Hi All,
New episode, hope you enjoy! (and happy new year)
Episode 101: State of the Systems 2025
Posted by Reinhard on 2025-12-31
My 7th annual review covers just the highlights from 33 total systems: how color-coded spreadsheets changed my behavior more than goal-setting, fine-tuning Glass Ceiling with precision drink accounting, the Spider Hunter sleep expansion pack, and gamifying my rage at Duolingo.
https://podcast.everydaysystems.com/episode/101/
Best,
Reinhard
Podcast #101: State of the Systems 2025
Re: Podcast #101: State of the Systems 2025
Dear Reinhard!
Thank you for this new episode and the work you do sharing your insights with us. I am always a bit excited when I see a new episode popping up in my podcast player
I am really interested in your ideas on how to manage so many systems. In my case I stopped my version of Weekend Luddite. The main reason was that I felt adding another “rule” to my life added more stress than benefit. Probably the problem (weekend online time) was not so pressing in the first place. Sure I thought less would be better. But in total following another rule felt more a problem than screentime itself.
The same goes with Flogging. I experienced a slight increase of my weight over time. No S feels normal at this point, it is not a compliance problem for me. I think middle age metabolism could be the reason. So I experienced with Weekend Flogging: I wrote down only sweets I ate on weekends. But even this felt too stressful. Maybe it is an excuse?! But maybe also it is not. I generally have no problem following commitments. My No S and exercise compliance and Anki and Study-Habit is nearly 100%.
To me it feels like there is a tipping point where adding another rule feels more like a prison than a relief. I guess that is quite individual. And I am happy that your limit seems to be at another point. Otherwise you would not be exploring and sharing all your ideas with us…
So I am curious to hear what you think about that. I had the idea that 14 habits might be a good number to commit to for me… But as you said: some “systems” are more ways of thinking than habits to follow. So let’s see.
Also I am really looking forward to the shovelglove revisit. If I may add a wish: could you spend some thoughts going over a general exercise habit: 14 Minutes of anything? Due to a back injury I left shovelglove, use kettlebells instead - but strictly stay with 14 Minutes every N-Day. The structure is king in my view – the method also cool but if yoga is one’s thing why not 14’ of Yoga N-Daily…
The Everyday-Systems overview is a cool idea. Looking forward!
One last question: what is the little “push” column in your body part of your spreadsheet? Could you explain when/how you are doing pushups I guess?! Thanks!
Reinhard – all the best for 2026. Best wishes from a nice winter in southern Germany with snowy mountains and a bright sky!
Stefan
Thank you for this new episode and the work you do sharing your insights with us. I am always a bit excited when I see a new episode popping up in my podcast player
I am really interested in your ideas on how to manage so many systems. In my case I stopped my version of Weekend Luddite. The main reason was that I felt adding another “rule” to my life added more stress than benefit. Probably the problem (weekend online time) was not so pressing in the first place. Sure I thought less would be better. But in total following another rule felt more a problem than screentime itself.
The same goes with Flogging. I experienced a slight increase of my weight over time. No S feels normal at this point, it is not a compliance problem for me. I think middle age metabolism could be the reason. So I experienced with Weekend Flogging: I wrote down only sweets I ate on weekends. But even this felt too stressful. Maybe it is an excuse?! But maybe also it is not. I generally have no problem following commitments. My No S and exercise compliance and Anki and Study-Habit is nearly 100%.
To me it feels like there is a tipping point where adding another rule feels more like a prison than a relief. I guess that is quite individual. And I am happy that your limit seems to be at another point. Otherwise you would not be exploring and sharing all your ideas with us…
So I am curious to hear what you think about that. I had the idea that 14 habits might be a good number to commit to for me… But as you said: some “systems” are more ways of thinking than habits to follow. So let’s see.
Also I am really looking forward to the shovelglove revisit. If I may add a wish: could you spend some thoughts going over a general exercise habit: 14 Minutes of anything? Due to a back injury I left shovelglove, use kettlebells instead - but strictly stay with 14 Minutes every N-Day. The structure is king in my view – the method also cool but if yoga is one’s thing why not 14’ of Yoga N-Daily…
The Everyday-Systems overview is a cool idea. Looking forward!
One last question: what is the little “push” column in your body part of your spreadsheet? Could you explain when/how you are doing pushups I guess?! Thanks!
