I had my articles planned, points in place and ready to go.
And then the system failed me. It because too onerous to fill out the forms and plan the month in a grid. It became burdensome to workshop the titles and make the points.
And I started asking myself why something that used to help me feel like a chore?
Why Systems Fail
This is not the first time that a system failed me. Nor will it be the last. Because systems fail because they no longer meet life where it is.
I thought about all the times when I have had systems fail, and they all revolve around major changes in my life:
- When my daughter transitioned from middle school to high school, then to community college, college and now back home
- When my husband retired
- When I moved from being a consultant to being an employee of my company
- When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and then three weeks later with breast cancer, and the following months of waiting, testing and treatment
- When I took a look at all my commitments during the pandemic and realized how few of them I really wanted to keep
During each of these transitions, things that I had put in place to manage my busy life started falling apart.
It wasn’t sudden though. I still went through the motions, but the results were simply not there. I was doing things out of loyalty to the habit, rather than usefulness in my life.
I’ve learned to recognize the red flags of a system going rogue:
- There is a large amount of change going on in my life
- I feel stressed to keep up with things they way I had been doing it
- I start avoiding tasks (resistance) or “giving them a lick and a promise” (boredom)
Auditing the System
In all of these cases, I was able to pinpoint the issues by doing a system audit.
Step 1: Ask why this system exists. There is always a reason the system was built, and one needs to look at what it was supposed to help me with. If the goal is no longer one needed, get rid of the system. If it is still needed and changed, go to the next step.
Step 2: How has this system gone rogue? Why are you considering this? Is something not working for you?
Step 3: Look at what still serves that aim. What in the system is still serving that aim? Does it need to change based on where you are now in your life?
Step 4: Identify what isn’t serving. This may be just a sense of something being outdated, or not working quite right. I can typically find things by looking at my resistance points.
Sometimes it helps to look at this as a change for the season of life you are in.
System Audit Example: Meal Planning
One of the things that has stopped working for me recently is my meal planning/preparation.
Why this system exists: When my daughter was very young, I implemented meal planning with the goals of minimizing shopping trips, eating at home to save money and be healthier, and eating family dinners every night. I accomplished this by having theme nights: Taco Tuesday, Sunday Dinner, etc. The system for planning meals is still needed, since I still want to minimize shopping trips, and eat at home to save money and be healthier.
How has it gone rogue? When my daughter moved back home after college, and my diet radically changed due to my health, I found that we often were trying to scramble dinners together. Our schedules aren’t conducive to eating family dinners every night, and I can no longer eat many of the “pull it out of the freezer” dinners we used to rely on.
What serves the aim? Having a weekly meal plan is still the best way to minimize shopping trips and make healthy meals.
What doesn’t service the aim? Trying to make involved meals that all three of us eat together doesn’t work because of work schedules.
Simplify Before You Replace Your System
One of the first things I want to do when something isn’t working is to run out and find an out-of-the-box solution and implement it. Chuck everything that was in the old system and find something new to replace it.
But experience has shown me that often times what is needed is simplification, not replacement.
I can simplify the process by eliminating unnecessary steps and tools.
This is actually fairly straightforward: I look at exactly what I am trying to do, and then hold each of the steps up to it to determine if it is necessary.
Sometimes I get caught in the trap of using technology when it really isn’t needed. In my meal planning example above, one of the changes made was we now plan on paper and post it on the fridge rather than having it tucked away in an app.
Rebuild With Intention
When you are done eliminating the unnecessary and simplifying, rebuild it to match your current situation. Take into account time, energy, scheduling, and your interests.
One of the things to aim for during your system rebuild is to make it so that you will use it. Rebuilding a system to let it languish is a waste of time and effort.
Changes Mean System Changes
Letting go of something that isn’t working isn’t a failure. Look at it instead as an evolution; one that is spurred on by the changes in your life.
Looking back, I’ve come to see every “failed” system not as a defeat but as a compass pointing toward the next iteration of my life. When a planner, a meal‑plan, or any habit becomes a burden, it’s a clear signal that my circumstances have shifted. My tools must then shift with them. By pausing to audit why the system existed, identifying which parts still serve my goals, and stripping away the excess, I can rebuild with intention rather than simply swapping one broken framework for another. In the end, the healthiest systems are the ones that stay flexible enough to grow alongside me, reminding me that adaptation, not rigidity, is the true hallmark of productivity.
Bonus: My System Audit Worksheet (free PDF)
If you are interested in a free PDF version of the questions above, along with an example of how I have used it, please check it out in the store.
