Welcome to February’s book review! I am so excited to share with you this month’s book. Something SO transformative happened for me with this book. And truthfully, I am blown out of the water with this entire process. And it is for this exact reason WHY I wanted to do a book club. Reading is such an amazing way of educating yourself and so many people have lost the ability to disengage from short snip-its of fast-paced, already-digested information because of social media, because of the Internet, because of Wikipedia, and Google. Everything is so easily handed to us on a silver platter. But a book, a book is like these days, the weeks, the months, the years of information on a topic delivered by the author and given to you in the most beautiful, written format. Language, and communication is so special and it is incredible to be able to read a book and take so much away from it.
Now… this isn’t any normal book review, this is a soulful, deep dive, heartfelt reflection on the number one thing I am most passionate about – SYSTEMS. But not just any systems, systems for women who are juggling multiple responsibilities at the same time. This entire book gives you an in-depth insight into how to fully get in control of your business. In this month’s book, Traction by Gino Wickman, I found all the proof anyone could ever need about how necessary systemizing really is. Of course, I learned all about the system he teaches organizations to use to get a grip on their businesses, but more than, that I learned that what WE DO at HOME and in BUSINESS is no different. I am sharing it all in regards to the real reason why you need systems in your life in order to succeed and sharing how that relates to everything Gino Wickman talks about in his book, Traction.
Listen below for the entire episode on The Systemize Your Life Podcast
February’s Book Review
In complete honesty, I had developed an outline for myself of what the monthly book reviews would look like, and you can check out January’s book review here, and for February’s book review; I completely threw it out the window. February’s book of the month inspired me SO much, so forget the format, I just want to share deeply about what I am so incredibly passionate about. And as a creative individual, host of the Systemize Your Life Podcast, and lover of all things systems, you can imagine it would be hard for me to throw out the outline, but here we are, I am so incredibly inspired and ready to share with you all that I learned from this month’s book review, Traction by Gino Wickman.
Traction by Gino Wickman
This book was introduced to me by my husband who learned about it from a podcast that he listens to and learns from for the work that he does. He read it, loved it, and recommended it to me! And since he already had a copy, I actually read Traction in true book format, but here is the link to the book on Audible for all those auditory readers out there, just like myself. Of course, he was right, I loved it as it is about the one thing I am obsessed with – SYSTEMS.
The Book’s True Focus
This book’s true focus is on the Entrepreneur Operating System aka the “EOS.” This book gives you an operating system for YOUR BUSINESS. Now, at first, I almost turned it down and passed on it as the description is for people who are running BIGGER organizations that are bringing in MULTIPLE figures into their business. However, because of how much I love systems, I thought I would give it a try just to learn from another creator who loves systems as much as I do. I am so glad that I gave this book a chance as I learned so SO much about the real reason why you need systems in your life.
The Nuts and Bolts
In the whole back part of the book, Gino Wickman breaks down his whole six points for the operating system for his business. He says that every great system is made up of a core group of basic components and the same applies to your business. And I will take that even further and say that the same core group of components applies to your motherhood, your home, and YOUR business. And my deep desire is for you to understand how incredibly important systems are for the job you are doing in trying to succeed in HOME and BUSINESS. And the author, Gino Wickman shares how it is very simple to do that well if you have the right system. If you look at what you are doing in your life, think of it as a wheel. You are the hub of that wheel. Every single spoke of that wheel is connected to you. The more spokes you have, the weaker they become. But when we make the spokes of your wheel more condensed, they get stronger and more simpler.
The Six Components
In Traction, Gino Wickman discusses the six components of every business. Your business is the middle, and everything else goes around it. The six components are
- Vision
- Data
- Process
- Traction
- Issues
- People
He teaches that for all people who go through his EOS, entrepreneurial operating system, every person must compartmentalize their business in each of these areas. The majority of the book discusses these six components and teaches you how to pick them up and put them in place. I have shared before, previously, my love for the book Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, which teaches one specific system and the practicality of putting that system into place. I was able to implement that system and put it in place and that is exactly what I plan to do with this book as well.
What it takes to be a systematic business owner
You are the owner of YOU. You are a massive organization. You are the hub. You have to understand how to care for yourself systematically, and how to care for your home, your children, your marriage, and your business systematically. This book showed me why it is so incredibly important, so incredibly necessary, and so incredibly true to have systems in your life.
One of the things I loved the most from the very beginning of the book is “If you are looking for the next fashionable MBA methodology, this isn’t it, the EOS, consists of timeless, practical, universal principles that have been tested in almost every kind of organization. What is dramatically new is the integration of these best practices into a complete system for organizing and operating your business, aka YOU as the HUB, operating your HOME, your BUSINESS, and every single thing that happens there, your MOTHERHOOD, your MARRIAGE, your SELF, that will endure for decades to come.
That is exactly what this is about. This is what it is about and this is what you get when you come to the Facebook group when you join the Systemize Your Life Academy, when you listen to the Podcast, you get best practices into a complete system, the tried and true, that are timeless, practical, universal. This is exactly what you need. Forget all the other silly things that don’t take you anywhere in the end.