Reinhard – all the best for 2026. Best wishes from a nice winter in southern Germany with snowy mountains and a bright sky!
Stefan
Re: Podcast #101: State of the Systems 2025
Here's a contribution to the philosophy of the greenishness concept:
Plants appear green, because they absorb red and blue sunlight wavelenghts, and reflect (reject) green!
At first counterintuitive to our eyes, but also this doesn't make sense because green sun spectrum is the most powerful..absorbing it would make photosynthesis so much more efficient..
Turns out maximizing efficiency introduces instability in the system. Hence, the plants reject excess of the powerful green light, to make the photosynthesis system more stable.
The more green you radiate, the more excess you have rejected. Such a profound nod to moderation by nature itself.
Also, thank you for the contabulate Shakespeare - finally i can track down the words from legendary Shakesperean insult generator down to their respective book titles.
Plants appear green, because they absorb red and blue sunlight wavelenghts, and reflect (reject) green!
At first counterintuitive to our eyes, but also this doesn't make sense because green sun spectrum is the most powerful..absorbing it would make photosynthesis so much more efficient..
Turns out maximizing efficiency introduces instability in the system. Hence, the plants reject excess of the powerful green light, to make the photosynthesis system more stable.
The more green you radiate, the more excess you have rejected. Such a profound nod to moderation by nature itself.
Also, thank you for the contabulate Shakespeare - finally i can track down the words from legendary Shakesperean insult generator down to their respective book titles.
Re: Podcast #101: State of the Systems 2025
Thank you both for your kind words and thoughtful questions/observations!
Stefan, "rule burden" is very real (even for me). I'll get into a lot more detail when I get to that episode, but I think the main reason I'm able to juggle so many systems is that I actually enjoy them to a degree (if I didn't, I would probably stop) and also that I've managed to arrange my typical days so that my circumstances "suggest" the appropriate rule, if any. Habits are associated with certain times or certain "trigger" circumstances or other habits that they cluster with. Flogging is an exception in that it is supposed to be unpleasant (and temporary). If I couldn't "earn" my way out of having to keep doing it I'd never be able to stick with it either. I've also, through years of practice, gotten much better at this, and built a lot more confidence / ability to enjoy the process. One system was plenty when I started No S.
I will definitely talk about non-sledgehammer exercise when I get to shovelglove (since I myself now do an evolving mix since my uppy arm issues 2020). In a nutshell, it's "14 minutes of anything" (plus another 14 minutes or so since I have become old enough to need to stretch/warm up). I keep the time sacred: even though I only shovelglove proper three days a week now instead of five, I do other exercise at the same time the remaining two week days (run outside, run in place while watching streaming, dumbbell shadowboxing).
In terms of pushups, I've been tracking them for years as a "benchmark" exercise. I allow myself up to four sets a day (having a maximum encourages me not to overdue it any one day and also to do them more days so as not to lose my chance). Most of these sets I've historically done as part of my shovelglove routine itself ("degraded beast"). But I also do them now on my "off" days as part of my alternate routines and sometimes just independently. I used to focus on the maximum number per set, but for the last few years I focus just on the average number per day. I feel like that's a safer thing to focus on, that my form suffers if I'm just trying to bang out as many as possible in one set. I try to do them nice and slow, straight back, full range of motion from just a breath above the floor to arms fully extended.
I used to also do pullups as a benchmark but stopped when I got the golfer's elbow because they became super painful (and presumably super bad for the golfer's elbow). I am tentatively experimenting with re-introducing them this year (up to two sets per day, 1 max in Jan per set, raising max by one a month assuming no pain) but I am very paranoid about uppy arm returning and would not be surprised if I wind up stopping perhaps preemptively so as not to go anywhere near re-injuring myself and risking my ability to do shovelglove.
Miran, I love this observation about the "greenishness" of photosynthesis! It had not occurred to me but it works perfectly.
I am glad you enjoyed messing around with contabulate. I hope to develop it more / possibly add works by other authors.
