Why the search for the “perfect” system might be keeping you stuck
I’ve been teaching productivity and workflow design for over five years, and there’s a pattern I see repeatedly: bright, motivated people cycling through system after system, searching for the one that will finally “work” for them.
PARA. GTD. Ultimate Brain. PPV. BASB. The list goes on.
Each new framework promises to be the solution to helping you become the most effective version of yourself. Each creator presents their method as revolutionary, but the truth is that they’re all mostly teaching the same fundamental behaviors, just wrapped in different terminology.
What Is a “System” Anyway?
Before we dive deeper, let’s clarify what we’re actually talking about when we say “productivity system.”
A system is simply a set of interconnected processes that work together to produce a desired outcome. In productivity terms, it’s how you consistently:
- Capture and organize information
- Make decisions about what to work on
- Track progress toward your goals
- Reflect on and improve your approach
Think of it like a recipe. The “system” isn’t the specific ingredients (your apps, tools, or templates) – it’s the method: the steps you follow, the timing, the way different elements combine to create the end result.
Most people get caught up in the ingredients (Should I use Notion or Obsidian? What’s the perfect template?) when they should be focusing on the method (How do I consistently review my goals? What helps me decide what to work on next?).
This is why you can implement the same fundamental system principles across completely different tools, and why switching tools rarely solves productivity problems.
PARA and GTD: Methodologies, Not Complete Systems
PARA is a knowledge organization methodology – it’s a framework for categorizing information (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive). It’s one component that could be part of a larger system.
GTD is a task management methodology – it’s a framework for capturing and processing actions (capture, clarify, organize, reflect, engage). Again, one component of a larger system.
Neither PARA nor GTD is a complete system by itself. They’re methodologies – systematic approaches to specific aspects of work.
The Core Behaviors That Actually Matter
Beneath every productivity guru’s branded framework, you’ll find these same essential practices:
Capture everything in a trusted system – Whether it’s David Allen’s “inbox,” Tiago Forte’s “PARA,” or any other method, they all start with getting thoughts out of your head and into a reliable external system.
Organize by actionability – Some call them “projects,” others “pillars” or “areas.” The names change, but the principle remains: group related work together in ways that help you take action.
Regular review cycles – Weekly reviews, daily planning, quarterly reflections. Every system emphasizes stepping back to assess and adjust.
Connect ideas and information – Building a “second brain,” creating “knowledge vaults,” or maintaining “reference systems.” All paths lead to the same destination: making your accumulated knowledge useful.
Goal alignment – Whether it’s OKRs, life areas, or values-based planning, every system includes some way to ensure your daily actions connect to bigger intentions.
The Pattern Recognition Test
Here’s a perfect example of how this works in practice. Recently, a student asked about implementing Tony Robbins’ RPM (Rapid Planning Method) system in Notion. I wasn’t familiar with the system but I could predict what the core components would be.
The marketing describes planning for months, weeks, and days using “5 Master Steps” to achieve maximum results. It mentions a journal for exploring ideas, developing habits, and documenting your life.
Sound familiar? Let’s decode this:
- Monthly/weekly/daily planning = Time-based organization
- Results focus = Goal-outcome alignment
- Ideas capture = Trusted collection system
- Habit development = Recurring practice tracking
- Journaling = Reflection and review cycles
In implementation terms, this translates to the exact same database structure you’d build for any productivity system:
- Goals database
- Projects/Areas database
- Tasks/Actions database
- Habits/Practices tracker
- Daily/Weekly/Monthly journal entries
- Ideas/Notes collection
The “revolutionary” RPM system uses the identical building blocks as GTD, PARA, Ultimate Brain, and dozens of other methods. Only the labels and specific prompts change.
Why System-Hopping Keeps You Stuck
The search for the “ultimate” system reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about how productivity actually works. I see this mindset constantly:
“I have Thomas Frank’s Ultimate Brain course but I feel it’s lacking quite a lot. I’ve recently decided to use August PPV method. Would I be able to modify to fit both methods? Should I build it through August’s method first than adapt it?”
This question (from a real student) highlights the core issue: the belief that there’s a perfect, ready-made system waiting to be discovered.
There’s also the element of FOMO; when a large mass of people are using a popular system, it can be easy to believe you’re missing some key insight if you’re using a different system.
My hot take is that most people system-hop because they’re seeking to avoid the discomfort that inevitably comes from actually engaging with a productivity system. Implementing any system requires confronting chaos and resistance—and switching systems offers temporary relief from that reality.
It’s normal for tasks to linger on our list longer than they should.
It’s normal to skip doing a weekly review because we’re too tired.
It’s normal for things to feel messy, or information to feel chaotic.
It doesn’t necessarily mean the system is broken; it just means you’re a human doing your best to stay organized in an increasingly complex landscape. Real systems are a little messy.
Here’s what I’ve learned after working with hundreds of students: the most effective systems are co-created, not adopted wholesale.
