systems

today a friend requested some help budgeting. he has seen my detailed attention to my evolving budgeting systems over the years. from manual spreadsheets in excel to mint and now simple.

i am proud of the way i find ways to analyze a system, identify what’s needed, and then find a long-term solution. and i’ve found that the best solutions require a small amount of regular (up to daily) maintenance to achieve the goal.

this approach to systems reminds me of some off-hand my friend, nadeem, gave to a student at party. the student asked nadeem how to make a meaningful change. nadeem’s response: do something for five minutes a day for a long time. the kid responded: wait, but shouldn’t i do it for a few hours a week? nadeem: no no no, that’s way too much. if you can do five minutes a day, see how you like it. if it works, you’ll keep it up and do more. small, sustained acts over time is how we actually effect change.

i concur.

see poem: http://www.grahameb.com/pinkola_estes.htm