Systems Drift
All systems decay without maintenance. What worked yesterday won’t work forever. Entropy is the default—the Second Law of Thermodynamics applied to behavior (Prigogine & Stengers, 1984).
The Mechanism
Drift is the gradual departure from intended function:
- Habits that used to be automatic become optional
- Processes that used to work become outdated
- Relationships that used to be close become distant
- Skills that used to be sharp become rusty
It happens slowly. You don’t notice until you’re far from where you started.
Why Systems Drift
| Cause | Example |
|---|---|
| Neglect | Stopped reviewing, stopped tracking |
| Context change | Life changed, system didn’t adapt |
| Complexity creep | Added steps until system collapsed |
| Energy depletion | Maintained during good times, abandoned during stress |
| Success complacency | ”It’s working, no need to check” |
Cross-Domain Drift
| Domain | What Drifts | Signs of Drift |
|---|---|---|
| Health | Exercise consistency, sleep habits, diet quality | Clothes fit differently, energy drops |
| Wealth | Budget adherence, investment strategy, spending habits | Savings rate drops, debt creeps |
| Social | Contact frequency, relationship quality | Haven’t talked to close friends in months |
| Meaning | Values alignment, purpose clarity | ”Going through the motions” feeling |
| Meta | Review cadence, habit tracking, planning | Systems running on autopilot, no feedback |
The Drift Timeline
| Stage | Duration | Symptoms | Recovery Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy | — | System working as designed | Maintenance only |
| Early drift | 1-4 weeks | Occasional misses, still recoverable | Small course correction |
| Moderate drift | 1-3 months | Pattern of misses, momentum lost | Recommitment, restart protocol |
| Severe drift | 3+ months | System abandoned, habits broken | Full rebuild required |
Key insight: Early drift is easy to fix. Severe drift requires starting over.
Anti-Drift Strategies
1. Scheduled Maintenance
Build review cadence into the system:
- Daily: Did I do the basics?
- Weekly: Weekly Review
- Monthly: Are systems still serving me?
- Quarterly: Full audit
2. Visible Metrics
What gets measured resists drift:
- Streak counters
- Progress dashboards
- Regular check-ins
3. Minimum Viable Versions
When energy is low, do the MVV instead of nothing:
- 5-minute workout beats skipping
- 1-minute meditation beats nothing
- Quick budget check beats ignoring finances
4. Accountability
External eyes catch drift you miss:
- Partner, friend, coach
- Public commitments
- Regular reporting
Recovery Protocol
When you notice drift:
- Acknowledge without shame. Drift is normal. Denial extends it.
- Assess severity. Early? Moderate? Severe?
- Identify root cause. Neglect? Context change? Energy?
- Restart with MVV. Don’t rebuild the full system immediately.
- Add feedback loop. What will catch drift earlier next time?
Related
- Feedback Loops — Prevent drift
- Compounding — Drift compounds negatively
- Weekly Review — Drift detection
- Failure Modes — Recovery when drift is severe
Systems don’t maintain themselves. Build maintenance into the system, or watch it decay.
Prigogine, I., & Stengers, I. (1984). Order Out of Chaos: Man’s New Dialogue with Nature. Bantam Books.