The Implementation Problem
Most people struggle with ready-made systems because:
- The system isn’t flexible enough for their unique circumstances
- They don’t understand their own workflows well enough to customize effectively
- They haven’t developed the meta-skill of system design and iteration
- They’re seeking external validation rather than trusting their own experience
What Actually Works: Principles Over Prescriptions
When I first launched the Notion Mastery program, I gave students a fully built system with all the databases, relations, and formulas ready to use. The result? Most students felt overwhelmed because they hadn’t helped create it. They didn’t understand how things connected or why the system was built that way. Their capture habits weren’t established. Their workflows hadn’t been established. They didn’t have review practices established. Giving someone a set of components without factoring in the principles and practices that support it was setting them up to fail.
Ready-made systems are typically designed by one person to achieve specific outcomes—and inevitably carry that creator’s biases, perspectives, needs, and experiences.
Someone who is self-employed has different needs than a person with traditional employment. A young entrepreneur’s workflow differs significantly from that of a parent with a part-time job. The idea that a single “productivity system” could work for everyone is simply unrealistic.
If I design a system requiring daily journal entries and give it to someone who hasn’t developed that habit, I’m setting them up to feel like a failure when they inevitably struggle to stick to the system.
Now I don’t teach how to use “my system,” I teach how to use systems thinking to build your own. Instead of giving you “ready made system,” I provide a set of adaptable components, and teach you how to:
- Understand your own workflows and friction points
- Build custom solutions using provided components as a jumping off point
- Iterate based on feedback and changing needs
- Create information flows between different areas
- Design systems that grow with you
- Integrate a variety of methodologies into your own system
- Design for your specific contexts, not generic “best practices”
At the end of the day, the implementation of a system is really about how you choose to visualize the components, engage in the workflows, and how you design for your own desired behaviours.
The Universal Building Blocks
When you strip away the marketing and branding, every productivity system teaches you to build the same core components:
- Define your goals (however you want to categorize them)
- Create a simple daily journal (for reflection and planning)
- Build a habit tracker (for consistency in key behaviors)
- Capture notes and ideas (in a searchable, organized way)
- Develop review processes (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly)
- Design planning workflows (that connect daily actions to bigger goals)
Whether you call it RPM, PARA, GTD, or something you invented yourself, you’re building the same functional components. The difference is in the specific prompts, review questions, and organizational preferences that work for your brain and your life.
The Neurodivergent Reality
As someone with ADHD, I’ve learned that most “systems” simply don’t work for me out of the box. My brain doesn’t fit neatly into other people’s organizational schemes. And here’s the thing: everyone’s brain works differently.
Some people thrive with deadline-driven task management. Others (especially many with ADHD) need energy-based or priority-based approaches. Some prefer visual dashboards, others minimal text lists.
There are simply too many preferences and ways of working for any standard system to work universally.
The #1 most utilized page in my Notion workspace is my “Today” page. It’s a daily dashboard that optimizes for taking daily action. I can see all of my daily habits, quickly add thoughts to my journal, quickly add new notes or access recent notes, access recently saved articles, review SOPs, create a new piece of content, etc. The dashboard is optimized for all the things I need to do in a day.
I could argue that this system uses GTD, or PARA, or any other number of productivity methodologies, because it brings together all of the core principles that every productivity system uses; it’s just woven together visually in a way that works for my brain.
Building Your Own Way Forward
Rather than searching for the perfect system, consider this approach:
1. Start with one universal principle
Pick something simple, like “capture everything in one place” or “review weekly.” Master that behavior before adding complexity.
2. Pay attention to friction
Notice where your current approach breaks down. What gets forgotten? What feels overwhelming? What takes too long? Friction often points to a system intervention opportunity.
3. Make small adjustments
Instead of overhauling everything, tweak one element at a time. Good systems evolve through feedback loops, not wholesale replacements.
4. Steal what works, leave the rest
Take the parts of different systems that resonate with your actual experience. Ignore the parts that don’t, regardless of how “revolutionary” they’re supposed to be.
5. Accept that it’s never “done”
Your system will inevitably need to evolve as your life changes. This isn’t a failure – it’s a feature. It’s normal to outgrow aspects of your system, remove pieces that no longer serve you, and integrate new features as needed.
The Real Skills You Need
Instead of seeking the perfect system, develop these meta-skills:
Systems thinking – Understanding how different parts of your workflow connect and affect each other.
Self-awareness – Knowing your own patterns, preferences, and constraints.
Iteration mindset – Viewing your system as an ongoing experiment rather than a fixed solution.
Building skills – Whether in Notion, Obsidian, or even paper, learn how to create custom solutions for your specific needs.
Instead of asking Instead of “Does this work with PARA/GTD?” you can ask:
Systems Questions:
- What are you trying to achieve overall?
- How do different areas of your work/life need to connect?
- What information needs to flow between different components?
- How will you maintain and evolve this over time?
Methodology Questions:
- Which frameworks serve your system’s purpose?
- What’s the best way to organize knowledge for your specific work?
- What task management approach fits your brain and workflow?
The Bottom Line
The productivity guru industrial complex wants you to believe their method is special. The truth is simpler and more empowering: the universal principles are already known. What matters is how thoughtfully you apply them to your unique situation.
Stop searching for the ultimate system, template, or method. Start building your own.
If you’re ready to move beyond system-hopping and learn how to build workflows that actually serve your needs, I’d love to work with you. My approach isn’t about giving you another branded framework – it’s about teaching you the skills to create whatever system works best for your brain, your work, and your life.
Check out our workshop on Principles of Dashboarding, or our signature program Notion Mastery.
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