I’ve had those days. You know the ones: back-to-back meetings, your inbox growing like a fungal bloom in the dark, and just a single, precious hour to get anything meaningful done. Those are the days when your tools, workflows, and systems either rise to meet the challenge—or collapse like a Jenga tower on a fault line.

And that’s exactly why I build systems for my worst days, not my best ones.

When You’re Running on Fumes, Systems Matter Most

It’s easy to fall into the trap of designing productivity systems around our ideal selves—the focused, energized version of us who starts the day with a triple espresso and a clear mind. But that version shows up maybe one or two days a week. The other days? We’re juggling distractions, fighting fatigue, and getting peppered with unexpected tasks.

Those are the days that test whether your systems are real or just aspirational scaffolding.

My Systems for the Storm

To survive—and sometimes even thrive—on my worst days, I rely on a suite of systems I’ve built and refined over time:

• Custom planners for project, task, and resource tracking. These keep my attention on the highest-leverage work, even when my mind wants to wander.

• Pre-created GPTs and automations that handle repetitive tasks, from research to analysis. On a rough day, this means things still get done while I conserve cognitive bandwidth.

• Browser scripts that speed up form fills, document parsing, and other friction-heavy tasks.

• The EDSAM mental model helps me triage and prioritize quickly without falling into reactive mode. (EDSAM = Eliminate, Delegate, Simplify, Automate, Maintain)

• A weekly review process that previews the chaos ahead and lets me make strategic decisions before I’m in the thick of it.

These aren’t just optimizations—they’re insulation against chaos.

The Real ROI: More Than Just Productivity

The return on these systems goes well beyond output. It’s about stress management, reduced rumination, and the ability to make clear-headed decisions when everything else is fuzzy. I walk into tough weeks with more confidence, not because I expect them to be easy—but because I know my systems will hold.

And here’s something unexpected: these systems have also amplified my impact as a mentor. By teaching others how I think about task design, tooling, and automation, I’m not just giving them tips—I’m offering frameworks they can build around their own worst days.

Shifting the Culture of “Reactive Work”

When I work with teams, I often see systems built for the ideal: smooth days, few interruptions, time to think. But real-world conditions rarely comply. That’s why I try to model and teach the philosophy of resilient systems—ones that don’t break when someone’s sick, a deadline moves up, or a crisis hits.

Through mentoring and content, I help others see that systems aren’t about rigidity—they’re about readiness.

The Guiding Principle

Here’s the rule I live by:

“The systems have to make bad days better, and the worst days minimally productive—otherwise, they need to be optimized or replaced.”

That sentence lives in the back of my mind as I build, test, and adapt everything from automations to mental models. Because I don’t just want to do great work on my best days—I want to still do meaningful work on my worst ones.

And over time, those dividends compound in ways you can’t measure in a daily planner.

Support My Work

Support the creation of high-impact content and research. Sponsorship opportunities are available for specific topics, whitepapers, tools, or advisory insights. Learn more or contribute here: Buy Me A Coffee

 

* AI tools were used as a research assistant for this content, but human moderation and writing are also included. The included images are AI-generated.