(excerpt from Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less, by Sam Carpenter)
In a broad sense, there are two psychological approaches to finding a way to lead a full, positive existence. The first holds that the events of the past and the mindset we formed as a result of those events determine today’s happiness. In this view, we are victims of unpleasant circumstance and have a chance at peace only if we face and then disarm the psychic monsters planted in our minds long ago. That’s the Freudian stance.
The second approach, the cognitive, maintains that the thoughts we feed ourselves today are what matter most, and the events of the past are just that-in the past-and gone forever unless we insist on swirling them back into the present moment.
The cognitive approach is more practical than the Freudian because it’s simple and clean, enabling one to steer the thought process rather than wallow helplessly in mental negativity from years gone by. I believe that what we do today will determine tomorrow, and blaming the past or the world or someone else is a debilitating way to travel through this precious one-time event called life.
Blue-blood, old-school psychologists who see endless dour complexity in the human condition will sniff at the simplicity of the Work the System message. Things are more complicated than that, they’ll say. I thank them in advance for the oblique compliment. This is an elementary, dispassionate, drop-the-load dispatch that describes lives as they really are: simple cause-and-effect mechanisms that can be logical, predictable, and satisfying.
No PhD necessary.
So take the title of this book at literal face value, understanding you will be working your systems. In these pages I challenge you to first see, then dissect, and then refine them one by one until each is perfect. (I call this process system improvement.) You will create new systems too, while discarding the ones holding you back, the ones that have been invisibly sabotaging your best efforts. Command the systems of your life and move toward inner serenity, prosperity, and the best for those around you.
There are two psychological approaches to finding a way to lead a creative, contributing existence. The first holds that the events of the past and the mindset we formed as a result of those events determine one’s happiness. In this view, we are victims of bad circumstance and will find peace only if we face and then disarm the psychic monsters planted in our minds long ago. That’s the Freudian stance.
The second approach is the cognitive. This view maintains that the thoughts we feed ourselves today are all that matter, and the events of the past are-in the past-and gone forever unless we insist on swirling them back into the present moment.
The cognitive approach is more practical than the Freudian. Why? Because it’s simple and direct, enabling one to plow through the thought process rather than becoming steeped in mental negativity dredged up from the past. I believe that what we do today will create our tomorrow, and blaming the past or the world or someone else is a horrible way to travel through this precious one-time event called life.
Blue-blood, old-school psychologists who see endless dour complexity in the human condition will sniff at the simple Work the System message. It’s more complicated than that, they’ll protest. I thank them in advance for the sideways compliment. This is an elementary, dispassionate, sensible dispatch that describes lives as they truly are: simple cause-and-effect mechanisms that crave logical, predictable results.
Never mind the PhD. It’s simply not necessary…
So take the title of this book literally, understanding you will be working your systems. I want you to first see, then dissect, and then refine each of your systems, one by one until each is perfect. (This is called system improvement.) You’ll create new systems too, while discarding the ones holding you back, the ones that have been invisibly sabotaging you. Control the systems of your life and find wealth, inner serenity, and the best for those around you.
