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Scholar Warrior Way

Create Your Own Systems

October 30, 20237 min read

When You Create Your Own ‘Systems’ in your life, then you create a ‘Production Line’ for efficiency, predictability and the compound interest of Life. This ‘Compound Interest’ means that your daily production system builds on itself and then builds on itself and then builds on itself.

This is the Compound Interest of Self-Development.

For this week, you can see all the Lessons in my Scholar Warrior is the Way course on “Create Your Own Systems” in FREE preview mode. Just go here and sign up there or whatever you have to do. Learn and cancel before the trial if you have to - but learn!

CREATE YOUR OWN SYSTEMS

In this section, we take your bricklaying (task, actions) leading to your Cathedral (Your WHY, Goal) and create a supercharging engine around the bricklaying.  

In essence, a system will take your efforts and streamline them. Like the video down below…

I like this definition.  This gentleman uses more than a few definitions - which gives each of us some 'Individual' flexibility in how we use the word 'System".   Other synonyms include the following:

One way or the other, a "System" (which is the word I like) requires Steps, Sequences, Results.  The results come one way or the other!  Though such results may not be our Intended Results.  Whatever the Results, we must carefully analyze the results to adjust our efforts, change our direction or more.  Our analysis contributes to our future efforts. 

Numerous systems rules the universe - everything from the Solar "System" to our body's physical "System" and more.  You are surrounded by systems.  

Exercise:  Create Your Own Systems

Why?  Here...Let's Motivate You!

Check out these questions and consequences of NOT having a system.

A System:

•Creates Efficiencies   e.g. Transportation

  • No road system - no names, nothing, just a tangle of streets.  Oh, no home address either. 

  • No way to get gas except call neighbors to see who has some to sell. 

  • No phone number nor telephone system.  Impossible!

  • Clearly, without a system, we could not function for the most basic survival elements - food, transportation, medical care and more.

•Creates Predictability

  • How would like to run a factory where you weren't sure if your widgets were going to be the same size, configuration, etc., every time?  

  • Imagine if everything you bought did not have a predictable, usable and reusable utility.  The most basic thought is:  What if all the electrical plugs were made haphazardly and randomly?  You could buy a product on Amazon and would not be sure if it works in your house.  Of course, this is absurd but you get my point. 

•Cost Savings

Everyone wants to save money and a system can use the two above traits to do so.  

Saving money - and if money is time then there's savings in the Time Management category - then you have more money to spend on more important activities.  Rather than spending money on doing unpredictable and inefficient work over and over. 

System Defined - Again!

A System is a process, technique or any function with moving and interrelated parts.  Here's the definition again:

system  sĭs′təm  noun

  1. A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole, especially.

  2. An organism as a whole, especially with regard to its vital processes or functions.

  3. A group of physiologically or anatomically related organs or parts.

KENPO SYSTEM - ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

In my Kenpo Martial Arts, we call the conglomeration of Techniques, Forms, Sets, Affirmations, Pledges and Principles as the Kenpo Karate "System."  

In the Kenpo System, one of the main principles - #1 actually - is Environmental Awareness.  

"Environmental Awareness" means Awareness of Self and Immediate Environment.  I tell the students that "Environmental Awareness" is "what is in you, on  you and around you." 

What does that mean?  Remember that the point of reference is martial arts and self-defense.  So the Focus is about "Self-Defense".   With that Point of Reference and Focus, then you can Create a System for Environmental Awareness.

Why Environmental Awareness?   Increased crime, defunding of the police, increased issues on security, riots in the US in 2020+ have caused to put personal safety above many concerns, rivaling the economic concerns of severe inflation.  

For the sake of your and your family's safety, the Utilize a System of Environmental Awareness. 

"Environmental Awareness" means Awareness of Self and Immediate Environment.  I tell the students that "Environmental Awareness" is "what is in you, on  you and around you." 

"In You" 

  • Am I injured?

  • Feeling unwell. 

  • Nursing an injury that is either temporary (a sprained ankle) or semi-permanent (like a bad knee)

"On You"

  • Wearing glasses

  • Formal shoes - which are difficult to fight, move and run in.

  • Backpack - weight which throws off your usual fighting balance

  • Injury - arm cast, crutches

"Around You"

  • Street surfaces - gravel, paved, cobblestone, etc., 

  • Lighting

  • Corner and Buildings

  • People - gathering of intoxicated people near your car or in your path.  People wearing long coats on hot days in a bank (hiding a firearm?)

What is an Environmental Awareness System?

Well, based upon what you know from the above, you should create one in your head right now. 

I mean RIGHT NOW.

Okay, if you've done that, then I will tell you mind. 

I think of my system for navigating my World.  A Heads Up Display (HUD) was first used in fighter pilot helmets to use immediate sensory availability i.e. the pilot's eyes rather than have them shift their focus to a control panel and then back to either their flight or the threat.  By diverting their focus and attention, the pilot may lose valuable time for the flight - or get attacked!

So my Environmental Awareness System is running in my head as a HUD Display.

  • "In You" 

  • "On You"

  • "Around You"

Once I have established "In You" and "On You" status boards e.g. what shoes am I wearing?  Backpack? Am I carrying my pocket knife?  Keys?  etc., then I am really concentrating on the Environment. 

"Around You"

When I go into a bank, store or other establishment, are the patrons focused on their purchases?  Any shady characters looking around at other customers?  Hot day - and somebody is wearing a long coat to disguise a weapon?  What cars are parked near me?  How is the walk to the store and back? 

You can decide on your level of Awareness or interest. 

Are people gathering in a spot for a demonstration?  I had gone to Istanbul on one of the "Taken" films and went outside the production office into a narrow street.  I walked for a few blocks.  

 A few minutes later, the street was filled with Turkish protesters leading a march.  Peaceful, yes.  Could a protest become violent?  Yes, look at the US in 2020 and many other countries.   Governments respond differently to protests - some with heavy handed measures.  Others not so much. 

I had focused on the various stores, restaurants, etc., when walking down the street. So I remembered the store and went there, ducking into a store to make a few purchases and watched the protesters go by. 

To me, this move was a wise choice because a heavy police presence appeared about sixty meters up from the store.   All was peaceful.  But I didn't understand the language. ("In You" - no linguistic capability.  I didn't know the root cause of the protest. ("Around You" - how intense was the protest subject.  And I therefore chose to reduce my exposure due to this Environmental Awareness.   

You could make a different choice.   I made mine based upon Environmental Awareness.  

EXERCISE:  

1.  Identify As Many Systems around you as possible with everything from the common (gardening water system to the grandiose e.g. the solar system).   Systems help everything to thrive. 

2. Write down Three to Five areas where a simple System will improve your Efficiency, increase Predictable Results and Reduce cost.  Hopefully all three.  Start simple and build up. 

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Michael Mandaville

Michael is a writer, filmmaker and dedicated World War II historian who studies martial arts, action films and is learning more about VFX every single darn day. Oh and a Scholar Warrior

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Did You Know...

... if you improve 1/2% each day, then you will be 267% better over one year? Who can compete with that?

Setting Yourself Up for Success usually doesn't mean one big jump but rather incremental change day after day. Think of it like a ocean wave, moving far out in the Pacific with almost an undetectable push...finally with the power and grace of an ocean wave onto the beach. Create your own metaphor to embrace small habits with a huge future impact.