A few months ago, my doctor prescribed me a pill to take at bedtime. After a few weeks, I realized I was only taking the pill about 20% of the time. For whatever reason, I was forgetting to take the pill. I found this odd because each morning I take a handful of vitamins and supplements, and I never forget to take those. The system I use for my morning pills is each Sunday I load up my big yellow plastic pillbox. It has seven compartments. One for each day. I then set it on the bathroom counter in an obvious place. I never miss taking my morning pills.
My initial strategy with the bedtime pill was the same as my morning pills. Set the bottle on the counter in the bathroom and then remember to take it. For whatever reason, just sitting the bottle in an obvious place was not doing the trick. I need to take this pill 100% of the time. My current system was a bust.
So, what is a system? A system is just a set of procedures used to get things done. If you want to develop a system, step one is to write out exactly what you want to happen. Step two is to write out the actions you will consistently take in order to deliver the result you want. Step three is to test the system. If it delivered the result you want, then great! You’re done. If not, then back to the drawing board for overhaul or refinement. Once you develop a new system that works, the next step in is figuring out a way so that you consistently and fully use the system every time. This last step can at times be the most difficult part.
As some know, I’m a pilot. Pilots rely on checklists in order to safely fly planes. There’s a checklist for everything. As a pilot, you learn early on the importance of using and following your plane’s checklist. Here’s a link to the checklist for the place I flew which was a Cessna 172 Skyhawk https://www.mentoneflyingclub.org/aircraft/12874_CL.pdf
Okay, it’s now storytime.
It was a beautiful day to fly. I had taxied the plane out and just finished my “run-up”. I was ready to call the tower for permission to take off on runway 19 at Waco Regional Airport. The normal protocol right before takeoff is to hit the checklist one last time. As you can see by looking at the checklist link, it clearly says in the Before Takeoff area “Cabin Doors and Windows … Closed and Locked”. Anyway, I pick up the checklist, looked it over, and then decided I was good to go. Checklist complete! With that, I called the tower, received clearance, hit the throttle, and started my roll down the runway. About 5 seconds after my wheels left the ground, I heard an unfamiliar whistling sound in the cabin. About 3 seconds later, the passenger door on the plane opened. “Oh shit!” Luckily, the training kicked in; Aviate, navigate, communicate. I stayed calm and continued to fly the plane. The open door was not going to cause me to crash. I finished my climb out and called the control tower asking for permission to re-enter the pattern and land. I got the okay and I then landed. Crisis averted. I then latched the door and took off again. After that, I never took my checklist for granted.
What happened? Well, way back after I finished my run-up, I did pull out the checklist. The problem though is I didn’t fully follow it. I only pretended to follow it. As I said earlier, the checklist clearly says to check the cabin doors and windows. I didn’t do it. In training, I was taught to complete this step by putting my hand on both door latches to check that they are latched and locked and to push on the door. I didn’t do that. The moral of the story? Systems and checklists only work if you use them 100% of the time and also in the way they were designed.
So back to the new pill dilemma. It was clear that just sitting the pill bottle on the counter in the bathroom was not going to work. I needed a system that would consistently get these pills in my hand. I then came up with this system.
I wear contact lenses. Each night I take them out and put them in a contact lens case. I keep that case in the bathroom. Taking out my contacts is something that is a habit. I do it every night without fail. Also, without fail, I put my contact lenses in each morning. Knowing this, I simply anchored the contact lens case (something I currently do every day) to the pill bottle (something I aspire to do every day).
Here’s the procedure or system I use to now be sure to take my bedtime pill:
-In the morning, wake up and go to the bathroom
-I put in contact lenses for the day
-I put my contact lens case on the bathroom counter
-On top of the contact lens case, I place my bottle of bedtime pills
-At night, I go to the bathroom to take out my contact lenses
-In order to get my contact lens case, I must pick up my bedtime pill bottle since it is on top of the case
-With pill bottle in hand, I now take my pill
Result of my new system? I’ve taken the pill every day as instructed.
Folks, systems work. If you have something you really want to make happen, develop a system and then follow it. As I said earlier, following a system is sometimes the hardest part of all. It takes discipline. As Jocko Willink says, “Discipline equals freedom.” If you’re lacking in discipline, the other way you get yourself to follow a system is how I did it with flying; Make a mistake big enough so that it scares you straight, but small enough so that it doesn’t kill you. I’ve used this method a lot in my life. If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s making mistakes. What doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger but only if you listen, learn the lesson, and then take massive amounts of action and change.
I think I’ll end now. Time to get moving and get to work. As always, I hope you Find Your Adventure and Live Your Life.