Main Points
One of the things I loved about reading this book was he talked about the six major components. And all these things are things we deal with as the hub of our organization. The hub of ourselves and all the things we have been called to do. This is a massive organization. Quite frankly, having the role of mom, wife, keeper of the house, income earner, business owner, all of these things, is WORK. It is A LOT of work. The six components that Wickman talks about: are issues (we got lots of issues); people (we got people); vision (got to have a vision); data (big data collectors over here) and process and traction.
There are SO many things within each of these categories that are big YESES and AMENS. This book lit me up so much because I am the creator of a massive system for people who are running massive organizations – it is just not business organizations, it is home, business, and motherhood organizations. This is a very interesting niche of a season of life, of a role for women and this is why it lit me up. I loved being able to see it all come together through the book and to really feel validated in everything that we do in the Systemize Your Life Academy.
Biggest Takeaway
In the second chapter of the book, he talks about the concept of “letting go of the vine.” It is so poetic and so on-point, I could cry. Most business owners, aka most moms, wives, and business owners of our hub, are unable to reach the next level because they are simply not ready to let go of the vine. The lead in of the book shares how an entrepreneur falls off of a ledge and holds on to a vine, in this moment he decides to pray and when he prays he hears a voice telling him to let go of the vine. To which the entrepreneur replies, is there anyone else up there? But what if that is exactly what you need to do? What if the ONLY THING you need to do is simply let go of the vine? This is all because of fear. Before you can grow, you will need to take the leap of faith.
“If you are not happy with the current state of your company you have three choices; you can live with it, you can leave it, or you can change it”
So many people want the quick fix. You want this thing to be over, to be done. But you don’t want to do the actual work. You don’t want to take the actual time to slow down, to be able to speed up. If you want to learn what you need to do to slow down a little bit, so you can speed up a ton, then check out my workshop as I am sharing all the secrets to reach this level of success, all by simply slowing down and learning to systemize your life.
He shares, “If you are not happy with the current state of your company (aka YOU and all that YOU are doing) you have three choices; you can live with it, you can leave it, or you can change it” The reality is you can’t leave it, but you also can’t live with it, so then it is time to admit it and change. Change is scary, you need to change from believing you are your company and letting it become its own entity. With the right structure, and the right people in place you can reach your full potential and grow.
Fundamental Beliefs
We have to change our mindset from it has to be all of me or only me. To be truly ready to this change you must be willing to accept these four fundamental beliefs.
- You must build and maintain a true leadership team.
- Hitting the ceiling is inevitable.
- You can only function on one operating system.
- You must be open-minded, growth-oriented and vulnerable.
Build and maintain a true leadership team
The most important thing stressed throughout the entirety of this book is the real reason why you need systems. In addition, he emphasizes the need for building and maintaining a true leadership team. For me, this leadership team includes my spouse and my faith. This is so incredibly important and why I include a marriage component inside the Systemize Your Life Academy. Additionally, if you are truly trying to grow and build your leadership team, what have you done to try to help that? What can you outsource? What can you teach to your spouse? What can you share to help each other grow together as a team?
Hitting the ceiling is inevitable
If you are going to grow, whether internally as a person, externally as a leadership team, in systems, or with your children; if you are not growing then you are dying. You are either moving forward or you are not. This is cutthroat but absolutely true. Internal growth is SO important. There is SO much growth that we must do in our motherhood, in our businesses, in our marriage, and that is the ticket that we need to grow to the next step, to that next level. You could have been able to grow so much faster if you had just sat down for a second and put pen to paper, put the actual system in place, your week, your year, and your life will go so much smoother, and you will accelerate SO much faster. And this is why you absolutely must put some systems in place, sit down, do the work, and watch as you accelerate so much further.
Most of all, you have to know your strengths and weaknesses and let other people who are more skilled than you in certain areas take charge. You cannot embark on this journey if you are not willing to be vulnerable.
Where in your life can you allow the resources you have around you to let other people do it? Is there something that someone can do better than you – than outsource it? Whether you are trying to use the EOS approach as discussed in Traction by Gino Wickman or the systems in place within the Systemize Your Life Academy put your whole heart into it, see it through, show up for it and get involved. Be engaged with other people doing the same thing, and find yourself an accountability partner to help see you through it. I truly hope that at some point you make your way back to this book as I truly believe it has the thought patterns that you and your business need to reach that next level.
Next month’s book club read
Head over to the Facebook group to join us for next month’s book club read. You can join us in our next title, or pick a book of your own, either way – we would love to have you reading along with us!
If you are looking for more resolution in your life, if you are looking for more time and space to cultivate and grow your business all while being present with your family and raising your children intentionally, then come check out the details in The Systemize Your Life Academy. Until next time friends!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find out more about the books you've read?
First of all – make sure you join our Facebook group so you can find out about our next book club! If you are wanting to find out about past books we’ve read check and take a listen to my review of Jimmy Evan’s Book and Brene Brown’s Book.