Reinhard
Stefan, "rule burden" is very real (even for me). I'll get into a lot more detail when I get to that episode, but I think the main reason I'm able to juggle so many systems is that I actually enjoy them to a degree (if I didn't, I would probably stop) and also that I've managed to arrange my typical days so that my circumstances "suggest" the appropriate rule, if any. Habits are associated with certain times or certain "trigger" circumstances or other habits that they cluster with. Flogging is an exception in that it is supposed to be unpleasant (and temporary). If I couldn't "earn" my way out of having to keep doing it I'd never be able to stick with it either. I've also, through years of practice, gotten much better at this, and built a lot more confidence / ability to enjoy the process. One system was plenty when I started No S.
I will definitely talk about non-sledgehammer exercise when I get to shovelglove (since I myself now do an evolving mix since my uppy arm issues 2020). In a nutshell, it's "14 minutes of anything" (plus another 14 minutes or so since I have become old enough to need to stretch/warm up). I keep the time sacred: even though I only shovelglove proper three days a week now instead of five, I do other exercise at the same time the remaining two week days (run outside, run in place while watching streaming, dumbbell shadowboxing).
In terms of pushups, I've been tracking them for years as a "benchmark" exercise. I allow myself up to four sets a day (having a maximum encourages me not to overdue it any one day and also to do them more days so as not to lose my chance). Most of these sets I've historically done as part of my shovelglove routine itself ("degraded beast"). But I also do them now on my "off" days as part of my alternate routines and sometimes just independently. I used to focus on the maximum number per set, but for the last few years I focus just on the average number per day. I feel like that's a safer thing to focus on, that my form suffers if I'm just trying to bang out as many as possible in one set. I try to do them nice and slow, straight back, full range of motion from just a breath above the floor to arms fully extended.
I used to also do pullups as a benchmark but stopped when I got the golfer's elbow because they became super painful (and presumably super bad for the golfer's elbow). I am tentatively experimenting with re-introducing them this year (up to two sets per day, 1 max in Jan per set, raising max by one a month assuming no pain) but I am very paranoid about uppy arm returning and would not be surprised if I wind up stopping perhaps preemptively so as not to go anywhere near re-injuring myself and risking my ability to do shovelglove.
Miran, I love this observation about the "greenishness" of photosynthesis! It had not occurred to me but it works perfectly.
I am glad you enjoyed messing around with contabulate. I hope to develop it more / possibly add works by other authors.
Reinhard
Re: Podcast #101: State of the Systems 2025
Dear Reinhard!
Thanks for your answer. Getting curious about the "rule burden" episode . With Flogging in my case it didn't work in the way that I lost the pounds I wanted to loose in a 4 week period - and that was too long to keep up...
May I bother you again about those push ups? If the column says 29: does that mean you did 4 Sessions with 29 each or 4 Session with 29 average or 4 Sessions with 29 in total/adding up to 29?
Thanks again, all the best
Stefan
Thanks for your answer. Getting curious about the "rule burden" episode
. With Flogging in my case it didn't work in the way that I lost the pounds I wanted to loose in a 4 week period - and that was too long to keep up...May I bother you again about those push ups? If the column says 29: does that mean you did 4 Sessions with 29 each or 4 Session with 29 average or 4 Sessions with 29 in total/adding up to 29?
Thanks again, all the best
Stefan
Re: Podcast #101: State of the Systems 2025
I will try to get that "rule burden" episode in sooner then... probably not this month, but maybe next.
It's average total pushups per day for the period.
My more recent aspiration has been to shoot for 4 sets every weekday, usually associated with my morning shovelglove or alternate 14 minutes of anything, spaced out however, with the first three sets having 14 reps which I can reliably manage and the last having more if I feel I can go beyond that. Makes it easier to keep track and I think keeps it safer by making the quality of the movements the only "food for hubris," the only thing I can aspire to improving, on those first three sets at least. I note the rep counts on my daily personal punch card and transfer to the lifelog spreadsheet once a week.
Reinhard
It's average total pushups per day for the period.
My more recent aspiration has been to shoot for 4 sets every weekday, usually associated with my morning shovelglove or alternate 14 minutes of anything, spaced out however, with the first three sets having 14 reps which I can reliably manage and the last having more if I feel I can go beyond that. Makes it easier to keep track and I think keeps it safer by making the quality of the movements the only "food for hubris," the only thing I can aspire to improving, on those first three sets at least. I note the rep counts on my daily personal punch card and transfer to the lifelog spreadsheet once a week.
Reinhard