Systemization: The Secret To Doing It All

An input of mine that I've come to value is my ability to identify patterns...
... and not just identify, but interrupt and create anew - simplistically.

Prior to launching the Inputs Only Podcast, I reached out to 50 people, whom I would say are at the top of their metaphorical game. What I found most interesting was the difference in how some managed their time.

Part of the podcast experience I've implemented, in an effort to create community, is a run, recover, record protocol. Guests are invited to come over for a run (or workout), hit a contrast session, and then record the podcast. This is meant to diffuse the stress some guests feel when being interviewed, and allows for a more genuine connection.

I knew going into it that this would be a big ask, but my intention has never been to merely create content for the sake of it. Instead, I want to build relationships with those I aspire to learn from and to create a community around stories worth sharing.

There were three things that stood out to me most:
1. Those who I perceive to be the healthiest, and have the highest perceived quality of life felt energetically positive.
2. Those who said no (due to schedule, priorities or otherwise) or not right now felt energetically neutral.
3. Those who lacked systems and relied on brute force to calendar events felt energetically heavy.

This experience served as a a reminder of a lesson learned traveling last year.

Just as a river without banks ceases to flow, so too does a life devoid of structure (systems).

If I ever feel myself lacking time, it's always due to a missing, underdeveloped or broken system.
To bring things back to a homeostatic state, or create anew, I do the following: 

1. Identify The Pattern

In regards to the podcast, we were in full creation mode for almost two months. Most, if not all creative endeavors lack structure by nature. Creativity is an intentional lack of systems as it creates something never done before.

It is a world I thoroughly enjoy, but I would go mad if it's where I lived permanently.

Recognizing this, and the desire for structure, I approached the podcast in the same way.
I asked myself, "What can I create once so that I never have to do again?"

Since there is no 'correct' way to create, and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder... this poses a problem.

You can A. Create indefinitely and get nowhere, or B. Create, Launch, Systemize & Iterate... consistently.

2. Interrupt The Pattern

In the past, I've waited months perfecting the output before publishing... only to iterate based on feedback.

Today, I'd much rather publish something to acquire feedback and learn out loud.

In relation to the podcast itself, I wanted a few episodes in the bag before publishing the first, but I also wanted to have a strong 'launch' and optimized for in-person recordings (I did take a few remote to get more reps in too).

The longest part of the process, by far, has been designing the studio and stylization of the published episodes.
The easiest part of the process, for me, was creating the backend systems, templates and tracking dashboards.

3. Create A New Pattern

If you only identify and interrupt patterns, you don't get anywhere... and this is where most call it quits. They continually make the same inputs and expect a different output. OR, even worse, they find the input that works and choose to do something else because they don't like the tedium of it. (I.e. more sales calls = more sales).

There are parts of the process I plan on hiring for, but before I did, I needed to template and systemize what I wanted.

Pro Tip - If you want something done a certain way, document it. The best way I've found to delegate is to 1, have someone to watch you... 2, have them talk you through it, but you do it... 3, have them talk you through it, and they do it... 4, and finally, they do it without you. Doing this AND dealing with english as a second language is one of the reason I no longer opt for oversees talent - in addition to wanting to work with people I'd spend a Saturday with.

As for the podcast, I did the following:

I documenting the process as a whole.
I identified what was repeatable and created templates.
I Installed shortcuts and hotkeys to further simplify the process.
I then created a tracker and a checklist which I can duplicate for each episode

This gives me a failsafe... similar to a pilot's checklist prior to flight.

Most importantly, get everything out of your head and into a tool that you enjoy.
The biggest hack of all... use your brain as a processor, not a memory bank.

P.S. There's something to be said for intentionally living out of balance... which I'll write about in a future letter.

Inputs Only Podcast:

Lachie Stuart is the founder of The Man That Can Project community and podcast...
... and an athlete who holds a world record for rowing 30 marathons in 30 days.

What does it mean to be a man in today's society?

In this episode, expect to learn how to redefine masculinity, advice on how to set goals... and succeed, what to look for in a mentor, what to avoid, and more. 

You're Not The Man You Think You Are - Lachie Stuart | E03
Tap here to watch on: YouTube | Spotify | Apple

P.S. Enter to win a trip for 2 on our upcoming retreat ($12k Value) by clicking here.

Quote On My Mind:

"You don't create something for one million people.
You start with the perfect experience for one person... and then you duplicate.."

﹣Brian Chesky

Scale, initially comes from scaling the unscalable..

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In Case You Missed It:

In last weeks edition, I wrote about how I created the community I craved.

I broke down a few actionable steps you can take to create community anywhere.
It's step-by-step what I did when I first moved to LA knowing very few people.

It's also been my most positively received newsletter to date.

Tap here to read the full article.